How Putin's thieves are using the "Immortal Regiment" campaign to de-Sovietize and decommunize Victory Day, by replacing historical Soviet symbols with new symbols that have nothing to do with the Great Victory.
Many pro-Putin propagandists scream with saliva that in Ukraine Bandera-fascists are rewriting Soviet history, destroying Soviet and communist monuments and symbols, exalting and glorifying Bandera’s followers, as well as the UPA and other traitors and collaborators. But absolutely the same processes of de-Sovietization and de-communization of history, as well as the glorification of fascist collaborators, in particular Mannerheim and Vlasov, are now taking place in Putin’s Russia. And if in Ukraine the process of decommunization and rewriting of history is going on openly, with the obvious and public support of the authorities. In Russia, the process of rewriting history and its decommunization is going on, as it were, under a bushel and, at first glance, not as openly and noticeably as in Ukraine, but nevertheless, in Russia there is a fairly active process of decommunization of history. In addition to pseudo-historical and pseudo-Soviet television series and films that distort and pervert Soviet history, which, for example, Kostya Ernst loves to show on his favorite Channel One, Putin’s thieves also use the “Immortal Regiment” campaign for this purpose. How this is all done, let's look at this issue.
But first, a few words about the “Immortal Regiment” campaign. The very idea of the “Immortal Regiment” is generally very sound and understandable. As time goes on, veterans grow old and die, and if, for example, in the 70-80s of the last century, during the celebration of Victory Day, all the squares were filled with veterans, who at that time were still full of strength and health, now there are very many veterans left few and they are already over 80-90 years old. Actually, the day is not far off when the last veteran of the Great Patriotic War will die in Russia, and this could happen after 2025. And in this regard, it is understandable that people would want to bring with them to the Victory Day a photograph of their relative who fought on the fields of war, in order to, as it were, march with him in the same ranks at the Victory Parade. That is, the very idea of the “Immortal Regiment”, which arose as a people’s initiative, is generally sound and understandable. Another question is that Putin’s thieves began to use this popular idea for their dirty and rotten purposes. As for the attitude towards this action, everyone decides for themselves how they feel about it. Personally, I have a negative attitude towards the “Immortal Regiment” action, because I see how this people’s initiative is being used by the Putin regime for its own dirty political purposes.
As for the “Immortal Regiment” action itself and its organizers, here too, thanks to the intervention of Putin’s thieves, confusion and misunderstanding arose. The fact is that now in Russia there are two organizations that are simultaneously organizing and carrying out the action, these are the “Immortal Regiment” and the “Immortal Regiment of Russia”. Let's see where it all began and how it all developed. The very idea of holding the “Immortal Regiment” action in its current form arose in 2011 in the city of Tomsk, where the movement’s headquarters was subsequently created and a non-profit and non-governmental structure called “Immortal Regiment” was organized, which is still active and which organizes and holding an action, here is the official website of this popular movement.
"Immortal Regiment" http://moypolk.ru/
But when the “Immortal Regiment” event began to gain popularity and hundreds of thousands of people began to take part in its implementation, Putin’s thieves became agitated by this situation. Since people not under their control pose a serious threat to the regime, that is why in 2015, a certain Nikolai Zemtsov, who had previously been expelled from the people’s organization “Immortal Regiment” for violating the charter, created a new organization “Immortal Regiment of Russia” controlled by the authorities, which is now supported by Putin and led by Putin officials. This new Putin organization seized the initiative from the people's “Immortal Regiment”, squeezing its representatives out of their posts and putting their own controlled people in their place, and which is now organizing and conducting the “Immortal Regiment” action in Moscow and other large cities and which, in accordance with instructions from above, is also engaged in the decommunization of Victory Day, by replacing Soviet historical symbols with new symbols that have nothing to do with Soviet history. That is, in essence, Putin’s thieves stole the “Immortal Regiment” from the people, formalizing and leading the people’s initiative and turning it into a propaganda tool for the Putin regime. Here is the official website of Zaputin's anti-Soviet "Immortal Regiment of Russia"
"Immortal Regiment of Russia" https://polkrf.ru/
It should be said that today the Victory Day and the procession of the “Immortal Regiment” are perhaps the only thing that remains and what one can be proud of, and when hundreds of thousands of people go to the procession of the “Immortal Regiment”, it would seem good, but at the same time it is bad, that Putin's thieves led this popular initiative. And when many see Putin at the head of the procession, many have the illusion that Putin’s soul is rooting for Russia, that Putin respects our history. In fact, this is not so, it is Putin and his thieves’ entourage who are making every effort to erase from the memory of the people everything connected with Soviet history, it is Putin who is trying with all his might to destroy the memory of Stalin, Lenin and other great figures of the Soviet Union . Therefore, you should not delude yourself and fall into emotion when on TV you see Putin cheerfully and with a smile walking at the head of the procession of the “Immortal Regiment,” because behind his smile lies a serpentine essence. Perhaps no one has done more to destroy the memory of Soviet history, to decommunize Victory Day, than Putin.
