Hello Everyone!
This past weekend has been quite a weekend celebrating the Victory Day,/May 9 holiday. Victory Day is very much like out November 11 Veterans' Day with parades, 10Km runs, concerts, old cars on display, speeches, and fireworks. Victory Day celebrates the end of the "Great Patriotic War". OR WW II as we know it. Enjoy the photos. And if the music video plays, enjoy that too!
Concert on Friday, May 6. Costumes represent the uniforms worn in the Great Patriotic War.
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| Legends Song and Dance Group celebrating the Victory at the End of the Great Patriotic War |
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| Legends Song and Dance Group celebrating the Victory at the End of the Great Patriotic War |
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| Legends Song and Dance Group celebrating the Victory at the End of the Great Patriotic War |
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| Legends Song and Dance Group celebrating the Victory at the End of the Great Patriotic War |
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| Legends Song and Dance Group celebrating the Victory at the End of the Great Patriotic War |
Saturday morning, May 7 - A 10km run- took place in front of may apartment.
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| 10 Km route... looking to my apartment building |
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| Start line - one block from home |
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| Participants |
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| Participants - even the dog had a number! |
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| Looking back up at the route... not too many people entered the race! |
Monday, May 9 Victory Day Parade and festivities
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| Our main street - decorated for Victory Day celebrations |
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| Young militia recruits - waiting for the start |
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| One of the food areas - set up in one of the main town parks |
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| Young students on the parade route -- all holding flowers to give to Veterans as they march by |
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| The start of the parade |
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| First group of Veterans |
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Veterans receiving flowers. Also the city gave the parade organizers permission
to fly the Red Communist party flag - on this day only. |
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| Color Guard at the Victory Day (WWII) monument |
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| Veteran and his wife- they asked me to take their photo |
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| More Veterans |
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| Another Veteran- statue in the background is the poet, Shevchenko |
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| Students wearing replicas of the 1945 era school uniform and holding lilacs to give to the veterans |
Balloons-- Necessary for a parade
AND what's a parade without getting dressed up!
I LOVE THE HAIR SCRUNCHIES THE LITTLE GIRLS WEAR!
AND-- CHECK OUT THE FOOTWEAR FOR A PARADE!
AND HOW ABOUT A "ХОТ ДОГ"- HOT DOG IN RUSSIAN!
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| Hot dog complete with mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise |
And then... Sunday afternoon- on to the "Concours" of Older Cars on the square. Most of the cars are ГАЗ Models from 1949 to 1962.
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| I LOVE THE VINYL FLOORING IN/ON THIS CAR |
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| CHILDREN CLIMB ON TANKS... EVERYWHERE! |
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| ГАЗ HOOD ORNAMENT |
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| PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP |
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| A FEW OLDER MOTORCYCLES WERE IN THE "CONCOURS" |
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| 1949 ИЖ |
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| 1945 MOSKVA |
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| I LIKE THE PICNIC IN THE BAG ON THIS MOTORCYCLE |
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| A SCOOTER IS A SCOOTER |
While the uniforms and the language are different, honoring our veterans is worldwide and an excellent custom.
Enjoy May!
Cheers,
Caroline
