Verkhnyaya Pyshma (Sverdlovsk Region)
Heroes of Russia Roman Shadrin and Oleg Kaskov took part in the dress rehearsal of the solemn procession dedicated to Victory Day. They took the places of the commanders of the crews of the rare T-28 and KV-1 tanks. Behind the levers of combat vehicles, which will march on May 9 in a solemn march along the main street of Verkhnyaya Pyshma, are mainly veterans of the armed forces, participants in local conflicts.
“This is great! It's one thing to stand on the podium as a spectator, it's another to be a direct participant. I ride a T-28 tank as a crew member. This machine took part in hostilities. For me, the son and grandson of front-line soldiers, a person who has gone through more than one war, it is very important to touch history like this. It’s such a drive when you feel involved! I think that all the veterans who participate in this march are at least five years younger today! ”Says Hero of Russia Roman Shadrin.
This year the festive mechanized column has become even larger. It consists of 39 units of rare armored vehicles, self-propelled and trailed artillery pieces, tractors, motorcycles and tanks. Among them are the legendary T-34 tanks, the five-turret T-35 tank and the SU-100 self-propelled tank destroyer created at Uralmashzavod. For the first time, heavy tanks IS-3 and KV-1, as well as a ZIS-6 truck with a sound station in the back will take part in the procession.
The mechanized column is formed from the exhibits of the exhibition center" Parade crew "of the UMMC museum complex. This year, the organizers of the march will acquaint residents and guests of the Copper Capital of the Urals with the history of Soviet parades - from the pre-war ones to the famous Allied parade, which took place in Berlin in September 1945. For this, military equipment was divided into groups according to the chronology of events. A separate group will pass combat vehicles supplied by the USSR allies under the Lend-Lease program. Among them are the Sherman tank, the Willis and the Studebaker cars.
It is expected that Hero of Russia Damir Yusupov will take part in the festive procession in Verkhnyaya Pyshma. The most famous civil aviation pilot could not take part in today's rehearsal - he is on a flight. Damir Yusupov has been assigned a commanding place in the crew of the IS-3 heavy tank.
The total number of participants in the festive procession is almost one and a half thousand people. The pedestrian column will include cadets and junior soldiers of Verkhnyaya Pyshma, drummers of the Yekaterinburg Suvorov school, veterans of local conflicts, as well as ceremonial crews of the Central Military District and the Russian Guard.
