Tankman Day in Russia

Tankman's Day in Russia is celebrated annually every 2nd Sunday of September and is considered a professional holiday not only for all crew members, but also for those involved in the development, construction, and technical operation of combat vehicles The holiday was approved in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation by presidential decree of 2006 And “Tankmen’s Day” arose, this is the official name of the holiday, in 1946, when the Supreme Soviet of the USSR celebrated the merits of one of the main types of ground forces in the victory over the Nazis Honoring the tank troops until 1980 took place on September 11, until it changed to a day off The festive legacy of the USSR is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in other countries of the former Union The reason for choosing the date is the battle of 1944, the turning point of the war, when Soviet troops stopped Hitler The Carpathian-Dukla operation was an offensive on two fronts, where the main force was tank units, which played a decisive role in the outcome of the confrontation And the largest tank battle of the summer of 1943, which went down in history as the “Battle of Kursk,” is striking in scale even decades later: over 6 thousand combat vehicles and about 2 million soldiers The idea of ​​a self-propelled armored vehicle, which was a “land cruiser” as conceived by English developers, was realized in 1916 Russian designers also began work in this direction, but the events of 1917 and the subsequent restoration of the country set other priorities The main leap in the development of tank building was caused by the war, while Germany already in 1935 possessed the Panzerwaffe, the special tank forces of the Wehrmacht Currently, there are 2,700 units in the service of the Russian Army, and more than 17 thousand are in storage: active rearmament also affects this force of the ground forces Improving tanks concerns all components: weapons, protection, engines Modern vehicles, for example the Armata family, differ significantly from the legendary T-34 Perhaps in the future, the profession of a tank driver will be reduced to controlling an autonomous combat vehicle remotely Traditionally, on the holiday, everyone can watch demonstration performances and colorful historical reconstructions, which are prepared by the relevant army units and enthusiasts By the way, the first parade-march of tank troops took place in honor of the holiday on Red Square Subsequently, in many cities where the divisions were stationed, the advancement of columns was organized, which always attracted a huge number of spectators Today, numerous guests from other countries come to appreciate the tank festivals held by the largest regional tank-building centers Russia is a supplier of this type of military equipment, and tank biathlon helps demonstrate its capabilities - an exciting and spectacular overcoming of an obstacle course and a firing line In addition to the concert program and official congratulations, the Ministry of Defense always organizes interesting events For example, it presents secret documents related to the period of the Great Patriotic War to the attention of the general public Many photographs of military vehicles of that time have also been declassified Fans of computer virtual battles will enjoy a real video from the Ministry of Defense about the work of the crew and shots of a 155-mm gun On Tanker Day, it is customary to reward the best in their profession, honor veterans, and remember the heroes who gave their lives for the Fatherland The greatest example is the name of the ace DF Lavrinenko and his crew members, who destroyed 52 Nazi tanks Unfortunately, the current situation in the world does not allow us to ignore this profession and transfer technology to the civilian category Often new types of weapons have to be tested in real combat conditions, as was the case in Syria Therefore, on Tank Driver’s Day, everyone who guards and defends the Motherland and participates in the construction of combat vehicles - the unconditional pride of the country - is appreciated