Victory Day!

Anneka, on her way to the Victory Day Performance

     May 9th is Victory Day here in Russia, marking the end of WWII.  It's a huge holiday here.  Our neighbor even called it "the greatest holiday", and as I observe the culture here, I would say that it probably truly is (right after New Years).  Anneka's drama class got to be part of the big celebration downtown.  There was a parade, and then right were the parade ended, the kids from Anneka's school of arts danced to a song on the steps of a big square.

     It was a bit chilly, so she wore earmuffs so that it wouldn't mess up her hair.  I thought she looked cute with the white bows and white earmuffs.  =)

The School of Arts

 

     Anneka needed her hair fixed a specific way.  I called our neighbor and asked if she could help.  And she came at 6:45 in the morning so that Anneka could get there on time.  What a blessing to us!!!

     The rest of us headed downtown a couple of hours later to watch the festivities.  We knew it would be crowded and that the bus routes would be changed, so we parked at the end of the tram line and rode the tram into town.  We rarely ride the tram because only buses come to our neighborhood... so Ella and Ike were super excited for this little adventure!

     Anneka called and said she needed a black and orange striped ribbon to wear.  Thankfully we found a lady selling them and met her at the bottom of the steps.  It was roped off from our side, but she was allowed to come down to meet us.

     Both Ike and Ella spent some of their earned money on cotton candy.  It grosses Leif and me out, but it was a special treat for them!  A huge gust of wind blew off over half of Ike's cotton candy and it flew right into a man's face. 

     There are several new fountains in this square.  Both kids loved playing in and around them while we waited for the performance.

     Ike spent all the rest of his money from the past weeks on this Sponge Bob balloon.  Even though it's nothing Leif or I would have ever bought, it was actually really helpful, as there were huge crowds.  We always could spot him right away.  =)  Ella and Ike both had a grand time with the balloon until later, when a gust of wind blew it into a bush and it popped.  But it was a memory, anyways!

     This shows some of the crowd.  Many people carried pictures of their grandfathers who served in the war as a memorial to them.

     In the middle of this picture there are a bunch of dots on the steps.  Anneka is one of those black and white dots!  We were standing on the edge of the fountain, but it was still hard to see.  All the same, it was still fun to hear the music and see the kids dancing.

   There were big trucks around for kid to climb on.

     After the parade and performance all of the trams and buses were totally packed (shoving room only!).  Since it was the day after Mother's day, we stayed downtown for a bit had lunch at a pizza place to celebrate.  On our way home, the electricity went out, which made our tram stop working.  The kids and I shielded ourselves from the huge blasts of sand-filled wind outside while Leif ran to get the car and pick us up.  

     I like how people here remember the sacrifices that were made to overcome such evil in the world.  We, too, are so grateful for the  many men who fought in WWII!