Victory Parade June 24, 1945

Victory Parade. Red Square. June 24, 1945

The painting takes the viewer back to the morning when Red Square fell silent to the sound of hooves and the roar of the victory march. On June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place here — the culmination of the bloodiest war of the century, a moment that concentrated the fate of an entire nation.

Georgy Zhukov, the commander who led troops from the Volga to the Elbe, rides out on a gleaming white horse. Nearby, on a black stallion, is Konstantin Rokossovsky, his comrade-in-arms, commander, and symbol of indomitable spirit. They ride past the banners of legendary fronts: the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Ukrainian Fronts, the First Belorussian Front, and the Black Sea Fleet. These are not just military names — these are the geography of the liberated land, a map of sacrifice and victory.

The red background of the canvas brings the composition together in a single rhythm. Before the viewer is the triumph of the peoples who fought for common freedom. Under the banner of Victory, Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Caucasians, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other peoples of the Soviet Union stand shoulder to shoulder — all those who defended their common homeland. Here, we are reminded of Sevastopol, which withstood the siege, Kiev, liberated by the troops of Zhukov and Vatutin, and Crimea, for which they fought with a ferocity and love worthy of legends.

The red background of the canvas brings the composition together into a single rhythm. Before the viewer lies the triumph of peoples who fought for their shared freedom. Under the banner of Victory, Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Caucasians, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other peoples of the Soviet Union stand shoulder to shoulder — all those who defended their common homeland. Here, we are reminded of Sevastopol, which withstood the siege, Kiev, liberated by the troops of Zhukov and Vatutin, and Crimea, for which they fought with a ferocity and love worthy of legends.

The idea for the painting arose in 2013, when Crimea rejoined Russia. At that time, history suddenly ceased to matter to many, and monuments to the Great Patriotic War began to be dismantled in other countries, erasing the names of those who brought liberation. This became a personal challenge, an inner cry from the artist against oblivion,

Written in 2016, the painting took on a prophetic meaning. The events of recent years — renewed civil division and attempts to rewrite the past — have turned it into a warning. Today, more than ever, looking closely at the faces of the marshals, the glint of the banners, the scarlet background stretched across GUM, one can see that history returns when it is forgotten.