In November 2023, the Russian Federation held a threeday static display on Red Square, Moscow, exhibiting restored wartime Red Army vehicles. Jim Kinnear profiles a selection of these historic machines
As the saying goes, “What a difference a day makes”, or in the case of Russia/Europe/ The World, the last few years. With the fighting in Ukraine between two former Soviet states affecting millions of Russian and Ukrainian families, with relatives on both sides of the divide, Moscow in November 2023 held to tradition with a historic static military exhibition – ostensibly commemorating the military parade held in November 1941 when Axis forces were at the gates of Moscow.
Historically, the former Soviet Union commemorated the 1917 October Revolution on November 7 with an annual display of military might, the parades being both for internal consumption and as a demonstration of military prowess to the outside world, and foreign military attachés in particular. The Statesponsored parades ceased with the break-up of the Soviet Union, with the last November 7 parade being held on the Red Square in 1990.
Although military parades were restarted on the Red Square in 2008 (and henceforth held on May 9 annua…
