Victory Day is one of the main holidays in Russia. Every year, high-ranking politicians from other countries watch the parade on Red Square along with veterans of the Great Patriotic War. “360” tells who will come to the Victory Parade this year and who was the guest of honor at the celebrations of past years.

More than just a visit

Several years ago, Russia abandoned the practice of inviting foreign leaders to celebrate Victory Day. But if desired, any of them can take part in the celebrations. Exceptions are anniversaries: in this case, all prominent world politicians receive an offer for the celebration.

This year, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will come to Moscow. The visit of the heads of these states is not only secular in nature. Vucic plans to discuss with Vladimir Putin issues of his country’s relations with Russia. Netanyahu is going to talk about the Iran nuclear deal, which was in jeopardy due to US intentions to withdraw from it.

In 2017, the only foreign president to attend the parade in Moscow was Moldova's President Igor Dodon. His visit was significant: it was the first visit of a Moldovan politician of this level to Moscow on Victory Day in 15 years. It is unknown whether Dodon will come to the holiday this year.

One of the regular guests of the events dedicated to May 9 is the President of Kazakhstan. Nursultan Nazarbayev participated in the holiday for three years. In the politician’s homeland, the parade in honor of Victory Day was abandoned in 2016. It is also unknown whether the leader of Kazakhstan will come this year.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has not appeared at the Victory Parade in Moscow for three years. He is taking part in a similar event in his country. No one can replace Lukashenko in Minsk, because only the commander-in-chief has the right to host the parade.

Anniversary parades

Photo source: RIA Novosti

Most foreign guests visited Moscow during the celebrations of the Victory anniversaries. It was especially crowded in 1995. The UN Secretary General and the leaders of France, the USA and Germany came to the first anniversary of Victory in the modern history of Russia. The event was attended by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze. In total, about 60 prominent political figures gathered.

In 2005, Russia celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Victory. Seats on the podium were taken by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, French President Jacques Chirac, US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder.

George Bush with his wife and Vladimir Putin. RIA Novosti/Sergey Pyatakov

A group of Wehrmacht veterans arrived with the German politician. After the parade ended, Vladimir Putin spoke with them personally. Then the delegation from Germany visited the Lublin cemetery - the burial place of the remains of Germans who were captured by the USSR.

Traditionally, the leaders of Latvia and Estonia refused the invitation to come to Moscow on Victory Day.

Photo source: RIA Novosti/Alexey Druzhinin

In 2015, the parade in honor of the 70th anniversary of the Victory was observed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK Kim Yong Nam, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Cuban leader Raul Castro were also present at the celebrations. Among those who accepted the invitation were the leaders of the CIS countries, Latin America and Asia.

Nicolas Maduro and Raul Castro. RIA Novosti/Konstantin Chalabov

Members of the European Union were represented only by Cyprus. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to come. But this year the politician will visit Moscow.

Delivering a congratulatory speech on Red Square on the occasion of the Victory Parade, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the disunity of states at that time did not prevent the tragedy.

“This monstrous tragedy could not be prevented primarily due to the connivance of the criminal ideology of racial superiority, due to the disunity of the leading countries of the world.

This allowed the Nazis to arrogate to themselves the right to decide the fate of other peoples, to unleash the most cruel, bloody war, to enslave, and to put almost all European countries at the service of their deadly goals,” said the Russian leader.

It is worth noting that a similar phrase was heard in the president’s speech at the Victory Parade last year. He also mentioned that the aggressor “has put the economic potential of almost all of Europe at his service.”

There are fewer foreign guests

Last year’s congratulations also included an invitation to other countries of the world to fight the global threat together: “We are obliged to defeat this evil, and Russia is open to joining forces with all states, ready to work on creating a modern, non-bloc system of international security.”

The main guest of honor of the Russian President at the Victory Parade was the President of Moldova Igor Dodon, who is not visiting Moscow for the first time in the few months since taking office.

Dodon came to power on socialist slogans, as well as promises to get closer to Russia.

In 2016, the same guest of honor on the podium was the President of Kazakhstan. Nazarbayev was also the guest of honor of the Russian President in 2015, when Russia celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Victory, to which, due to cooling relations with Western countries, the leaders of European countries and the United States did not attend.

The most representative event was the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Victory, when the leaders of all the major world powers came to visit Vladimir Putin. Among them, the leaders of the allies took pride of place - the President of the United States and the President of France, Great Britain was represented by the Deputy Prime Minister. Also among the guests of the parade were the then Chancellor of Germany, the Prime Ministers of Japan, Italy and the People's Republic of China.

The 2015 parade, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Victory over fascism, was ignored by most European politicians. This is caused by the deterioration of relations between Russia and Western countries after the development of the Ukrainian crisis.

Most of the 30 foreign leaders who came to Moscow were representatives of the republics former USSR. Among the foreign guests in the stands were the head of Cuba, the secretary general, the general director, and the leaders of Mongolia, Vietnam, Venezuela, and Serbia.

