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History of the holiday Traditions and events of Tank Driver’s Day Where tank crews are trained in Russia Interesting facts about tank crews and tanks
History of the holidays
Tankman Day will be celebrated for the 78th time in 2024. Photo: Stanislav Krasilnikov/RIA Novosti
When did holidays appear?
This year, Tankman Day will be celebrated for the 78th time. It was established by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on July 1, 1946. Thus, the country’s leaders noted the contribution of tank formations to the defeat of the Hitlerite army, as well as the work of people involved in the production of iron vehicles in the rear. By the way, in 1946, tanks took part in the country’s main parade in Moscow.
Tankman Day was originally scheduled for September 11, in order to honour the troops who stopped Hitler and his army in the Carpathians. However, in 1980, the country’s leaders issued a decree setting a more flexible date: the second Sunday in September. It remains that way to this day.
where it all began
The history of tank building in our country begins on the last day of summer in 1920, when the first tank was manufactured at the Sormovo plant. Seven years later, serial production of tanks began here.
The younger “brother” of our first tank was the French Renault FT-17, samples of which were captured by Red Army soldiers in the Odessa area, as France supported the Whites. One of the three captured tanks was sent in scattered parts by rail to the Sormovo enterprise.
The plant management then complained that they had not received all the parts for the tank (and there were more than 1,800 of them). There were no documents at all. The specialists had to work literally by feel. And in less than a year, they not only assembled the tank, but in some aspects made it even better than the original. For example, it had a gun in a rotating turret. The tank was called “Russian Renault.” The first car also had its own name: “Comrade Lenin, freedom fighter.”
T-24 tank. Photo: wikipedia
Mikhail Koshkin, the creator of the legend of the T-24 tank, was involved in the assembly of the vehicle as a mechanic. At the plant in the Nizhny Novgorod region, from 1920 to 1921, 15 tanks were produced, each called by its own name: Burya, Kerch, Pobeda, Chernomorets and others. It was a light armored vehicle to support infantry troops. Having never gained combat experience, after 10 years the vehicle was withdrawn from service with the Soviet Army. Some tanks were delivered to military schools, while others were used as tractors. Today, the Russian army is armed with the following vehicles: T-72, T-80, T-82, T-90 and their modernized versions.
How are you?
Mark I tank. Photo: DPA/Picture Alliance via Reuters Connect
The world’s first tank, in the modern sense, was built by the British. They gave it the name Mark I. From English, the word “tank” translates as “tank”. The etymology of this word takes us back to the way the machine was used during the First World War. They were taken to battle sites as fuel guards. So they tried to keep the new technology a secret from their opponents.
The British tanks weighed about 30 tons, were eight meters long and two and a half meters high. The guns were on the sides. The car was traveling at a speed of about six kilometers per hour and was on a flat road.
The first tank battle took place at the Battle of the Somme in 1916: the British won the battle thanks to Mark I vehicles with minimal troop losses, two dozen less than expected. Inspired by such results, the British launched production.
Traditions and events for Tankman Day
On Tanker Day, military museums organize thematic excursions, open exhibitions for this day and organize film screenings. Photo: Konstantin Mikhalchevsky/RIA Novosti
How the holiday is celebrated
In the mid-20th century, from the 1940s to the 1950s, on Tankman Day, unique tank parades were held in cities, and in the evening, fireworks were launched for local residents.
They honor both the military and all those who work on the creation of tanks: engineers, technologists, designers, etc.
Today, on their holiday, the tankers are being congratulated by the leaders of the country, the regions and, of course, the command of military units.
Concerts, festivals and fireworks are held in cities where there are factories for the production of this equipment, as well as military units. Military museums conduct themed excursions, open exhibitions on this day and organize film screenings.
In 2024:
The Victory Museum in Moscow will host the Heroes of the Home Front exhibition from September 3 to 29. The Vadim Zadorozhny Museum of Technology in the Moscow Region will host a marathon of the World of Tanks and Wink films about tank heroes on September 8 from 10:00 to 20:00. The Patriot Central Park in the Moscow Region will host a dynamic display of the racing capabilities of five tanks on September 8 from 13:00.
On this day, oil workers also remember their fallen comrades and bring flowers to memorials.
what to give
You can give him a tanker truck:
Something useful for the service. It could be a flask, a thermos, a knife, a belt. A purely masculine gift: hygiene kit, alcohol, a mug, glasses.
Where in Russia are tankers trained?
More than 25,000 officers have already graduated from the Kazan Higher Tank Command School. Photo: Maxim Bogodvid/RIA Novosti
The Kazan Higher Tank Command School is the only higher educational institution in Russia that trains tank officers. More than 25,000 officers have graduated from it. 74 people were awarded the title of Hero of the USSR, four were awarded the title of Heroes of Socialist Labor, and two people became full holders of the Order of Glory. More than 250 officers who graduated from the educational institution rose to the highest ranks.
In addition, the Ministry of Defence trains young tank specialists at its training centres throughout the country.
interesting facts
It is believed that the prototype of the tank was made by Leonardo da Vinci – he had a design for a wooden and iron vehicle similar to a tank. But the technology of those times could not make this idea a reality. The son of the famous scientist Vasily Mendeleev worked on the design of the tank, but later the authorities did not support his project. In Soviet history, the most important tank battle was the Battle of Kursk, which became a turning point in hostilities. The Russian Renault tank was first tested by a mechanic of the company, Ivan Averin. , at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant they made a full-size model of the first Russian tank and installed it at the entrance. The Mouse tank is the heaviest in the world, weighing 188 tons. It was manufactured in Germany during Hitler’s reign. There were two cars in total. They did not participate in battles. There are about 73 thousand tanks in the world, most of them in Russia (about 12.6 thousand German soldiers nicknamed the Russian T-34 tank “Mickey Mouse” – the hatches of its turret resembled the ears of a. Inventors tried to make flying tanks, and such developments were carried out in the Soviet Union. And they even made a model of a machine with wings, which an airplane was supposed to drop to the ground in battle. Female tankers are a rarity. This job is too difficult physically. But during the Great Patriotic War there were more than 30 such heroines. Thus, the Belarusian Shurochka Samusenko, who graduated from Kazan University, served as a tank commander. She died at the age of 21 in 1945. And the tanker Maria Logunova continued to serve even after losing both legs in battle.
