Victory Day in Russia
Sunday May 14, 2006
Let's be frank: Victory Day in Russia is not an event that tourists should look forward to, such as Maslenitsa, but its relevance to Russian culture, Russian history, and almost any post-war memorial, building, or artwork viewed during a stay in Russia should be understood by visitors. It seems crazy to us that Russians would still be raving about their "victory" over the fascists in WWII when we've observed a crumbling economy, the toll taken by 70 years of Communism, as well as other dire instances of the Russian reality that have played out in the last decade.
However, Russians are eternally respectful of "strong" leaders (even fallen, merciless ones--why do you think Lenin's body is still on display?). At the same time, feelings of nationalism run deep and the loss of life in WWII still appears to be actively mourned. For example, at Lagerny Sad, the Memorial Garden in Tomsk, a haunting tune is pumped out of hidden speakers during certain hours so that visitors to the monument will be able to grieve to the appropriate background music.
Slate has a rather insightful article written by Peter Savodnik that illustrates Victory Day in Russia. He says of Victory Day:
Each loss is fused into a single mourning. A wartime solidarity is re-experienced. A powerful, even primal, emotion is summoned, and that emotion is channeled into a commemoration of a war that, like all nostalgias, almost certainly didn't happen the way it is remembered.His article, Victory Day, Moscow 2006: Can a Westerner understand the Russian people's love of strong leaders? is short and informative. I suggest you hop on over and give it a read.
Victory Day Photo Credit: Polina Pakhomova © 2005
Comments
Crumbling economy ??? What papers do you read … Russia is set to surpass Saudi Arabia as the leading exporter this next year and more billionaires in Moscow than anywhere else on Earth in 2008, not to mention a tripling of GDP growth year-over-year since Putin came to power in 2000 that dwarfs the West. Russia is back in a major league way no matter how it’s dished under the Soviet system … politically or militarily, Tsarist or totally Russified version under the Putinist Socialist-Yet Capitalist Federated Republican structure. You speak of the largest country in the world as it were the Bahamas – remember they can still retarget and obliterate half-the-planet in 30 minutes and are verifiably rebuilding much to the annoyance of the West … so it’s not surprising to hear such poppycock from a Western Mediated and Medicated Yuppified Reporter. Their respect from WW2 comes from the fact that the Red Army and Soviet Russia lost nearly 30 million people in war … and liberated more than half of the European Continent as so-called Communists! That again dwarfs the Western Allies and probably even the amount of Soviet/Russian casualties vs. the Holocaust by Hitler. That is why the Russians celebrate dear – imagine the Germans fighting the US back to the Mississippi River – losing control of the East Coast for a year or so, having the largest tank battle in history across the entire Mid-Atlantic US, laying siege to Chicago (aka … Stalingrad … now Volgograd and perhaps New York … aka … Leningrad … again Petrograd ??? for another year) … all out war in most of North America and losing 30 million people in the process as they battled their way across the Atlantic all the way to Berlin? There lies your answer – no need for Salon.com!
I think Mr Osborne needs to a read a few more balanced history texts. He would probably do well to read a lot more balanced and varied current financial appraisals of the Russian economy too.
A simple comparison of casualties and territories lost and regained during conflicts is inaccurate and, at best, deceiving.
Also, I rather fancy that a greater understanding of the Russian psyche under soviet rule is required. Ask many Nazi-era Germans what life was like under the Third Reich and they will most likely answer Paradise. I doubt many Soviet-era Russians would give the same response. You don’t see the Germans celebrating any of their victories despite coming out of things arguably better off than the Russians and even the British. I think Kerry’s point is therefore mostly a valid one.
While I don’t necessarily agree with everything in Kerry’s blog, the above response somewhat reminds me of the diner scene from Good Will Hunting. Now, on your way.