(8 May 1995) Russian Nat
Russian President Boris Yeltsin opened two days of celebrations in Moscow Monday when he laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Yeltsin and other government officials are commemorating the Soviet victory in World War II.
In St Petersburg, ships from the five countries of the anti-Hitler coalition took part in Russia's main naval parade to celebrate VE Day.
It was the first time in Russia's history that vessels from the United States, Great Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands participated in such a parade.
It was a sombre opening to Russia's war celebrations, President Yeltsin, accompanied by his cabinet, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin.
In a country which lost over 20-(m) million of its citizens in the fight against fascism, these celebrations are being taken very seriously. Not only is the anniversary a chance to remember the heroes of the war but also a chance for Boris Yeltsin to regain much of the stature he has lost over the past year.
He is taking centre stage in all of the events over the next two days. And some of Russia's veterans are complaining that he is hijacking their celebration for his own political end.
Many veterans feel that they have been overlooked, with few even allowed to attend the events. Lyubov Sokolova was a lone figure this morning on Red Square as she attempted, in vain, to pay her own respects to the dead.
A veteran and former intelligence officer, this is the first year she hasn't been able to lay flowers.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"Every year I come to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They even show me there on television and Boris Nikolayevich (Yeltsin) knows me."
SUPER CAPTION: Lyubov Sokolova, WW2 Veteran
But if there is a real hero of these celebrations, it is a man whose name was officially ignored for years but whose statue was unveiled this morning.
Marshal Georgy Zhukov was the Soviet commander who won the battle of Stalingrad, broke the Nazi blockade of Leningrad and led the final assault on Berlin.
SOUNDBITE: (Russian)
"We are opening a monument to the great son and commander of Russia whose most decisive contribution to the victory has been acknowledged by the whole world, to Marshal Zhukov."
SUPER CAPTION: Yuri Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow
Stalin was too jealous of Zhukov's growing fame and popularity and had his name removed from the history books while Stalin taught the Russian people that he was the real architect of the war.
But 50 years on, Zhukov is again a hero.
In St. Petersburg, a brilliant naval pageant marked one of the most decisive naval battles of World War II. The celebration started on dry land as units from the St. Petersburg garrison and battalions from the naval and military schools marched along the embankment of the River Neva.
They carried standards of the Soviet forces which had taken part in the battle to break the three-year-long siege of the city when it was still called Leningrad.
The Russian Naval Commander-in-Chief Admiral Felix Gromov was one of thousands who reviewed the proceedings from the battle-cruiser Aurora.
Although the ending of the siege of Leningrad is considered one of the greatest Soviet achievements of the war, the role of the anti-Hitler alliance was not forgotten today.
Frigates and minesweepers from the United States, Great Britain , France, Belgium and the Netherlands took part in the proceedings - the first time Western countries have participated in a Russian military parade.
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