Moscow Holds A Parade For A Parade

They held a big military parade in Moscow on Saturday, technically it was a parade to commemorate another parade - the 1941 Red Army march through the streets of Moscow (which itself was meant to mark the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917...). The 1941 parade (pictured) was noteworthy because the troops went from a display march directly to the front lines to fight off a desperate German attempt to take Moscow before the winter set in. Honored guests at yesterday's parade included 45 survivors from the 1941 parade, and subsequent battle, along with two World War II-vintage T-34 tanks. Several thousand others also participated in the parade, some in replica WWII uniforms.

The Anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution on November 7 was one of the biggest holidays in the Soviet calendar, but was abolished by Vladimir Putin several years ago (no reason to celebrate all those old Soviet holidays in the new Russia it was thought). But old habits die hard, many Russians - particularly the Communists who held their own November 7 rally - still mark the day.