And here, addressing everyone, it should be said that the real organizers of the “Immortal Regiment” from the city of Tomsk generally have a positive attitude towards the use of Soviet symbols at their rallies, as symbols of historical memory. Then the organizers of Putin’s “Immortal Regiment of Russia” are doing everything to erase Soviet historical symbols from the memory of the people, replacing them with meaningless pseudo-historical tolerant symbols.. Let’s look at how this is done with specific examples.
Recently, a new symbol appeared on the website of Putin’s “Immortal Regiment of Russia”; it is a red star with St. George the Victorious depicted in it. And here many people have a question: what does St. George the Victorious, this church idol, have to do with the Soviet holiday, which was previously called the day of the Victory of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War and what does the church symbol have to do with it? As you know, on the caps and caps of Soviet soldiers there was a red star with the image of a hammer and sickle, it was under this star that Soviet soldiers fought and died on the fields of war, it was with this star that they stormed Berlin and eventually defeated Hitler’s Germany and won the Great Patriotic War war. That is, we see a clear substitution of symbols, when the Soviet red star with a hammer and sickle, so hated by Putin and the Zaputinites, is replaced by a certain church symbol. Thus, we are accustomed to the idea that the Soviet people won the war, despite the tyrant Stalin and his commanders and thanks to the prayers and help of St. George the Victorious.
We see that the Putin regime is taking very active measures to decommunize Victory Day by replacing symbols. When historical Soviet symbols are replaced by some religiously tolerant symbols. In particular, during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of Victory Day in 2015, Soviet symbols and in particular the Order of the Patriotic War, which since Soviet times had been used as one of the symbols of Victory Day, were replaced by a tolerant dove of peace and a St. George ribbon, that is, no damned Soviet symbols , only Christian humility and meekness, that’s what the new symbol of victory was supposed to mean. And here, many were outraged by such an open rejection of Soviet symbols, under which Soviet soldiers fought and under which the Great Victory was won, in favor of certain Christian values. And in this regard, it cannot be ruled out that after the 2018 presidential elections, where Putin will win his next “crushing victory,” the celebration of Victory Day may be postponed from May 9 to May 8, so that we would celebrate Victory Day together with the entire civilized world. And this day will no longer be called the Day of Victory of the Soviet People over Nazi Germany, but the Day of the End of World War II. It also cannot be ruled out that in the near future, following the example of the Baltic states and Ukraine, where parades of SS and Bandera veterans are held on Victory Day, in Russia, as an “act of reconciliation” on Victory Day, parades of Vlasovites from the ROA, policemen and other traitors who served in Hitler's troops. If we are going to rewrite history, then it will have to be rewritten to the end.
