Russian soldiers don historic uniforms and march through the Red Square to mark 1941 parade of soldiers on their way to fight the Nazis

By Paul Milligan

PUBLISHED: 19:35 GMT, 7 November 2012 | UPDATED: 20:21 GMT, 7 November 2012
Visitors to the Russian capital could have been forgiven for thinking they have stepped back in time as thousands took part in a military show of strength in Red Square.

Instead of trying to intimidate the West with its military firepower, the intention of the march was entirely harmless - and was to mark the 71st anniversary of a key moment in Russian history from Word War II.
The parade involved approximately 6,000 Russian soldiers and military cadets, many of them dressed in World War II-era uniforms.


Thousands of Russian soldiers and military cadets march across Red Square to mark the 71st anniversary of a historic World War II parade



The parade didn't just feature authentic WWII costumes, but tanks from that era as well



Those taking part in the commemorative march included soldiers, military cadets, and military enthusiasts


RUSSIA IN WORLD WAR II

In June 1941 Hitler broke a pact with Russia by by implementing Operation Barbarossa, which saw the German invade Soviet held territories to begin the war on the Eastern Front

The Red Army eventually stopped the march of the Nazis just 30 kilometers from Moscow.

Between 1941-1945 the Soviet Union repulsed a series of German offensives, but this was at a tremendous cost, with military casualties estimated at approximately 8-10 million.
The most famous (and bloody) of these battles was in Stalingrad in 1942, it lasted for more than 5 months and saw 2 million soldiers die.


The historic part of the parade included service members from the Moscow garrison, the cavalry group of the Presidential Regiment and troops from the Interior Ministry.

Parades of this nature were commonplace in the Cold War era, but are rare to Red Square these days



The march marks the 71st anniversary of the 1941 parade, when the Red Army marched to the front line



The Russian Army marched from Red Square in 1941 to meet German troops head-on


Red Army troops in uniform, carrying rifles, did their best to make this parade as realistic as possible



The 1941 historical march has taken place every year in Red Square for the last 14 years



The parade this year saw more than 6,000 people take part







The young cadets go through their final preparations for the parade