Day of Tankmen
Day of Tankmen is a professional military holiday in Russia and the former Soviet Union, celebrated every second Sunday of September. It celebrates the service and sacrifices of tank crews and commanders in armored formations since the Russian Civil War, when tanks were first used in Russian territory.
History of the holiday
Background
The holiday was established in the USSR by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on 11 July 1946 to commemorate the role of the mechanized and armored forces in the Red Army in defeating their enemy counterparts from the Wehrmacht during the Great Patriotic War. It was, from 1946 to 1980, celebrated on 11 September, which honors the East Carpathian Strategic Offensive.Cold War era
On the first celebration that year, a military parade of armored equipment was held on Red Square in the presence of the military leadership on Lenin's Mausoleum and spectators from the adjacent stands, with the personnel being drawn from the 4th Guards Tank Division to participate in the 3-hour parade. Its troops were concentrated on Gorky Street from Okhotny Ryad to Mayakovsky Square. After the parade, it was discovered that St. Basil's Cathedral was damaged due to strong, though minor, vibration.In the 40s and 50s, celebrations included columns of tanks being driven on streets in major Soviet cities watched by enthusiastic crowds.