Now, with the support of Putin’s thieves, there is a very active substitution of some symbols for others. In particular, we are talking about the St. George ribbon, as a symbol of victory, which is now being sold on every corner. But even here, many people have a logical question: what does the St. George ribbon from the royal Order of St. George have to do with the Soviet holiday of Victory Day on May 9? And although, of course, the symbolism of the Guards ribbon, which was used during the Great Patriotic War, including on a number of Soviet orders and in particular on the Order of Glory, originates from the St. George ribbon and practically copies it. But, at the same time, the royal summer of St. George and the Soviet guards ribbon have different semantic and symbolic meanings. And with all due respect to the royal order of St. George, the St. George ribbon from the royal order has no direct relation either to the Soviet army or to the Soviet holiday of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, despite all the similarities between the St. George and Guards ribbons, from a historical point of view it is more correct to use the expression Guards ribbon rather than St. George’s ribbon in relation to the Soviet ribbon. Because in the Soviet Union there were guards, a guards regiment, a guards division, and so on. But there were no St. George’s soldiers and no St. George’s regiments in the Soviet Union. Thus, in relation to the Soviet holiday Victory Day, it is more correct to use the expression guards ribbon. And here we see a substitution of meanings and symbols, when Soviet symbols are replaced by religious symbols, and here again we are accustomed to the idea that we received victory in the war not thanks to the heroic deeds of Soviet soldiers, but thanks to the prayers of the priests and the help of St. George the Victorious.
Here the following should also be said and everyone should understand this: if, for example, Russia suddenly becomes a fascist state, then in fascist Russia they will celebrate Victory Day, but under different slogans and symbols. And the actual process of replacing the basis of the Victory Day holiday is already underway, so far only the replacement of Soviet historical symbols is underway with other religiously tolerant symbols, and then it will be the turn of the substitution of meanings. And if Putin and his thieves’ entourage continue to rule Russia, then in the foreseeable future, we will celebrate Victory Day with completely different meanings and symbols. And here we must repeat once again, do not delude yourself with Putin walking at the head of the “Immortal Regiment,” because there is nothing you can do to maintain your rating. We need to look at Putin's real deeds.
Against the backdrop of the hatred of Putin and Putin’s thieves for Soviet history and Soviet symbols, there is an active process of creating new symbols, in particular for the Russian army, which sometimes takes very ugly forms. For example, instead of the Soviet red star, in 2014 a new star was adopted as a symbol of the Russian army, which turned out to be an almost exact copy of the emblem of the American supermarket "Mall of America", other new emblems were also adopted, which are like two peas in a pod similar to the emblem American army. And although, on the one hand, it seems clear that the new Russian army needs new symbols, why then accept emblems similar to the emblems of our potential enemy? At the same time, Putin’s thieves seem to forget that the current power of the Russian army, it was created through the efforts of the Soviet army and the Soviet people, and that the notorious Russian army has not yet shown itself to be anything heroic, and in this regard, it is still not worth spitting on its past, but on the contrary, it is necessary to maintain and strengthen the connection of times in every possible way, including through the use of Soviet symbols.
But the insanity of Putin’s authorities is only growing and strengthening every day. For example, during the reconstruction of the parade on November 7, 1941, which was held in 2016, we saw images of the Tsar’s double-headed eagle on Soviet military equipment, and here again many wondered what the Tsar’s symbols had to do with Soviet military equipment and the Soviet parade 1941? If insanity continues to develop, it is possible that in the future Victory Parades on May 9 will be held under royal banners and standards, under royal eagles, in royal uniforms, and so on. You can expect everything from Putin's thieves.
But what was most striking, of course, was the former Prosecutor General of Crimea, Natalya Poklonskaya, that she went crazy out of love for Tsar Nicholas II, this is a medical fact, but when she showed up at the march of the “Immortal Regiment” with an icon of the Tsar, it was shocking many, because what does the tsar have to do with the Soviet holiday Victory Day. Although already now, voices are being heard that it is inappropriate to remember only Soviet soldiers at the march of the “Immortal Regiment”, that it is necessary to remember all Russian soldiers, and Russian combatants who fought on the Kulikovo Field, and Russian soldiers who fought with Napoleon, and Russian soldiers who died in during the First World War, we must remember everyone. But, again, what do Russian soldiers of the tsarist period have to do with the Soviet holiday Victory Day, which was suffered through suffering by the Soviet people and the Soviet army? Also causing outrage in society is the draping of the Lenin Mausoleum on Victory Day, at the foot of which the banners of defeated Nazi divisions and armies were thrown. This is another sign of Putin’s insanity.
