Russia re-enacts World War II parade

Russian troops clad in World War II-era uniforms marched across Moscow’s Red Square in a reconstruction of a wartime parade.

The Nov. 7, 1941 parade has become a symbol of Soviet valor and tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds. Thursday’s re-enactment featured about 4,000 troops, vintage tanks and other vehicles.

The Nazis forces approached Moscow in early October 1941 as the Red Army suffered a series of devastating defeats after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. They came as close as 30 kilometers (less than 19 miles) to the city in some areas.

The Soviet command managed to bring fresh troops from the country’s east and launch a counter-offensive that marked the first major Nazi defeat since the start of World War II.