Final preparations for Victory Day: Red Square as a stage of history and a window into the geopolitical future

Written by: Zeljko Sajn, Special Correspondent for Kosovo Online from Moscow
Amid rising geopolitical tensions and the global re-evaluation of historical narratives, Russia is marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism with a message that this triumph is not merely a memory but the foundation of its political identity and a declaration of future power dynamics. At the initiative of President Vladimir Putin, a ceasefire has been declared to last until midnight on May 10, as Red Square transforms into a stage where military tradition, symbolic rituals, and modern global messages converge.
Moscow is taking all necessary measures to ensure a peaceful celebration. Security has been tightened, and the Russian military is safeguarding key gathering points. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the military is doing everything necessary to ensure the event is held peacefully and with dignity, emphasizing the importance of maintaining stability amid today’s global climate. Despite attempted Ukrainian drone attacks, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev declared that on May 9, Moscow would be “one of the safest places in the world.”
As the major anniversary approaches, Red Square becomes not only a historical stage but also a window into the geopolitical future. With the military parade and the presence of leaders from around the world, Victory Day gains a new dimension—a stage where historical memory intersects with contemporary political ambition in a world marked by shifting alliances, resistance to hegemony, and a battle over the narrative of history.
Particular attention was drawn to the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, whose journey to Moscow, analysts say, was more difficult than that of Josip Broz Tito when he visited Stalin on September 21, 1944, following a meeting with Churchill in Naples on August 12 that same year. This time, pressure from some allies of the anti-fascist coalition has been aimed at preventing the Serbian President from highlighting Serbia’s historical role in World War II.
Commenting on Serbia’s participation in the parade, academic and historian Katarina Guskova stated:
"Russophobia and Serbophobia have, for centuries, driven the 'progressive' West to fight against us, seeking to destroy, ruin, divide, and weaken us. The methods have varied—military aggression, rewarding betrayal of national interests, inciting internal conflict, provocation, bombing as punishment for defending sovereignty and disobedience, color revolutions, bribing politicians, rewriting our history, and, ultimately, ultimatums. But Serbs have never stood against Russians, unlike other Slavs or even some Orthodox nations. The most difficult time for Serbs was the last decade of the 20th century, when Yugoslavia was dismantled to weaken the Serbs, while Russia was led by liberals who did not love their country. But they failed to crush Russia again, and they failed to break the Serbs. On the very first day of the Special Military Operation, the Serbs recognized the truth, voiced their support, ignored the EU, and did not impose sanctions.”
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also faced attempts to prevent his arrival in Moscow. He reminded the world who truly achieved victory in World War II: “We know that it was the Red Army that secured the victory over fascism,” thereby clearly distancing himself from the growing EU trend of relativizing the Soviet Union’s historical role. Fico further emphasized that Europe must not forget the Soviet Union’s heroic contribution to defeating fascism, stating: “This year we especially honor the deep historical connection of our peoples with Russia.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will attend tomorrow’s ceremony, remarked before his departure:
“The world must draw wisdom and strength from the profound lessons of World War II and the great victory in the anti-fascist struggle. It must resolutely oppose hegemonism and the politics of force, and work together to build a brighter future for humanity.”
In Saint Petersburg, President Putin’s birthplace, 1,945 performers staged a waltz of love and peace under the open sky—an artistic homage to the year of Nazi Germany’s capitulation. Beneath its aesthetic lies a clear message: 80 years ago, the Yalta order was established—a world order now teetering on the edge of collapse, as a new multipolar world begins to emerge.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who has led Russian diplomacy for 21 years, will host foreign ministers from 29 countries. In meetings leading up to the parade, he emphasized:
“Russia is committed to peace negotiations, but we believe that lasting peace cannot be achieved without security guarantees for our country.” He also reminded of the UN Charter’s provision on the right of peoples to self-determination and pointed to human rights violations in territories under Kyiv’s control.
At the International Press Center in Moscow, journalists were shown a historic edition of Izvestia from May 9, 1945, with headlines announcing the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. The signatures of Marshal Zhukov, Allied representatives, and German commanders testify to a singular moment in world history when nations united to defeat fascism.
Today’s final rehearsal for the military parade on Red Square—shadowed by history and closely monitored by security forces—shows that tomorrow will again bring together military formations, memories of victory, and messages about the future. At this moment, as the world undergoes a fundamental redefinition of the post-1945 order, Victory Day in Moscow is not merely a remembrance of the past—it is a declaration of a new political reality in the making. Not a single storefront in the city is without a poster symbolizing the victory in the Great Patriotic War, fought from 1939 to 1945.
As military formations march across Red Square beneath banners evoking memories of triumph over fascism, another battle will become visible—one for the right to one’s own interpretation of history and for a place in the world of tomorrow. On May 9, Moscow is not just marking an anniversary—it is declaring its readiness to lead in a moment when the old global order is cracking under the weight of new alliances, suppressed narratives, and a resurgence of sovereignist ideas. In this symbolism, despite external pressures, Serbia not only honors the memory of the past but reaffirms its determination not to remain a bystander—but to be a participant in shaping the future.
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