Off the cuff
Is Russia a country at war or a country celebrating? Sunday, June 12, she was both. While their soldiers were fighting in Ukraine, the Russians commemorated, as every year since 1994, the proclamation by the Russian Parliament, on June 12, 1990, of Russian independence from the Soviet Union. On the program for this very patriotic day? Concerts, shows, fireworks, medals and Vladimir Putin out of time…
Floating body
If the time was officially for the celebrations, Vladimir Putin seemed, on the rare images released by the Kremlin, totally extinguished. Dressed in black (reminder: worn in the evening, black is the color of the ceremony, but, worn during the day, it is the color of mourning), the sleeves falling far too low (another reminder: jacket sleeves should always reveal 2 centimeters of shirt at the wrist at the risk of giving a terribly sheepish look), the Russian president seems to give substance to the rumors announcing him weakened or sick. To tell the truth, that day, even his lifted foot seemed soft.
no law
Conversely, the soldiers showed boundless energy. In front of their languid president, they practiced the traditional so-called “goose step” walk. Established for the first time by the Prussians in the 18th century, and still in force in Russia and in most countries formerly members of the USSR, as well as in many states of the world of obedience or Marxist inspiration ( China, North Korea, Cuba…), this consists of walking with the bust straight, legs stretched perpendicular to the body, slamming your boots on the ground and synchronizing your arms.
It’s the pom pom!
To accompany this spectacular march, the Kremlin soldiers had put on their finest uniform, placing the famous shako on their skulls. Appeared in the 18th century, among the hussars of the Hungarian army, it is characterized by its shape of a truncated cone, with visor and above all its astonishing capacity to accommodate a lot of decorations ranging from pompoms to feathers through the medal or stripe. This largely explains its longevity and its still current popularity in many armies, Russian or French…
Coat of arms to restore
Finally, it is impossible to conclude without mentioning the banner of the Tsar of Moscow floating in the background. This one, traditionally placed to the left of Russian presidents when the flag of the Russian Federation is placed to their right, is adorned with a double-headed eagle symbolizing the Orthodox Church and a representation of Saint George, patron saint of the Slavs. , slaying a dragon with a simple but masterful spear thrust… Inspirational? That’s the problem.
