Rehearsal for the 2023 parade. Omsk
I suggest you watch the May 9, 2023, Parade in Omsk. Or rather, just the dress rehearsal for now.
Once again I was convinced that parade rehearsals may be less spectacular, but more accessible. In 2023, the dress rehearsal in Omsk was held on May 6. The entire event takes place on Cathedral Square, the origin of whose name doesn’t take long to puzzle over.
If you arrive early, you can watch the columns gather for formation. The Yunarmiya girls, wearing their traditional huge white bows, are the first to arrive, followed by the boys, who follow just as diligently.
Perhaps it’s typical of Siberian cities, but the young parade participants didn’t end their activities there.
Then, as is customary in decent society, come the women.
And then men from all branches of the military followed.
At the head of the column are two banner groups: ceremonial and historical.
It should be noted that all this is happening in a calm atmosphere both in the square itself and around it.
And where it would be impossible to get through during the actual celebration, it’s now free. Even a bit empty.
Having waited for the completion of the parade formation of troops,
I went to look for armored vehicles. The roadway was blocked by special vehicles,
and then, after them, behind a line of light vehicles (since the oncoming lane of the road was being used in the usual mode), what we were looking for appeared.
This way, without cars, it’s easier to see.
The structure of the column is traditional: T-34 at the head,
then several historical cars, not all of which are from the WWII period,
and then a certain set of modern military equipment, starting with wheeled ones,
the composition, quantity and assortment of which are determined by the military units located nearby.
Certain automotive behemoths don’t stir a bit — they loom like stranded whales along the shoulder.
And only then, after the towed artillery,
tracked vehicles are coming.
I think the local mayor’s heart bleeds every time after the holiday, seeing what tanks do to the city’s peaceful asphalt.
Since all the actors were frozen in anticipation, and I had a lot planned and being a passive observer was not part of my plans,
I decided to go and visit the other places I’d planned. Museum tourism is a tough business!
Imagine my surprise when, returning late in the evening, I heard strangely familiar sounds in the city center. Walking towards the sound, I couldn’t believe my eyes: the rehearsal was still going on.
And only by 10:00 pm the tired soldiers dispersed to the buses waiting for them.
And the temple stood silently and was still just as beautiful and magnificent!
To be continued: Before the 2023 parade. Omsk.