Russia’s Victory Day parade can be summed up by pain, pride and propaganda

It’s hard to overstate the importance of Victory Day in Russia, which marks the anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The patriotic fervour has been building for the past fortnight. Moscow has been coloured red with giant flags on almost every corner. Buses, rubbish lorries and even tractors bear some reference to 9 May. The day will see a huge military parade on Red Square, involving troops, tanks and missile launchers. This year, the 79th anniversary, is not exactly a major milestone – so why is it so big? I think it can be summed up by…