WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:09.278 Citizens of Russia, dear veterans, 2 00:00:09.278 --> 00:00:16.719 Soldiers and seamen, sergeants and master sergeants, 3 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:21.949 warrant officers and chief warrant officers, officers, 4 00:00:21.949 --> 00:00:26.589 generals and admirals, 5 00:00:26.589 --> 00:00:35.949 Congratulations on Victory Day, the day of our pride and grief, 6 00:00:35.949 --> 00:00:41.220 our boundless gratitude to the defenders of the Fatherland 7 00:00:41.220 --> 00:00:44.274 who crushed Nazism. 8 00:00:44.274 --> 00:00:49.284 They are all on the pedestal of the tremendous Victory. 9 00:00:49.284 --> 00:00:52.862 It is for this Victory that they fought and laboured, 10 00:00:52.862 --> 00:00:57.617 passed that self-sacrificing road of horrendous ordeals, 11 00:00:57.617 --> 00:01:03.331 stood up as an unbending stronghold in the fire of the battles, 12 00:01:03.331 --> 00:01:11.297 gave everything they could and through suffering they garnered Victory! 13 00:01:11.297 --> 00:01:16.523 With every new year we come to a deeper realisation of the moral power 14 00:01:16.523 --> 00:01:20.953 of that unparalleled feat and the eternal value 15 00:01:20.953 --> 00:01:24.803 of the military triumph of our people. 16 00:01:24.803 --> 00:01:28.449 It was the people who defended and saved our Motherland, 17 00:01:28.449 --> 00:01:32.111 became the hope and a tower of strength for the humankind, 18 00:01:32.111 --> 00:01:36.558 the main liberator of European nations. 19 00:01:36.558 --> 00:01:41.441 Our country’s history counts a number of heroic deeds yet the victory 20 00:01:41.441 --> 00:01:45.053 over Nazism stands out as retribution to the Nazis for all their 21 00:01:45.053 --> 00:01:50.296 crimes, for thinking of themselves as a “superior race” 22 00:01:50.296 --> 00:01:53.005 and starting the terrible war. 23 00:01:53.005 --> 00:01:56.981 This insolent force subjugated many nations, 24 00:01:56.981 --> 00:02:01.158 and impunity veiled the Nazis’ eyes. 25 00:02:01.158 --> 00:02:07.252 They thought they would also be able to conquer the Soviet Union within 26 00:02:07.252 --> 00:02:12.618 several weeks – the thousand-year-old historic Russia. They failed. 27 00:02:12.618 --> 00:02:17.826 Yes, after the enemy’s treacherous attack on our territory we suffered 28 00:02:17.826 --> 00:02:25.239 defeats, retreats and heavy losses but it did not break Russia‘s spirit. 29 00:02:25.239 --> 00:02:31.555 As early as July 1941, over 5 million soldiers joined the army ranks, 30 00:02:31.555 --> 00:02:37.471 tens of thousands of volunteers became militiamen. 31 00:02:37.471 --> 00:02:42.506 Under fierce fire, hundreds of large factories were evacuated 32 00:02:42.506 --> 00:02:46.907 to the east, and in incredibly short time manufacturing was resumed 33 00:02:46.907 --> 00:02:52.472 in the Urals, in the Volga region and Siberia. 34 00:02:52.472 --> 00:02:56.751 “Everything for the Victory” became the slogan of the home front. 35 00:02:56.751 --> 00:03:00.458 This is what marked the opening of our “second front” – 36 00:03:00.458 --> 00:03:07.714 the heroic labour front. Its powerful arsenal worked seamlessly. 37 00:03:07.714 --> 00:03:11.231 The victory was forged by the whole nation. 38 00:03:11.231 --> 00:03:14.923 The garrison of the Brest tower was the first to take the sudden 39 00:03:14.923 --> 00:03:18.127 treacherous brunt of the invaders. 40 00:03:18.127 --> 00:03:21.579 The defenders of the fortress fought to the last soldier, 41 00:03:21.579 --> 00:03:27.248 they left writing on the citadel’s walls which still make 42 00:03:27.248 --> 00:03:34.751 us gasp for air. They sound like an oath and a testament to us: “I am 43 00:03:34.751 --> 00:03:40.070 dying but I do not surrender.” 44 00:03:40.070 --> 00:03:45.634 The feats of Russian soldiers today are telling us that this charge has 45 00:03:45.634 --> 00:03:50.273 not been forgotten. This oath has been adopted by the current 46 00:03:50.273 --> 00:03:55.261 generation of defenders of the Fatherland and is the main guarantee 47 00:03:55.261 --> 00:04:02.208 of absolute reliability and invincibility of Russian weapons. 48 00:04:02.208 --> 00:04:05.666 That is exactly what the people thought and how they acted during 49 00:04:05.666 --> 00:04:09.956 the Great Patriotic War, as they were fighting for their Motherland 50 00:04:09.956 --> 00:04:14.186 in the decisive battles for Moscow and in Stalingrad, 51 00:04:14.186 --> 00:04:17.781 at the Kursk Bulge and on the Dnieper River. 52 00:04:17.781 --> 00:04:21.772 The victory was secured with the courage of the defenders of ancient 53 00:04:21.772 --> 00:04:25.340 Russian capitals of Kiev and Veliky Novgorod, 54 00:04:25.340 --> 00:04:31.200 the fearless defenders of Smolensk, Odessa, Sevastopol, 55 00:04:31.200 --> 00:04:35.990 and the infinite fortitude of the inhabitants of the besieged Leningrad. 56 00:04:35.990 --> 00:04:39.386 At each bridgehead and at each military line, 57 00:04:39.386 --> 00:04:42.835 feats of tremendous spiritual power were accomplished, 58 00:04:42.835 --> 00:04:45.526 often by very young people. 