Russian troops march in Red Square in World War II reenactment

Russian troops donned World War II-era uniforms on Thursday to reenact a 1941 parade in Moscow ordered by Josef Stalin to boost morale, according to The Associated Press.

Stalin ordered the parade for Nov. 7 during the battle of Moscow to keep up the spirits of the forces defending the capital after a series of defeats for the Red Army, the AP noted, adding that the Soviet command was eventually able to push back Nazi forces with the help of reinforcements. Germany invaded Russia in June 1941.

{mosads}Military parades in Moscow were a common occurrence on Nov. 7 to mark the anniversary of the 1917 October Revolution, and the date is frequently celebrated by communists despite the Soviet Union’s formal abolition in 2005.

The reenactment Thursday included about 4,000 troops and vintage 1940s-era vehicles, including T-34 tanks, according to the AP.