Cardboard tanks and rebelling goats: Victory Day in Siberia
Recordings of a parade celebrating Victory Day in Yakutsk, Russia, have circulated online. Those gathered at the athletics stadium saw unusual military vehicles and aeroplanes, some made of cardboard. The images from this Asian part of Russia amused internet users.
9 May holds special significance in Russia, as Victory Day—the moment of defeating the German fascists and ending the Second World War—has been celebrated in the country for years. Vladimir Putin's growing aspirations have further increased the importance of these celebrations.
The leader places great importance on the parade he organises annually in Moscow, but smaller ceremonies take place in many other Russian cities. An example is Yakutsk in the Asian part of Russia.
Bizarre images in Russia. This was the parade in Siberia
A parade was held in Siberia to commemorate Victory Day. Military personnel and officials gathered on the pitch of the athletics stadium, and the local community could be seen in the stands. However, the focus was primarily on the parade's vehicles.
In the recording shared on platform X, various constructions can be seen, some built from cardboard resembling models. "The military vehicles are more amusing than fear-inducing"—this is how internet users are commenting on the images from Yakutsk.
"The second largest army in the world," wrote one user on platform X sarcastically. "I grew up in Yakutia, and the only surprising thing here for me is that the song isn't in Russian," added another user. "This tank looks better than the ones I saw in Ukraine"—this is the opinion of another amused user on platform X.
A goat rebelled at a parade in Belarus
Victory Day is an important holiday celebrated in both Russia and Belarus. In Grodno, residents gathered to honour the memory of the victorious generation. The culmination of the ceremony was a parade by the Grodno garrison troops. The Belarusian Ministry of Defence reported on Telegram that residents arrived with their families, carrying portraits of their ancestors.
During the parade, an unexpected incident occurred when a group of historical reenactors was passing through. A goat accompanying one of the women decided to rebel and refused to march further. This situation sparked a wave of comments on social media.
Independent Belarusian portal Nexta commented on the situation, writing: "A goat and costumed individuals were brought to the military parade in Grodno. The goat proved to be smarter and attempted to escape from this shame." Meanwhile, the Ukrainian portal TSN.ua noted: "Belarus has its own atmosphere: without military equipment, but with a goat. However, the horned one turned out to be a saboteur and refused to participate in the 'victorious' parade in Grodno."