Medvedev and Sobyanin left alone

During the Victory Parade this year, in the seats for guests of honor to the left of the president there was the speaker and, in the second row there was the head of.

To the right of the president, facing the stands, was Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who was separated from Putin by two veterans sitting next to him. The seating arrangement was similar in 2016.

In 2008, when Medvedev was elected president of Russia, both leaders sat next to each other. At the 2010 anniversary parade, Putin was right hand from after the leader of the People's Republic of China and the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel.

In 2011, the blogosphere actively discussed Medvedev and Putin, who sat in the stands during the passage of troops, rather than standing up, as statesmen had done before. This caused a negative reaction from bloggers from both the liberal and patriotic camps.

The President of the USSR was also present at the parade in 2017, who in 2015 admitted in an interview that it became difficult for him to withstand such a ceremony.

In 1985, when the Victory Parade was held in Moscow for the first time in many years, Gorbachev, like the then Soviet leaders, received it, standing on the podium of the Lenin Mausoleum.

After the end of the parade, Putin shook hands with those sitting not far from him statesmen, left the stands together with the President of Moldova.

According to one of Gazeta.Ru’s interlocutors, who watched the parade from close range, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin left the parade along with the head of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko. The mayor of Moscow, like Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, left alone.

The Western press, which covered the Victory Parade, notes that for the Kremlin, victory in the war becomes one of the foundations of legitimacy. The Washington Post, reminding readers of the sacrifices the USSR made in the fight against the Nazis, notes that, in the Kremlin’s view, “saving the world from fascism is the greatest achievement not only of the Soviet Union. It became the basis for Russia’s return to the image of a great power after the Cold War...”

President of Moldova Igor Dodon promised to come to Moscow for the parade in honor of the 72nd anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War Patriotic War. The leader of this country will participate in the celebrations on Red Square for the first time in a decade and a half. Why are the leaders of the once fraternal republics and heads of Western states in last years so often they reject invitations to the Victory Parade - Lenta.ru found out.

Igor Dodon announced a visit to Moscow on May 9 back in April, promising to come to the holiday with his wife and son: “I received an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend festive events on Red Square. For almost 15 years, the presidents of Moldova did not come to Moscow on this day, so I decided to go.”

In 2010, Mihai Ghimpu, the acting president of Moldova, stated that the “vanquished” had nothing to do on this holiday. “How can I participate in a parade next to the army that brought communism, organized famine and deportations to Siberia? This army was also at the basis of the formation of Transnistria,” he explained.

Claims since the USSR

Resentment towards the Soviet past forced two more presidents to refuse to attend celebrations in connection with the 50th anniversary of the Victory in Moscow. In 1995, when the Russian authorities first invited foreign leaders to the parade, not only representatives of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition came, but also the German leadership.

Lithuania and Estonia refused to participate in the event, and both states delayed for a long time with official explanations. Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus subsequently expressed the hope that Moscow would not be offended by his decision to remain in Vilnius, but expressed the opinion that his country suffered for almost 50 more years after the war. Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip put it more specifically and harshly: “The victory in World War II was a great victory over fascism, but it was followed by the occupation of the Baltic countries. Soviet Union made a big mistake."

There were also complaints against Moscow regarding the current agenda. In 2005, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili canceled his visit three days before the parade. “For now we are in a situation where there is nothing special to celebrate in Moscow,” he said. Saakashvili was dissatisfied with the fact that Russia was in no hurry to make a decision on a speedy withdrawal Russian bases from the territory of Georgia, which Tbilisi insisted on. The President of Georgia called his decision the act of a “proud leader of a democratic state.” Now the Georgian president is not invited to the parade: diplomatic relations between the countries have not been established since 2008.

Ukrainian factor

The wave of collective refusals began in 2014 - after the change of power in Kyiv, the conflict in south-eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea. In 2015, May criticism from abroad already looked familiar and expected. Kyiv repeated that “in the conditions of Russian aggression” the participation of Ukrainian representatives in the parade is unthinkable.

Many others did not come, including American President Barack Obama. “The reason is Ukraine. And this is the decision not only of Obama, but also of most leaders European countries and maybe other regions,” explained US Ambassador John Tefft. According to him, there was “a feeling that during the parade in Moscow they would also celebrate what happened in Ukraine.”

During preparations for the anniversary, the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that the decision of German Chancellor Angela Merkel would play a special role “in disrupting the anti-Russian campaign.” She, however, chose a compromise option: she refused to attend the parade because of the situation in Donbass, but came to Moscow the next day - May 10.

There has traditionally been no Moldovan leadership, although the reasons for the refusal have changed. The country's President Nikolai Timofti did not hide the fact that he was acting in solidarity with the Europeans: almost all of them canceled visits in connection with the events in Ukraine.

Only Tallinn’s explanations did not change, which, even against the backdrop of the Ukrainian crisis, continued to remember the Soviet occupation, refusing to go to the celebrations in Moscow.

