1995 Moscow Victory Day Parades


The 1995 Moscow Victory Day Parades were two military parades held on 9 May 1995 to commemorate the historic 50th anniversary golden jubilee of the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in 1945. The parades marked the Soviet Union's victory in the Great Patriotic War. These were the first post-Soviet military parades held in Russia the first one being in held for veterans on Red Square at 8:00 in the morning followed by another parade of infantry and military equipment at Poklonnaya Hill at 3:00 in the afternoon.

Poklonnaya Hill Parade

The Poklonnaya Parade was the first parade in the post-Soviet era and the only one in the Yeltsin era to feature military hardware, which would not be displayed again until 2008.
The parade was observed by Russian leaders and foreign dignitaries from a provisional facade. Major political figures attending were President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin, First Lady Naina Yeltsina, and Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. The parade was inspected by Minister of Defence General of the Army Pavel Grachev, who later made the keynote address and commanded by Moscow Military District Commander Colonel General Leonid Kuznetsov. It was on that very parade where Russian soldiers paraded with new post-Soviet military uniforms. It was the first time since 1957 that aviation took part in the parade.
Among the new additions that debuted were the BMP-3, BMD-3, S-300 missile system, BM-30 Smerch and the 2S19 Msta SPG.

Full order of the parade in the Poklonnaya Hill complex

Military bands

Ground column

Red Square Parade

The Red Square Parade was another parade held in post-Soviet and in the Yeltsin era but did not feature military hardware, which would not be displayed again until 2008. This parade would feature all surviving veterans from all fronts marching past Red Square. The parade was observed by Russian leaders from Lenin's Mausoleum and more than 50 world leaders, most notably United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, European Commission President Jacques Santer, United States president Bill Clinton, Canadian prime minister Jean Chretien, British prime minister John Major, Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev and Uzbek president Islam Karimov. Major political figures attending were President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin and Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin. The parade was inspected by retired Marshal of the Soviet Union Viktor Kulikov and commanded by retired General of the Army Vladimir Govorov. In this parade, Russian president Boris Yeltsin delivered his first Victory Day address. This parade was also the only to feature and show the Iberian Gate and Chapel under construction on Red Square, which was later finished the following year. Among the notable veteran participants was pilot Stepan Borozenets.

Full order of the parade on Red Square

Military bands

  • Massed Military Bands of the Moscow Military District

Ground column

Dignitaries in attendance

In March 1995, White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry announced a state visit by President Bill Clinton to Russia on 9 and 10 May to attend the celebrations as well as another visit to Ukraine on 11 May. One of the largest gathering of world leaders in Russian history, the 1995 parade was attended by a total of 56 foreign heads of state and government, along with 6 multilateral leaders.
Also present were plenty of Foreign Diplomats and representatives of all Second World War veterans from the European and Mediterranean Theaters of Operations.

Music

Music for Red Square parade

; Review and AddressJubilee Slow March "25 Years of the Red Army" by Semeon TchernetskySlow March of the Officers Schools March of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Slow March of the Guards of the Navy by Nikolai Pavlocich Ivanov-RadkevichGlory by Mikhail Glinka
; Veteran and Infantry ColumnWe are the Army of the People by Georgy Viktorovich MavsesyanSacred War by Alexander AlexanderovFarewell of Slavianka by Vasiliy Agapkin
  • March Victory by Albert Mikhailovich Arutyunov
  • March from the theme of the song On an Unknown Hill In the Dugout by Alexei SurkovWe Need One Victory by Bulat Shalvovich OkudzhavaIn Defense of the Homeland by Viktor Sergeyevich RunovOn Guard for the Peace by Boris Alexanderovich DievCombat March by Dmitry Illarionovich PertsevOn the Road by Vasily Pavlovich Solovyov-Sedoy
; ConclusionBow to those Great Years by Iosif Kobzon1812 Overture Finale by TchaikovskyVictory Day by David Fyodorovich Tukhmanov

Music for Poklonnaya Hill parade

; Review and AddressJubilee Slow March "25 Years of the Red Army" by Semeon TchernetskySlow March of the Officers Schools by Semyon TchernetskySlow March of the Tankmen by Semyon TchernetskySlow March of the Guards of the Navy by Nikolai Pavlocich Ivanov-RadkevichMarch of the Preobrazhensky Regiment by UnknownSlow March of the Officers Schools by Semyon TchernetskySlow March of the Guards of the Navy by Nikolai Pavlocich Ivanov-RadkevichSlow March by Dmitry PertsevSlow March of the Red Army by Semyon TchernetskyGlory by Mikhail Glinka
; Infantry ColumnVictory Day by David Fyodorovich TukhmanovFarewell of Slavianka by Vasiliy AgapkinIn Defense of the Homeland by Viktor Sergeyevich RunovOn Guard for the Peace by Boris Alexanderovich DievCombat March by Dmitry Illarionovich PertsevAir March by Yuliy Abramovich KhaitLeningrad by Viktor Sergeyeich RunovWe are the Army of the People by Georgy Viktorovich MavsesyanSports March by Valentin VolkovOn the Road by Vasily Pavlovich Solovyov-Sedoy
; Air ColumnAir March by Yuliy Abramovich KhaitLegendary Sevastopol by Bano Muradeli
; Vehicle ColumnVictorious March by Nikolai Pavlocich Ivanov-RadkevichSalute to Moscow by Semyon TchernetskyMy Dear Capital/My Moscow by Isaac Dunayevsky