Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia: Heroism, Valor and Glory

The tradition to celebrate this Day of War Glory began in 1922 when the Soviet government suggested commemorating the fourth anniversary of the establishment of the Red Army and Red Navy.

Above: "Chapayev During the Battle", by Peter Vasilyev (1899-1975). 1919. Reproduction. The Central Museum of the USSR Revolution.

The Soviet Armed Forces shielded the country’s population from Hitler’s ruthless genocide plans. Referred to as the Eastern Front in Western terminology, this period is called the Great Patriotic War in Russia and other post-Soviet states.

Above: Soviet anti-aircraft gunners in Moscow.

Soviet soldiers liberated the vast regions of Europe as well as Asia and raised the Victory Banner over the Reichstag, marking the end of the bloody and sinister World War II in Europe. Almost 6.9 million Soviet warriors lost their lives battling Nazism.

In 1949, the date was renamed the Soviet Army and Navy Day. In 2002 the day became a state holiday in Russia under its present name.

Military service is compulsory in Russia for men aged 18-27. Regarded as quite a tough challenge, serving a year in the Armed Forces is highly respected, and draft-dodging is not lauded.

Being a defender of the fatherland in Russia means to inherit the victorious deeds and martial prowess of the heroic ancestors who defeated Napoleon and Hitler; and a soldier does his best to live up to their memory.

Above: Soviet soldiers celebrate the Victory. Berlin. May 1945.

A Russian soldier is expected to be fearless, strong and virtuous. He is not burnt in fire and not drawn in water, some say.

Considered to be a men’s holiday by default, the celebration also involves women undergoing military service.

Above: a soldier with a submachine-gun and binoculars in a clock tower.

On February 23, cities set off fireworks and organize performances to pay respect to the defenders of the fatherland. Near the Kremlin, the president of Russia and a group of senior officials lay a wreath to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a solemn ceremony.

Above: former paratroopers lifting weight while celebrating Airborne Forces Day on Red Square in Moscow.

The Russian Armed Forces comprise three branches – Ground Forces (Army), Navy and the Aerospace Forces, as well as separate arms of service – Strategic Missile Forces and Airborne Troops.

The Strategic Missile Forces are the nuclear guarantee of Russia’s sovereignty. Though formally they consist of ballistic missile units, in fact they also include long-range aviation and submarines.

Above: Russian soldiers stand near a Topol-M ICBM while participating in a rehearsal for the nation's Victory Day parade outside Moscow in Alabino on April 22, 2008.

The Russian Navy has a long history of missions. It was founded by Emperor Peter the Great in 1696.

Russian warplanes are state-of-the-art top guns incorporating smart engineering decisions and cutting-edge technologies. They are exported in bulk.

Above: a Sukhoi 30 multi-purpose fighter jet of the Russian Falcons aerobatics team flies during an air show as part of the "Air Force Contract Service is Your Choice" campaign near the river terminal over the embankment in Barnaul.

The Airborne Troops are superlatively efficient, and their mobile units are used to accomplish “impossible missions.”

Russia is currently carrying out a $325-billion rearmament program to modernize 70 percent of its military equipment by 2020.

In 2016, the Russian Armed Forces will conduct more than 4,000 military exercises, including full-scale drills.

Moscow decided to deliver a deadly blow to terrorists raging in Syria and avert their incursion into Russia. Since September 30 the Russian Aerospace Forces as well as Navy have been battling Daesh and al-Nusra Front militants at the behest of President Bashar Assad. The campaign has reversed the trend of the civil war in favor of the government’s army.

Above: Russian pilots of a Su-34 bomber at the Hmeymim base in Syria.