Ultimately, just over 20 of the 68 invited leaders agreed to the Russian side. Some of the Europeans arrived even despite criticism and sanctions. Czech President Milos Zeman even argued about this with American Ambassador in Prague. He expressed dissatisfaction with Zeman’s intention to attend the celebrations in Moscow and received a stern rebuke: “I cannot imagine that the Czech ambassador in Washington would advise the American president where to go. And I will not allow any ambassadors to interfere with my foreign travel plans.”

Personal and presidential affairs

Washington and other world capitals ignored the parade not only for political reasons: on May 9, 2010, Obama could not be in Moscow, as he was receiving a doctorate in law from Hampton University. In 2015, when everyone was talking about the Ukrainian crisis, some leaders also referred to personal busyness. This is what, for example, French President Francois Hollande and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did.

But more often they used internal state affairs as an excuse. Seven years ago, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi canceled a visit to Moscow due to the financial crisis. His office explained that overcoming problems requires constant contact. For the same reason, French President Nicolas Sarkozy remained in Paris.

There will probably be no Parisian guests this time either: the day before, presidential elections were held in the country, as a result of which the leader of the “Forward!” movement won. Emmanuel Macron.

Representatives of the United Kingdom also missed the holiday in Moscow because of the elections. Thus, in 2005, British Prime Minister Tony Blair telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he would not be able to attend the parade. Putin was understanding, congratulating Blair on his birthday and his party’s victory in the elections.

Relationships without invitations

The Kremlin, as a rule, takes refusals calmly, emphasizing that the parade is not held for foreign guests, but primarily for veterans. In the situation of the mass boycott in 2015, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that five years earlier there were also few high-profile foreign figures, although neither the events in Donbass nor the annexation of Crimea had yet happened.

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasizes that his colleagues always have the right to choose, although he expresses doubts that they all make this choice on their own: “Some people don’t want to, others are not allowed in the “Washington regional committee.” Some may even be ashamed, but let them decide for themselves.”

The leader of neighboring Belarus, meanwhile, condemned colleagues who use the refusal for political purposes. “It’s a different matter when you’re busy at home,” he noted. Before the 70th anniversary of the Victory, when the list of guests was unusually small, Alexander Lukashenko’s plans were followed with special attention, but he did not live up to expectations. “In Belarus, according to the constitution, no one except the commander-in-chief can host the parade. On May 9, we will have our own parade, the same as in Moscow,” said Lukashenko, who, however, during the years of his presidency attended parades in the Russian capital more often than in Minsk.

In Kazakhstan, a solemn military march in honor of the Victory was abandoned last year, and the country’s president went to Moscow for events. As a result, Nursultan Nazarbayev received special gratitude from Putin. “This is a sign of our special relationship, allied relations, we are very pleased with this, we want to thank you for this,” said the Russian leader.

Nazarbayev, like other guests, arrived at the parade in 2016 without the traditional invitation. They simply stopped sending them out, the Kremlin explained, but emphasized that all guests would be welcome. Among them will probably be the President of Kazakhstan again - after all, the parade in Astana has already taken place.

Igor Dodon announced a visit to Moscow on May 9 back in April, promising to come to the holiday with his wife and son: “I received an invitation from the President of Russia to attend festive events on Red Square. For almost 15 years, the presidents of Moldova did not come to Moscow on this day, so I decided to go.”

But more often they used internal state affairs as an excuse. Seven years ago, the Italian prime minister canceled a visit to Moscow due to the financial crisis. His office explained that overcoming problems requires constant contact. For the same reason, the French president remained in Paris.

There will probably be no Parisian guests this time either: the day before, presidential elections were held in the country, as a result of which the leader of the “Forward!” movement won. Emmanuel Macron.

Representatives of the United Kingdom also missed the holiday in Moscow because of the elections. Thus, in 2005, the British Prime Minister, during a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that he would not be able to attend the parade. Putin was understanding, congratulating Blair on his birthday and his party’s victory in the elections.

Relationships without invitations

The Kremlin, as a rule, takes refusals calmly, emphasizing that the parade is not held for foreign guests, but primarily for veterans. In the situation of the mass boycott of 2015, the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that five years earlier there were also few high-profile foreign figures, although neither the events in Donbass nor the annexation of Crimea had yet happened.

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasizes that his colleagues always have the right to choose, although he expresses doubts that they all make this choice on their own: “Some people don’t want to, others are not allowed in the “Washington regional committee.” Some may even be ashamed, but let them decide for themselves.”

The leader of neighboring Belarus, meanwhile, condemned colleagues who use the refusal for political purposes. “It’s a different matter when you’re busy at home,” he noted. Before the 70th anniversary of the Victory, when the guest list was unusually small, the plans were followed with special attention, but it did not live up to expectations. “In Belarus, according to the constitution, no one except the commander-in-chief can host the parade. On May 9, we will have our own parade, the same as in Moscow,” said Lukashenko, who, however, during the years of his presidency attended parades in the Russian capital more often than in Minsk.