Military parades as commemorative and political ceremonies in modern China: history of development and commemorative strategies

The article is dedicated to a comprehensive analysis of military parades as a particular type of political and commemorative rituals from both historical and contemporary perspectives. The main subject of the research is the transformation of the functions and meanings of military parades from the earliest forms of military reviews to complex symbolic practices that construct the legitimacy of state power and national identity. Based primarily on the materials of Soviet/Russian and Chinese parades, the author examines how, through meticulously designed temporal and spatial strategies, a system of symbols, and ceremonial actions, these events become tools for producing collective memory, emotional cohesion, and demonstrating political power. Special attention is given to the 2015 Chinese military parade, dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the victory over Japan, as a key example of the synthesis of historical memory and contemporary political narratives. The research is grounded in an interdisciplinary approach that combines methods of historical analysis, political anthropology (concepts of ritual, memory, "invented tradition"), and semiotics to decode the symbolic language of parades. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the systemic application of the theoretical framework of memory and ritual studies to the analysis of contemporary military parades as "invented traditions," as well as in the comparative examination of Soviet/Russian and Chinese practices to identify common mechanisms and national peculiarities. The author concludes that modern military parades represent powerful syncretic rituals ("戎祀一体"), where military demonstration, historical commemoration, and political theater converge. Their key function is the creation and reproduction of legitimacy through the sacralization of time (linking to historical dates) and space (transforming the square into a "national shrine"), as well as through the inclusion of individuals into a symbolic "national body." The 2015 parade in China is presented as a stage in evolution when the commemorative function became dominant, allowing for a connection between historical triumph and contemporary goals of national cohesion and positioning on the global stage.