Thanks to RT we were able to watch both videos of the parade, first on English catching the moment of glamour and spectacle and another, being official version on Russian, where the spectacle was reduced and substituted with about 15 min finale showing the meditative flame of the central memorial surrounded with red flowers. This official and wishful version – which I carefully watched – called for two great missing and implicit Russian subjects. The first one is the very slow-down technique of creating a frozen enhancing moment known from movie-director Alexandr Sokurov. The second one was the most impressive part of Russian soul: missing image of Patriarch Kirill. Whatever one watches-and-rational ize, Russian nucleus remains shy, warm, alone and intimate. Self denied human sacrifice not pretending to self-victimizing. No “Huraaa” - to my impression - would reach the heavenly echo if being without this two silent – visually missing drivers: Sokurov and Patriarch Kirill.

I just returned from Tbilisi, Georgia, where I attended the May 9th, “День Победа”, “Day of Victory” celebration at Vake Park. I spent most of my day interviewing the old veterans who fought so gallantly in the Red Army to defeat the invading Germans. Each veteran was in his or her late 80s and early 90s, and their stories told of deeds during WW II when they were young and heroic. I noticed an Order of Lenin, and several other orders, on the suit coat of one old veteran and went to talk to him. He had fought valiantly in the battle of Stalingrad, where as an infantry officer he refused to leave his firing position in a building and was buried under the falling rubble. He lay buried for five days until his comrades dug him out. The collection of awards pinned to his coat included several medals for bravery. This old veteran expressed disappointment that he would not see the Georgian flag being carried in the Red Square parade. Seven hundred thousand Georgians fought in the Armed forces of the USSR during WW II, and 300,000 lost their lives. Anyone interested in seeing the Vake Park “День Победа” celebration can visit my website at http://www.tasuja.co m.

Good to see the T-34 and su 100 taking part in the parade hard to believe these vehicles are nearly 65 years old and to the untrained eye wouldnt look out of place on a modern battlefield.Respect to the soviet veterans.