Parade rehearsal. 2025. Samara.
I often visit Samara for work purposes and have a few acquaintances there. One of them told me where the military equipment was located during preparations for the parade.
He lived on this street for some time and was not happy about its closure.
On weekdays this street seems quite popular, but the military also cannot do without it because it leads to the local square,
which is the largest not only in Russia but in all of Europe.
It was not for nothing that the backup parade was held there on November 7, 1941, in case the Moscow parade couldn’t be held.
There was no great secret about this, because there were many invited diplomats and military personnel from other countries at this parade, for the simple reason that all the embassies had been transferred from Moscow to this city.
And recently I learned that there was a third parade in the city of Voronezh.
As we can see, the military equipment is fenced off, but is quite accessible for viewing and admiration.
It all starts with the T-34.
BMPs and KamAZ maintenance trucks are common sights at such events, and we won’t dwell on them in detail.
But I suggest taking a closer look at the armored personnel carrier, or rather its protection.
I photograph the D-30 howitzer everywhere and anywhere. At least because I’m currently gluing the model.
I would have photographed the Iskanders more, but their location didn’t allow for a comprehensive photo shoot. And so it turned out that they all had the same faces.
and the opposite sides are different:
the complex itself and the transport-loading vehicle.
Typhoon-K, even with medical services with protection, is still a frequent exhibit,
But this is the first time I’ve seen these next “crocodiles”, and in two modifications at once.
The column is completed by several technical and communications vehicles in the familiar KAMAZ and Ural trucks.
This is what it looks like from, let’s say, the rear “hemisphere”.
The parking lot has a working atmosphere of equipment preparation.
By the way, have you seen how they blacken tracks before a parade? I can show you!
Excellent organization of the event! No need to deploy dozens and dozens of police officers to block everything, making things worse for yourself and the locals. Yes, one street is closed, but only one, and only for cars. People are walking around freely and raising their spirits.
The next day, as is the tradition at such events, I prepared to squeeze through the cordons, but was pleasantly surprised: yes, there were cordons, but they let everyone through, and in a very civilized manner.
Note the number of aisles with signal frames. And this is just one of several entrances.
All seats were available for seating,
which people occupied without haste or fuss. The opposite side is empty—because the sun is in your eyes, not because they didn’t let you in.
Strictly speaking, the parade is just a parade. The five-and-a-half-minute video mostly shows the preparatory stages for the march.
The photographs show separate detachments.
It’s not that easy to shoot video and take photos at the same time! I mostly used video, as I’d taken a lot of photos the day before.
What is rarely seen is the reverse movement of the T-34 tank.
Apparently, city asphalt can withstand modern tracked vehicles, but the T-34 cannot.