2015 in honor of the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, but this was a one-off event. China held a huge military parade in Sept. do not celebrate the end of WWII with large military processions. The following year the country spent 295 million ($5.1 million). On the 70th anniversary of Victory Day in 2015, Russia spent 810 million rubles ($14.2 million). The defense minister (who today is Sergei Shoigu) always participates in the parade. Each year thousands of soldiers march over Red Square’s cobblestones and the parade shows off the country's military hardware, like the “Armata” tank in 2015. One of the most recognized images of the celebration, along with the evening fireworks and the carnations given out to veterans, is parade that rumbles through Moscow. The holiday unites people from all walks of life and about 24 million people - one out of every six Russians - participated in the 2016 Victory Day celebrations. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Victory Day - celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany - on May 9 is one of the most popular celebrations in Russia. When sociologists ask Russians what they are most proud of in their country’s history, the most popular response for the last twenty years has been the victory in the Great Patriotic War, 1941-1945.

Victory day in russia 2016