It should be noted that in recent years in Putin’s society, on the eve of Victory Day, the so-called victory-fear has begun to manifest itself clearly. When many propagandists and officials literally begin to rage in hysterics, before a memorable date, they say how sacred and sacred this Victory Day is for us, and at the same time they begin to organize and carry out very strange actions and actions, often causing bewilderment in society, like, what It was? Here one can recall the mummers of pseudo-veterans, on the stands of honor and the use of images of fascist soldiers and equipment on holiday posters and postcards and attempts to mix together both the Tsar and the Soviet army and the open mockery of the symbols of victory on the part of “creative designers” and all other Putin’s insanity of victory. At the same time, these same propagandists and officials, as soon as the holiday ends, immediately begin to throw mud at Soviet history, telling us horrors about concentration camps, about the bloody tyrant Stalin and the murderers of the NKVD, and how badly we lived under the Soviet Union, and so on. But, a year passes, the next anniversary of the holiday approaches and everything returns to normal and the wild dances of Putin’s victory begin again, with the appearance of complete historical insanity.
Many will ask what to do in this situation, but there is a way out. You, contrary to the will of Putin’s thieves, can come both to the march of the “Immortal Regiment” and to the celebration of Victory Day on May 9, carrying the Soviet red banner of victory in your hands. You can, against the will of Putin’s thieves, bring posters depicting Soviet symbols to the march and celebration. You can, contrary to the will of Putin’s thieves, come to Victory Day on May 9, with portraits of Stalin as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, under whose leadership our Great Victory was won. You can, contrary to the will of Putin’s thieves, bring to the march portraits of Zhukov, Rokossovsky and other famous Soviet military leaders, as organizers of the Victory. Only in this way, going against everything, can you go against that suffocating thieves’ system, which is trying with all its might to erase and erase from the memory of the people, everything connected with the heroic history of the Soviet army and the heroic feat of the Soviet people.
On May 9, the already traditional procession of the “Immortal Regiment” will take place in Moscow. In 2015, the action attracted 12 million participants. TASS found out how and along what route the procession will take place this year, and how to take part in the action.
What do you need to do to become a member?
- To join the procession, it is enough to come with a portrait (sign) of your relative - a participant in the war. A banner is an enlarged, scanned photograph mounted on a hard backing, laminated (in case of rain), attached to a holder.
How should the sign be designed?
- Most of the sign should be occupied by a photograph of the hero; in the lower part it is necessary to indicate his last name, first name, patronymic, and military rank.
Where can I print a photo?
- Those wishing to take part in the action can order a print of a portrait of their relative at any Moscow MFC. The service is free, but applications are accepted only until the end of April. Photos of front-line soldiers can also be sent via the Internet.
Which streets will the procession take place along?
- This year in Moscow the procession will take place from the Dynamo metro station along Leningradsky Prospekt, st. Tverskoy, st. Tverskaya-Yamskaya, through Okhotny Ryad, Manezhnaya and Red Square. Next, the procession column is distributed along the Kremlin Embankment, Moskvoretskaya Embankment and the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge. Join the column from the alleys adjacent to the street. Tverskaya, it will be impossible.
Which metro stations along the route of the column will be closed?
- The Okhotny Ryad, Ploshchad Revolyutsii, Teatralnaya and Lubyanka metro stations will be closed during the Immortal Regiment campaign, and the Mayakovskaya station will close as it fills up. “The stations will be closed, it’s better not to even expect to arrive there closer to the head of the column, because you will have to return,” warned Nikolai Zemtsov, co-chairman of the Immortal Regiment of Russia movement.
- Stations "Pushkinskaya", "Tverskaya" and "Chekhovskaya" will be available for entry until 13:00.
When does the promotion start?
- The procession will officially begin at 15:00. But the organizers of the action recommend that participants gather on the street. Tverskaya at 12:10. It is better to navigate at the stations "Belorusskaya", "Dynamo" and "Mayakovskaya".
What do you need to have with you besides a photograph?
- It is advisable to come to the procession in comfortable shoes, have hats and drinking water (only in plastic bottles) in case of hot weather, and raincoats and umbrellas in case of precipitation.
Help me find information about my grandfather, a war veteran, there is no information left in the family.
The Immortal Regiment website does not directly engage in search work, but we can give how to start a search.
Can I join the Immortal Regiment just with a photograph?
