Victory Day Military Parade

Last week we had two federal holidays in a row. The first one was the Defender of the Fatherland Day (in other words Armed Forces Day). It is celebrated on February 23 in a lot of former Soviet Union Republics since 1919 except here in Kazakhstan where they celebrate it on May 7. I am not sure why. It is a big holiday here and can be compared to American Veteran’s Day and Father’s Day put together.

Two days later on May 9 we celebrate Victory Day which marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany and the end of WWII or the Great Patriotic War as it is often called here. The surrender document was signed late on the night of 8^th of May 1945 but in Moscow it was already 9^th of May and that is why Victory Day here is celebrated on the 9^th. It is one of the biggest holidays in a lot of former Soviet Union Republics and this year it was special because it has been 70 years since the war ended in which Soviet Union lost about 50 million people.

Usually there is a military parade on May 9 but this year it was held on May 7 (Defender of the Fatherland Day) because Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of Kazakhstan, was going to the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on the 9^th where he was one of the key guests.  For about 2 weeks before the parade we saw them practicing. On the way to church we would see some tanks and other heavy machinery. For a few days we saw fighter jets flying in different formations. It was great! We couldn't go see the actual parade because it was on the other side of the river and they cut off the traffic to the area of the parade, so we decided to go to one of the major squares where they put up big screens to watch the parade live.

Walking to Bayterek to watch the parade live on the screens

We invited our friends, the Petersons, to come with us. It was a very warm day, and the leaves on the trees just came out a few days earlier, so everything was dressed in that beautiful light green spring color. There were just a few people when we arrived at Bayterek square but soon more and more people started to show up. We found a nice spot to sit at the foot of the tower with a good view of the screens, the square, and the presidential palace where we could see the air show.

Spencer and the kids with the Peterson kids sitting at the foot of Bayterek watching the parade.

The stage with two screens on the sides at Bayerek.

The view of the Presidential Palace.

The parade was beautifully organized, and featured both historical (from the WWII era) and modern equipment. The largest military parade in Kazakhstan’s history gathered over 5 thousand military personnel, 200 pieces of military equipment and 70 helicopters and military airplanes.We really loved the air show when the military helicopters, fighter jets and other military planes flew in different formations with the last fighter jet formation being a number 70 for the 70^th anniversary since the ending of WWII. At the end they wrote a big “70” in the sky with the smoke.

Beginning of the Parade.

Tanks. 

Veterans of WWII, Just a few of them are still living.

Military helicopters

Jets escorting a transport plane (I think it is TU 134)

New Su-30 SM Flankers purchased from Russia. It is probably hard to see from this angle but they are flying as number 70

After it was over we walked to Keruen Mall for some ice cream where we also found some displays with the pictures of men and women who went to war from this area and with some pieces from their letters to home. It was really neat.

 

The square was full of people who came to watch the parade.

A display at Keruen Mall with the photographs of the people who went to WWII from this area.

I hope our kids will remember this day. All of their great grandfathers went to that war. One of their Russian grandfathers was killed at the very beginning; the other went all the way to Berlin and was there on the day the capitulation was signed. He made it home but died years later from a piece of shrapnel that was never removed from his body. Both of their American great grandparents answered the call and went to war even though they didn't see any action themselves because it was over before they got there. I hope they will remember their heritage and I hope they will remember the sacrifices that so many men, women, and even children paid so they can have the freedom.