Moscow 2017
April and May were busy months for the Pipes and Drums of Christchurch City. In late-April, the band performed in the 2017 Virginia International Tattoo. It afterwards flew to Moscow at the invitation of the Russian Minister of Culture to represent New Zealand in events marking the 72nd anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
In 2017, the Russian Ministry of Culture invited cultural groups from some of Russia's wartime allies to participate in events leading up to and including Moscow's Victory Day commemorations. This was done to recognise the contribution those countries made in defeating Nazi Germany, and also to forge common ground and enhance friendly ties with these other countries.
We were humbled by the extraordinary generosity and hospitality of our hosts and the Russian people. The performers were accommodated at the President Hotel, Moscow's premier hotel. On the walls of the second floor lobby are photographs of the rich and famous who have stayed there: royalty, American presidents, movie stars, industrialists and so on.
Our schedule during the five-day build-up to the Victory Day Parade was hectic. Each day typically consisted of up to three concerts at famous venues around Moscow, including elite schools, Gorky Park and the Civic Chambers.
All our concerts were memorable. Our visit to The State Administration for Precious Metals and Stones is an example. The state's precious metals and gems are stored there, and very few Russians are ever allowed into the building. We were given a tremendous welcome. They presented us with gifts and gave a banquet in our honour. Of particular note was our tour of their coin museum, an outstanding collection containing many items of exceptional rarity and exquisite quality.
The Second World War (in Russia, they call it the 'Great Patriotic War') has had a huge impact on the national consciousness of the Russian people. Victory Day on 9th May is possibly the most important date in their calendar, and every year military parades are held throughout the country to commemorate the Allied victory.
In 2012, families in the Siberian town of Tomsk followed the official parade carrying portraits of relatives who had served in WWII. As the idea was to immortalise the people in the portraits, the parade came to be known as the March of the Immortal Regiment. This concept caught the public imagination in a big way, and Marches of the Immortal Regiment now take place in towns and cities throughout Russia each year on Victory Day.
Victory Day Parade, 9th May
Around 850,000 people took part in the March of the Immortal Regiment through central Moscow on 9th May. A moving experience, it had a unique feeling of solemnity. Everyone carried portraits of one or more relatives that, in most cases, were attached to boards and held aloft on poles. President Putin was also there with a wartime photo of his father.
The parade had one curious feature that was eerie to begin with, but then we got used to it and joined in. People at the rear would start cheering in a low pitched voice – it almost sounded like the rumble of distant thunder. They would stop cheering as the people in front picked it up. In this way, the cheer was carried all the way to the front of the parade, like a giant Mexican wave. These cheers seemed to be spontaneous and travelled the length of the parade every two or three minutes.
We took part in the parade as individuals and not as a marching band. We gave a concert at the Bolshoi Opera Theatre immediately before it started and then changed into civilian clothes. This was because uniforms would have detracted from the people in the portraits who were the ones really on parade. We all had our own pictures of relatives who had served in the War, and when we got to Red Square, some of us were interviewed live on TV as part of the coverage. The interviews took over an hour.
Russia's Victory Day Parade 2017
Immortal Regiment march Victory Day,Moscow
800,000 take part in Immortal Regiment March
Our stay in Moscow had so many highlights it is hard to believe we fitted so much into one week. We had guided tours of important historic sites such as The Kremlin, The Museum of the Great Patriotic War and The State Administration for Precious Metals and Stones. We visited St Basil's Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. We marvelled at the grandiose architecture of the underground metro stations and walked on the cobbles of Red Square. And then there was the spectacular 10-minute firework display on our last night in Moscow that we watched it from the top floor of our hotel. Held simultaneously at various sites, it covered the whole city.
It was a magical time spent in a fascinating city.
