Soldiers in period costume mark Second World War parade in Moscow
Troops re-enacted a 1941 event organised by Stalin in defiance of Nazi forces which were around the capital.
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Thousands of troops in Second World War uniforms have marched across Moscow’s Red Square in a re-enactment of a historic wartime parade.
On November 7 1941, Red Army soldiers marched directly to the front line during the Battle of Moscow to repel the invading Nazi forces closing in on the Soviet capital.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the 1941 parade was “a symbol of courage and faith”, paving way for “the first difficult step toward victory over the Nazis”.
![Russia WWII Historical Parade](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/c024e35208c3829ba04173b099310ee6Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNTQxNjkxMzA3/2.39564834.jpg?w=640)
The Nazis closed in on Moscow in early October 1941 after quickly seizing huge chunks of Soviet territory and inflicting huge losses to the Red Army after invading the Soviet Union on June 22 1941.
In some sectors at the front, Nazi troops came as close as 20 miles to the Russian capital.
But the Nazi offensive lost its momentum in mid-October as it faced adverse weather and logistics challenges, allowing the Soviet command to bring in reinforcements and strengthen the city’s defences.
As the fate of Moscow was still hanging in the balance, Soviet leader Josef Stalin ordered the November 7 parade to boost the troops’ morale.
![Russia WWII Historical Parade](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/9bbeb9447ed883b425634b9e7c63d79dY29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNTQxNjkxMzQ3/2.39564438.jpg?w=640)
The parade has acquired a major symbolic significance, becoming a show of Soviet determination and resolve.
The Battle of Moscow marked the first time since the start of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union when the Red Army managed to stop the advancing Nazi forces and drive them back.
It was the first major Nazi defeat since the start of the Second World War.
Wednesday’s re-enactment featured about 5,000 troops in period uniforms, vintage T-34 tanks and other WWII weapons.
![Russia WWII Historical Parade](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/16863e06299c962d818f71c5b5cfffefY29udGVudHNlYXJjaCwxNTQxNjkxNDAz/2.39564385.jpg?w=640)
During Soviet times, annual military parades were held on November 7 to commemorate the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
The holiday was abolished in 2005, but many older Russians still celebrate it.