Russia
Here you find information about the history of Russia in the Second World War, the WWII reenactment groups in Russia at present and the present law which applies to reenactment in this country.
The history of Russia is maybe well known, but it can't hurt to put a short excerpt there. The links to the reenactment groups are a resource for all reenactors, groups and interested individuals or companies to promote international exchange. The law section provides groups or individual reenactors who wish to travel abroad for a reenactment event with the necessary background to the visiting country's laws with regard to reenactment.
Background information on Reenactment
Some years ago the reenactment scene in Russia was not so wide-spread as now. Now it is very expensive too but the number of people in our movement grows rapidly. There are many clubs and groups in different regions of our large country.Saint-Petersburg is considered to be the birth place of Russian living history - not only WWII but also other periods. Organised WWII living history in Saint-Petersburg and Moscow appeared in the middle of 1990-s. It was a very difficult time for our country, but enthusiasts having any knowledge about uniforms and equipment of Wehrmacht or Waffen-SS could get many components of gear and even weapons. In those days, many items of gear or uniforms (in our slang we call it "hAbar") could be obtained from marshes, forests and other battlefields where a half-century ago, the Great Slaughter between the Red army and Wehrmacht took place.
The first official living-history event in Russia was "The battle for Voronka" – on the river near Saint-Petersburg where there were great battles from 1941 to 1944. This event began in 1995 and was repeated every year till 2005. (Unfortunately in present days this event is not carried out. But nevertheless we have at least one WWII-event in every month in our city). In Saint-Petersburg there are many reenacment-groups.
Different clubs portray line-infantry, combat-engineers, Waffen-SS, German paratroopers and mountain-troops. The most important and the largest event in Russia - is the "Battle for Moscow" which is held on the famous field of Borodino near to Moscow every year in October. In 2006 there were about 630 participants, 3 Tanks and Sonderkraftzeug (for example, in the first "Battle for Moscow" in 2001 about 60 reenactors took part).
The organiser of this festival - Associaton of Living-History Clubs "1. Infanterie-Division" and "Moscow International Living-History Association".
Currently, the largest Russian reenactment group "22. Infanterie-Regiment" has become the biggest living-history group in former USSR and has evolved into the Living-History association "1. Infanterie-Division" which units exist in 4 regions of Russian Federation. "1. Infanterie-Division" counts more than 150 members and include the following units:-
22.I.R. - 22. Infanterie-Regiment (Moscow)
1.Gr.R. - 1. Grenadier-Regiment (Kaliningrad)
Aufkl.Abt.1 - 1. Aufklarungsabteilung (Moscow and Korolew)
2./Pi.Btl.1 - Pionier-Bataillon 1 (Saint-Petersburg)
3./Pi.Btl.1 - Pionier-Bataillon 1 (Moscow)
For all Russians (regardless of sex, age or the object of reenactment), the Victory in the Great Patriotic War – is our most important historical event. It may be hard to understand, but nowadays this War remains a large unhealed wound - on one hand the source of our Greatest Pride and Honour, and on the other hand, we remember, and mourn over the loss of our heroic fathers and mothers.
But I think the major part of Russian veterans and modern peoples of Russia have excused the aggressors and really feel for their tragedy.
And we revere the memory of fallen soldiers, they fought on the both sides of the front, didn't they?
© 2007 by bee • mailto: webmaster(at)ww2reenactment.info