Victory Day Military Parade

Vocabulary

Video

Transcript

Well, I’m going to tell you what it’s like being on Red Square during a Victory Day Parade: it’s immensely colorful, and, as you can probably hear, very loud, not just because of the orchestra.

There are ten thousand Russian servicemen marching across the square today. They’ve been practicing this for more than two months to make sure that they’re step-perfect.

Now Victory Day is one of the most important national holidays in Russia, not just because it commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany, but also the sacrifices made — more than twenty-seven (27) million Soviet people were killed, in what people here call The Great Patriotic War.

And here comes the hardware: I can see armored-personnel carriers now, on Red Square.

Tanks and ballistic missiles on launchers. Basically most of the roads in the center of Moscow has been blocked off, so all this hardware, more than a hundred pieces can roll across the parade today.

And now we look to the skies and we can see Russian fighter jets. We see transport planes and military helicopters: seventy-one (71) aircrafts taking part in this flypast — one for every year since 1945.

Of course this event not just about commemorating the past; it’s very much about the present. It’s a message from Moscow that a resurgent Russia is a force to be reckoned with.

And this at a time of growing tension between Russia and the West.

Questions

1. The Victory Day Parade in Moscow is grand and spectacular. True or false?

2. Did the soldiers walk randomly and haphazardly? Was it a spontaneous march?

3. Does Victory Day commemorate the October Revolution?

4. The parade only featured marching troops. Is this right or wrong?

5. Did the military showcase its entire inventory of tanks, mobile armor and weapons system?

6. Are the streets of Moscow normally closed off to people and traffic?

7. The parade was purely, 100% ceremonial in nature. Is this entirely correct, mostly correct, in the middle, yes and no, partly correct, largely incorrect or totally incorrect?

A. There are military parades in my country. Yes or no? If yes, what dates or events do they commemorate?

B. Is it purely ceremonial or is there some kind of message?

C. What can you say about military parades in the China, France, India, North Korea, Russia, US?

D. There is controversy, debates and arguments over military parades. Yes or no?

E. What could or should nations and governments do?

F. What might happen in the future?