59 00:04:45.526 --> 00:04:55.174 More than half of the Heroes of the Soviet Union were under 25. 60 00:04:55.174 --> 00:05:01.347 Many went to the front straight from school and forever remained there, 61 00:05:01.347 --> 00:05:05.101 on the front line, never knowing the happiness of love, 62 00:05:05.101 --> 00:05:09.300 family, or children. 63 00:05:09.300 --> 00:05:12.568 As soldiers of their country, they did not spare their lives 64 00:05:12.568 --> 00:05:16.600 for the sake of its freedom, peaceful future, 65 00:05:16.600 --> 00:05:22.878 and each of us. We will never forget their courage and self-sacrifice, 66 00:05:22.878 --> 00:05:28.239 and the great price paid for Victory. 67 00:05:28.239 --> 00:05:34.516 We bow our heads in respect before the memory of the sons, daughters, 68 00:05:34.516 --> 00:05:45.547 fathers, mothers, grandfathers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, 69 00:05:45.547 --> 00:05:50.332 fellow soldiers, families and friends. 70 00:05:50.332 --> 00:05:55.903 We grieve for the veterans who are no longer with us. 71 00:05:55.903 --> 00:06:00.294 Let us hold a minute of silence. 72 00:06:00.294 --> 00:07:04.656 (A minute of silence.) 73 00:07:04.656 --> 00:07:07.451 Friends, 74 00:07:07.451 --> 00:07:12.981 The memory of the Great Patriotic War and the truth about it is part 75 00:07:12.981 --> 00:07:16.239 of our conscience and our responsibility. 76 00:07:16.239 --> 00:07:21.953 Today, we see how a number of countries are deliberately distorting war 77 00:07:21.953 --> 00:07:27.654 events, and how those who, forgetting honour and human dignity, 78 00:07:27.654 --> 00:07:30.251 served the Nazis, are now being glorified, 79 00:07:30.251 --> 00:07:32.979 and how shamelessly they lie to their children and betray 80 00:07:32.979 --> 00:07:35.812 their ancestors. 81 00:07:35.812 --> 00:07:39.877 Our sacred duty is to protect the real heroes. 82 00:07:39.877 --> 00:07:44.328 We bow to all veterans from the generation of victors. 83 00:07:44.328 --> 00:07:46.876 You live in different countries, 84 00:07:46.876 --> 00:07:53.734 but the feat that you accomplished together cannot be divided. 85 00:07:53.734 --> 00:07:58.860 We will always honour all of you and glorify Victory, 86 00:07:58.860 --> 00:08:04.215 which has always been and remains one for all of us. 87 00:08:04.215 --> 00:08:05.750 Comrades, 88 00:08:05.750 --> 00:08:10.082 The lessons of the past war are still relevant. 89 00:08:10.082 --> 00:08:15.125 We have done and will continue to do our best to ensure high combat 90 00:08:15.125 --> 00:08:17.665 capability of our Armed Forces, 91 00:08:17.665 --> 00:08:21.591 the defence potential of the most modern level, 92 00:08:21.591 --> 00:08:25.107 and we will continue to reinforce the prestige of military service 93 00:08:25.107 --> 00:08:27.719 and the standing of soldiers and officers, 94 00:08:27.719 --> 00:08:30.257 the defenders of the Fatherland. 95 00:08:30.257 --> 00:08:34.616 At the same time, Russia is open to cooperation with everyone who is 96 00:08:34.616 --> 00:08:41.223 willing to resist terrorism, neo-Nazism and extremism. 97 00:08:41.223 --> 00:08:45.016 Collective resistance to bearers of deadly ideas has become 98 00:08:45.016 --> 00:08:47.281 crucial again. 99 00:08:47.281 --> 00:08:51.496 We call on all the countries to become fully aware of our shared 100 00:08:51.496 --> 00:08:55.323 responsibility for creating an effective and equal for all 101 00:08:55.323 --> 00:08:57.914 security system. 102 00:08:57.914 --> 00:09:00.671 Our nation is well aware of what war is. 103 00:09:00.671 --> 00:09:05.262 It brought grief and innumerable suffering to each family. 104 00:09:05.262 --> 00:09:07.564 We have not forgotten anything. 105 00:09:07.564 --> 00:09:10.787 We remember everything and hold sacred the valour 106 00:09:10.787 --> 00:09:12.187 of the soldiers of Victory. 107 00:09:12.187 --> 00:09:18.054 Our military parades, the thunder of fireworks and the Immortal 108 00:09:18.054 --> 00:09:22.116 Regiment march serve the purpose of honouring them. 109 00:09:22.116 --> 00:09:24.889 Victory Day always brings together and unites all 110 00:09:24.889 --> 00:09:27.775 generations, and opens people’s hearts. 111 00:09:27.775 --> 00:09:32.139 Today, we are not hiding our emotions, 112 00:09:32.139 --> 00:09:38.067 and these sincere feelings are uniting Russia. 113 00:09:38.067 --> 00:09:41.756 We are proud of our unity, and we are glad to have our children 114 00:09:41.756 --> 00:09:43.997 and grandchildren with us here, 115 00:09:43.997 --> 00:09:47.703 so that we can pass on to them the sacred memory of the heroic 116 00:09:47.703 --> 00:09:52.986 accomplishments of our fathers and grandfathers and be confident that 117 00:09:52.986 --> 00:09:59.528 their feats and their victories will live forever. 118 00:09:59.528 --> 00:10:02.719 Glory to the victorious nation! 119 00:10:02.719 --> 00:10:04.791 Happy holiday to you! 120 00:10:04.791 --> 00:10:07.598 Happy Victory Day! 121 00:10:07.598 --> 00:10:21.899 Hooray!