Perhaps it is coincidence or divine providence, but many achievements of the Red Army during WWII happened to line up with important religious dates. For many Russians this is yet more proof that they were on the right side of history. Despite being part of a “red” army, many soldiers then believed there was zero coincidence in all of these events. So let’s take a look at these at these military achievements that fell perfectly on Eastern Orthodox holidays.
During the Revolution of 1917 the Bolsheviks installed state atheism as the official norm to move the country down the road to Communism. But no matter how many laws, punishments, and bureaucracy Lenin and friends wrote, this all could not delete a thousand years of history. That is to say, they could not take a millennium of Christianity out of Russian hearts and minds. When the war started it became clear to Stalin that a rapprochement with the Orthodox Church and an end to any forms of extremist atheistic repression was necessary. So it is important to understand that despite the revolutionaries being hardcore anti-religious fanatics, the average Red Amy soldier was unlikely to see things this way. Christianity was strongly in the background of all the battles of the USSR against Nazi Germany.
June 22, 1941 – The war started on the day of “All Saints in the Land of the Russian Shining”
This holiday is a transitional celebration in the Russian Orthodox Church dedicated to the memory of all Russian saints: canonized ascetics of faith, martyrs, reverends, saints and blessed princes, glorified for their holy lives in the territory of historical Russia. This high celebration of Russia, when it was at its spiritually strongest, was the moment the Germans attacked.
December 6, 1941 – “Alexander Nevsky Memorial Day”
Soviet troops launched a successful counteroffensive and drove the Germans back from Moscow. It was Alexander Nevsky who also drove out the Germanic Teutonic Crusaders from Russia. History repeated itself.
Despite the analysis of the US and British intelligence agencies, which predicted the defeat of the USSR by the end of 1941, Soviet troops showed that Russia was not going to roll over. Early Soviet resistance and victories debunked the myth of invincibility of the German army, inspiring the Red Army for further victorious battles with the Wehrmacht. This all started with the pivotal victory on December 6th.
July 12, 1943 – the “Day of The Apostles Peter and Paul”
On this day fighting began near Prokhorovka on the Kursk Bulge. This holiday is dedicated to the memory of the two greatest apostles who played a key role in the spread of Christianity. Apostle Peter, a simple fisherman who became the “rock” of the Church, preached among the Jews and became the first bishop of Rome, accepting martyrdom through crucifixion upside down. The Apostle Paul, a former persecutor of Christians, after his miraculous conversion, became the chief preacher among the Gentiles, founded many congregations, and wrote much of the New Testament, dying by the sword as a Roman citizen. Their joint veneration symbolizes the unity of the Church despite their differences in background and ministry, with Peter representing simple faith and Paul representing theological depth.
November 4, 1943 – the “Feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God”
On this day Soviet troops took Kiev. The Kazan Icon has many connections to massive military triumphs and the retaking of the birthplace of Russian civilization is just one of them. During the “Time of Troubles” in 1612 The icon was carried by Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Minin’s militia during the liberation of Moscow from Polish invaders. Its intercession was credited with the victory, leading to the establishment of a national feast day on November 4th. This now now also the “Day of National Unity in Russia”, which is a national holiday. In 1709 Peter I prayed before a copy of the icon before the Battle of Poltava during the Great Northern War. In 1812, General Mikhail Kutuzov sought the icon’s blessing before facing Napoleon’s invasion.
January 7, 1942 – the finale of the Soviet counteroffensive near Moscow, on Christmas Day.
On Christmas hope is born and with this Victory the capital was safe and hope for victory was achieved. It was a major blow to the Germans.
January 27, 1944 – the end of the siege of Leningrad, and the liberation of the prisoners of Auschwitz
This all occured on the “feast day of Saint Nina the Equal-to-the-Apostles”. This day commemorates the life and missionary work of the woman who brought Christianity to Georgia in the 4th century. Born in Cappadocia to a Roman military family, Nina was a relative of St. George and became a captive in Iberia (modern-day Georgia), where she performed miracles, including healing Queen Nana of a severe illness, which led to the conversion of King Mirian III. Her efforts culminated in Georgia’s official adoption of Christianity in 326 AD, making it one of the earliest Christian nations.
July 17, 1942 – the beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad, as well as the entry of Soviet troops into the territory of Poland, on the Feast Day of St. Andrew Rublev.
This holiday is dedicated to the great icon painter and saint of the XIV-XV centuries, whose creations, such as the famous “Trinity”, became the pinnacle of Orthodox art. A monk of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, Rublyov embodied in his works (including paintings of the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir and the Zvenigorod rank) a deep theology through the harmony of colors and images. As we all know Stalingrad was the definitive battle of World War II and some could even say it was ironically “iconic”.
July 28, 1944 – the liberation of Brest from German invaders, on the day of St. Prince Vladimir the Equal-to-the-Apostles.
This holiday is dedicated to the Baptist of Russia, whose decision to embrace Christianity in 988 changed the course of the history of the Eastern Slavs. Prince Vladimir after his personal conversion, not only baptized the people of Kiev in the waters of the Dnieper, but also laid the foundations of Orthodox culture, education and statehood, uniting the disparate tribes under the spiritual values of Byzantine Christianity. For his missionary achievements the Church ranked him in the count of the Equal Apostles – on a par with the disciples of Christ. On this day, solemn services are held in churches to glorify his role in the formation of Holy Russia. Brest is seen as one of the very westernmost extents of the Russian World and its taking solidified Russia much in the way that Prince Vladimir did.
May 6, 1945 – Easter, on the day of commemoration of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, the main hostilities ended.
Perhaps most of all for Russians, the breaking of the German army on the day of the Victory of Christ over death is not simple coincidence. The Easter miracle truly repeated itself in 1945 as the “forces of death” were crushed by the righteous.
June 24, 1945 – Victory Parade on Red Square, on the day of the Holy Trinity.
The Day of the Holy Trinity (Pentecost) is one of the major Christian feasts, celebrated on the 50th day after Easter to commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, which marked the birth of the Church of Christ. On this day, described in the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-4), the disciples gathered in the upper room of Zion received the gifts of tongues and boldness to preach the Gospel throughout the world. This joyous day represents the start of something massive, and with the victory over Nazi Germany secured Soviet society was sure it was starting a new journey down the right path with blessings from above.