Russian troops recreate legendary wartime parade

Moscow: Russian troops clad in World War II-era uniforms marched Thursday across Moscow’s Red Square in a reconstruction of a legendary wartime parade.

The Nov. 7, 1941, parade saw Red Army soldiers move directly to the front line in the Battle of Moscow, becoming a symbol of Soviet valor and tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds.

The Nazi forces approached Moscow in October 1941 as the Red Army suffered a series of devastating defeats after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. They came as close as 30 kilometers (less than 19 miles) to the city in some areas and Nazi officers were able to see Moscow’s landmarks in binoculars.

As Moscow’s fate was hanging in the balance, Soviet leader Josef Stalin ordered the parade to boost morale of the city’s defenders. The Soviet command eventually managed to bring in fresh troops from the country’s east and launch a counteroffensive that drove the Nazis back. It was the Nazis’ first major defeat since the start of World War II.

Thursday’s re-enactment featured about 4,000 troops, vintage T-34 tanks and other vehicles.

During Soviet times, annual military parades were held on Nov. 7 to mark the anniversary of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. The holiday was abolished in 2005, but communist party members still celebrate it.