Thousands of boots steal in unison the tiles of the Red Square in Moscow. Its rhythm merges with that of drums and trumpets begin to sound. Uniformed blocks with beretas of all colors block, motionless. Meanwhile, two convertible cars walk between divisions with two high Russian commanders, which also practice military greeting, standing on them, perched to the audience.
Everything stops and, on a nearby platform, A serious man in a suit, little hair, bearing lieutenant colonel, former member of the kgb, Walk towards a lectern. Is Vladimir Putin, That he approaches the microphones and speaks for a few minutes in front of his generals, all firm and standing behind him. It ends and, after its speech, hundreds of military vehicles – corks, tanks, missile launchers, nuclear missiles – begin to parade through the red square. Is May 9 of any of the last years In Moscow.
It is about Greater military parade of one of the most militarized countries in the world. It is not just a sample of force, it is also A control tool. The myth catalyst on which the Russian story of glory orbit.
The scene is “an act, in itself, propaganda “, According to Miguel Vázquez Liñán, a researcher specialized in theory and history of the propaganda of the former Soviet Union of the University of Seville. It is also “A security theater To show your poweralso, for remind the population that the state has the monopoly of power, that should not rebel “, The Professor of the Autonomous University of Barcelona of International Relations and International Security Alessandro Demurts stands out.
The Copa Cup all the largest media space in the world. For several days and with the presence of several world leaders The end of World war II is commemorated, whose 80th anniversary is fulfilled this Friday.
Europe and Russia commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II
The History of Russian victory day
On April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler hit his wife with a German bunker. The death of the dictator marked the beginning of the end of World War IIbut it would spend at least one week until Nazi Germany paid the remains of its army to the Allied forces. He armistice It was signed – Soviet who through – two different days, in two different cities and today It is celebratedalso, on different dates depending on the country.
There were many small surrender treaties throughout the days, underlines the expert in history of international relations of the Pontifical University Comillas, José Manuel Sáenz Rotko. The largest of them had to occur in Reims, a French city with representation of all allied countries, but “the Soviet link could not contact Moscow and signed with a clause of need for certification of the high command,” he adds.
The image of Germany capitulating before the western forces In France, without a strong Soviet representation, It was not beneficial for the USSRwhich had suffered 20 of the 60 million dead of the war. Stalin used the firm’s clause to Organize your own act in Berlin. That echo of the treaty, which was signed before the Marshal of the Red Army Georgi Zhúkov was, according to the expert, “more ostentatious.” He celebrated for the first time the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in what would become tradition, the emergence par excellence of the USSR and after Russia, Victory Day.
The construction of the postsoviet citizen and the common enemy
Russian propaganda orbit around the myth of victory. The term refers to the triumph of the Red Army over Nazi Germany, but contains much more. For the Russian story, it is A timeless victory. A past achievement that transcends to this day and serves as justification to start wars, militarize the State and, among other things, so that its citizens lend themselves to be sent (or send their children, brothers, parents) to die in remote territories.
“The Russians have not taken from the memory of World War II years. It is an essential part of Russia under the domain of Putin,” says Miguel Vázquez Liñán. “It is the same war as ideology. His propaganda does not have a hopeful future in the sense of a benefit for citizenship. What he proposes is not a state of well -being, it is the glory of Russia, always identified as military glory“, sentence.
Russian soldiers pose in the Military Parade for Victory Day in Moscow on May 9 Reuters/Shamil Zhumatov
The celebration of the end of World War II is for Russia, according to the Professor of Communication of the University Pompeu Fabra Frederic Guerrero-Solé, A mega media event. Cup all screens and is “everything a Russian can see a weeks before and a week later” of the parade. Vázquez Liñán also says that “these messages lengthen all year, there is not a single day when Russian news do not mention, in one way or another, World War II.”
Kremlin uses all available communicative tools. From documentaries and historical films oriented to the oldest population to messages disseminated by social networks, film blockbusters and video games aimed at the youngest. According to Guerrero-Solé, the new generations have a capital relevance: “The State seeks a connection with the youthsthat they must continue with the story, since, Without the link with them, the myth disappears“.
A Russian propaganda network in Germany floods social networks
And about its population builds another mitothe Postsoviet citizen. It is what maintains the state articulation.
In the 17.1 million square kilometers that occupies the largest country in the world, its 143 million inhabitants are divided into 160 ethnicities, which speak about 100 different languages. What unites themaccording to the Russian ideology, is the patriotic myth That, according to the professor, “it is the meeting point of all Russia, with its enormous social, economic and linguistic differences.” It also serves as legitimation of war: “It is based on the logic of the construction of the citizen as a soldier, who is permanent. Children in school today will be dressed as military,” says Guerrero-Solé.
Old enemies, parallels and new objectives
Russia’s victory needs enemies. It is not mainly based on the memory of the victims, nor on the reconstruction of Russia or Europe, but on military glory and triumph, and this can only occur when there is someone to submit. The myth is built, in the first instance, around the Nazi Germany as an adversary.
But The enemy common, according to Frederic Guerrero-Solé, mouth constantly: “First it was Nazi Germany, later, the United States, Afghanistan, communism itself … in short, The forces thataccording to the Kremlin agenda, They oppose the survival of the Russian State “.
The last 15 years, says the expert, the Russian machinery has set the sight in the “Corrupt West that, according to them, wants to impose principles, aspects of a religious, sexual nature … that are interpreted by the Russian State as a degeneration of the human species“. In recent times, the Russian agenda has added in its speech to Ukraine. In fact, one of his arguments that justified the invasion of 2022 was the need to “Desnazify “the country. According to the academic, “Russia has always accused Ukraine of being inspired by Nazism.”
Moscow prepares victory day while Zelenski asks for a high 30 -day fire
For Vázquez Liñán, “Ukraine war is interpreted almost as a continuation of World War IIObviously, jumping the little detail that this time they are the ones who have invaded. “
Russia announced on April 28 a Unilateral 72 -hour truce To commemorate the celebrations, but it has not reduced their attacks, according to Ukraine. The Ukrainian president, Volodomír Zelenski, demanded that it be extended for 30 days and warned that it could not “guarantee the security of the attendees” to the event in Moscow.
Soldiers of many allied countries of Russia, among which the Honor Guard of the Popular Army of Liberation of China and Troops of North Korea, have paraded through the Red Square on Friday morning.
According to Alessandro Demurtas, “Putin has never respected this type of truces “. The last days kyiv has launched hundreds of drones into Russian territory and some of them, which hit the capital, came to close four Moscow airports.
The military parade has attended world leaders of 29 statesamong them, the Chinese president, Xi Jinpingin Moscow since Wednesday. For Demurtes, “Putin is being very exposedvery weak, “since,” when you invite heads of state, you have to ensure security. ”
XI arrives in Moscow to participate in the victory celebrations over Nazi Germany
* Antxon Gómez Landajuela is a student of the UAH International Reporterism Master with the RTVE Institute. This article has been supervised by the editor Chief of International, Paloma de Salas.
