Ever been walking down the street and got the sense that someone was right behind you? Then turned around to find hundreds of Russian soldiers engulfing you on the street? A British friend and I were exploring Red Square and the surrounding area. As we looked over our shoulders - this is what we saw...
and over the railing...
There is a slight undercurrent of an authoritative presence in Moscow. I come from a military family and have been around soldiers all my life but this experience caused me to give pause....for a split second. Unexpected, the image of a sea of soldiers was a bit daunting...until we realized - these young guys were fairly relaxed and quite human.
Found the officer’s hat in this photo fascinating - so very Russian.
Noticed 3 stars on the lapel of what appears to be a Naval officer in this photo...
These uniforms have such a “throw back” feeling - as if these soldiers just stepped out of war time. Young men (ages 18 - 27) are brought into the Army via conscription (draft) in Russia in two call-ups each year. Their term of service is 12 months then remain in the reserves. The Russian Army, 1 million strong, is the third largest behind China and the U.S.
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