People should see the faces of the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. If you carry a photograph, few will see it. Especially in a column. Therefore, we recommend that you come to the column of the Immortal Regiment with banners. You can just come with a photo, but it’s better to enlarge it.
If you make your own banner, what size should it be?
The optimal size of the banner is approximately A4 format (20x30 cm). In case of bad weather, it is better to roll up the photo in laminate.
What should I do if I don’t have a photograph of a front-line soldier?
If your photo album does not contain photographs of a front-line soldier, you can make a banner on which the name, surname, patronymic and military rank will be written. With this banner you too can join the ranks of the Immortal Regiment.
Organization of the Regiment in the regions
Who should I ask questions about the organization of the Immortal Regiment?
All questions can be directed to your city coordinator. His contacts are on the website in the section. If your city is not on the map of the Immortal Regiment, you can ask a question to Headquarters by writing a letter to [email protected]
We want the Immortal Regiment to take place in our city too. How to do it?
If you want to become the coordinator of the Immortal Regiment in your city, read the memo
If you are ready to work with the Immortal Regiment, you can send a request to the regimental mail - [email protected]
Where and when will the construction take place in my city? Do I need to register in advance?
There is no need to sign up in advance, just come with a portrait of a front-line soldier to the formation. The organizers inform the media of your city in advance about the place and time, and information about this will appear on your city’s page in the news section.
If you do not find information, contact the coordinators. You can find contacts in the section.
Is it possible to go through the ranks without entering history on the site?
Of course, take a photo or banner and come to the formation.
Working with the site
Who can I enroll in the Immortal Regiment? Only front-line soldiers? Is it possible to enroll in the Regiment not a grandfather, but a grandmother who survived the blockade?
Certainly! Not only is it possible, but it is also necessary. And also his father, great-grandfather and other relatives - an army and navy veteran, a partisan, an underground fighter, a Resistance fighter, a home front worker, a concentration camp prisoner, a blockade survivor, a child of war.
How to record the history of your relative in the Regiment?
To record the story of your relative who participated in the Great Patriotic War in the Regiment, you need to click on the “Tell your story” button on the main page of the site or select the “ ” section in the menu.
The created page is reviewed by the administrator and published within 72 hours.
Is it possible to edit a relative’s story posted on the site and add a photo?
Yes, to do this you need to go to your personal account in the “My Stories” section. Then select the name you want and click the Edit button. After making changes, be sure to save them.
If you are not ready to become a coordinator, you can record the story in any nearby town or city in which you live today. If such a city is not on the list, you can publish the story in the general section of the country, for example “Russian Federation, Russia”, “Israel”, etc.
How to bookmark a story?
To add a story to bookmarks, you first need to log in to your personal account. After that, open the desired page and next to the veteran’s photo, click the “Add to Bookmarks” button.
Done, now you can always quickly return to the desired story through the bookmarks section in your personal account.
Where did the story I contributed to the site disappear to?
The story does not disappear, but goes to the coordinator for moderation. It must be published within 72 hours.
If the story has not appeared on the site after this time, please contact the coordinator in your locality. To do this, go to the page of your locality. Just above the photos of the soldiers you can find the “Coordinators” section.
If the coordinator does not respond, write to us at the regimental mail [email protected].
How do I add related stories to my relative's page?
The updated version of the site makes it possible to connect the stories of relatives: your grandfather’s page can be attached to your grandmother’s page. To do this, you just need to provide a link to the page with the existing story.
Timed to coincide with Victory Day, the “Immortal Regiment” action turned out to be a larger-scale event than opponents of the unity of the Russian people would like: half a million people walked through the streets of Moscow with photographs of their front-line relatives. And even more than that, participation in the procession by President Vladimir Putin, who led the column of demonstrators, became a powerful symbolic act, maximally emphasizing the idea of patriotic unification of Russians.
It is not surprising that the criticism followed was harsh and planned - photographs of discarded posters with photographs of front-line soldiers began to surface on social networks, which, according to anonymous rumors, were carried by people “driven” to Moscow for extras. For many, a photograph of a trash can full of St. George's ribbons was enough, and details such as the time and location of the shooting and its author were not key to assessing its credibility.
The head of the regional patriotic public organization “Immortal Regiment - Moscow”, one of the organizers of the event, Nikolai Zemtsov, told journalists from the publication “Vzglyad” that the country needs such actions now, they allow you to feel like one big family, regardless of where you live. According to Zemtsov, the number of participants, which exceeded expectations, only confirmed that people need such events.
The “Immortal Regiment” began to grow in numbers of volunteers, and the army already took to the streets of our cities. This is reality. With its strength and beauty, the regiment gathers friends of Russia. And the enemies tremble: such a unification of Russians is scary for those who would like fragmentation, malicious attacks by different parts of society on each other. And here is such a disappointment for them: we showed that we are one family, and we were led by a president who showed that he is a person like everyone else, and spoke about the connection between his simple soldier father and the country. We were all in the same formation that day,” noted Nikolai Zemtsov.
As for negative stuffing, Zemtsov noted that any good deed is accompanied by a wave of negativity. According to him, the photographs were taken rather clumsily and were intended only for a quick glance.
« But they cooked it all up so badly: for example, the chopped St. George ribbons in the trash can - I’ve never seen anything like that. The same goes for discarded posters. Look at the photographs of our procession: there is a sea of various banners, rarely the same ones. And in those photos there are some identical structures thrown into a pile... Just look at the faces of the participants. Everyone smiles, laughs, and there is an emotional upsurge. How can a person go and throw something away after this?” - says Zemtsov.
Meanwhile, it became known that the Immortal Regiment movement has already appealed to the Prosecutor General’s Office. The chairman of the movement's council, Sergei Lapenkov, sent an appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Moscow Prosecutor's Office - he asks for a legal assessment of the photographs posted on the Internet, which show discarded posters with images of veterans of the Great Patriotic War.
“We consider such actions insulting to veterans. In addition, there is reason to believe that these actions fall under the article “Public insult to the symbols of military glory of Russia” of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, since the posters have a St. George’s ribbon,” Lapenkov explained to reporters.
The photo shows the first "Immortal Regiment" in our city. 2014
Every year, memories of that war fade into history, fewer and fewer veterans remain in the festive column, and only veterans remain in the stands.
Every family has its own Heroes. These are our fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers - everyone who defeated fascism in the Great Patriotic War. Some went through the entire war, some died in its first days, some had more awards, some had fewer. But the memory of the years scorched by the war is kept in every family, in the stories of relatives and friends, in letters from the front kept in the house, and in war photographs.
"Immortal Regiment"- an action designed to preserve the memory of the Great Patriotic War, of everyone who, without sparing their lives, fought for the liberation of the Motherland.
The Immortal Regiment is a tribute to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War who fell on the battlefields and died from bombing in besieged cities and villages. This is a memory of women and children who were burned alive in concentration camps or during punitive operations.
The Immortal Regiment is a reminder to current generations of the fate of the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad, the defenders of the Brest Fortress, Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk, Voronezh and Orel, Belgorod and Sevastopol, Murmansk and Koenigsberg.
The Immortal Regiment is the memory of the liberators of our native land
The Immortal Regiment is a regiment of living, people's memory.
The Immortal Regiment is the least that each of us can do to ensure that our parents, their brothers and sisters, relatives, friends and fellow soldiers live in bright memory. The warriors and defenders of the Russian land who defeated fascism will forever remain in the ranks of the Immortal Regiment.
The symbol of the project is a white crane, as a sign that those who died during the war and died in peacetime remain in our hearts from generation to generation.
Eternal glory to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War.
Task: to bring on Victory Day a photograph of a Great Patriotic War veteran who will never be able to take part in the Victory Day parade. It does not matter whether the warrior died on the battlefield or passed away after the Victory
Every citizen can join the ranks of the regiment, regardless of religion, nationality, political and other views. "Immortal Regiment" - unites people.
The action itself is held on May 9, Victory Day. Participants of the action can take part in the formation of the column of the “Immortal Regiment” by making a sign with a photo of a soldier of the Great Patriotic War. A sign is an enlarged, scanned photograph mounted on thick cardboard or PVC, laminated, attached to a holder.
Yesterday I brought my parents, front-line soldiers, to the website of the Immortal Regiment of our city. I ordered pillars with their photographs.
Are you ready to take part in the “Immortal Regiment” campaign?