Putin Celebrates Crimea Anniversary with Red Square Concert Post-Election

The Kremlin is known for its grandiose and resounding celebrations. This occasion will be no different, with a significant concert planned for March 18th, featuring none other than Vladimir Putin. This event comes right after the presidential elections, which are anticipated to see Putin victorious.

The annexation of Crimea, often referred to as its "liberation" by Russians, has turned into a somewhat sorrowful, yearly observance. Putin is almost always present for these commemorations. Notably 2018, the event coincided with the day of the presidential elections.

In a departure from previous years, in 2023, Putin personally visited the peninsula instead of attending a concert for the annexation's anniversary. This marked his first visit since November 2021.

At the inaugural concert in 2014, Putin's statements left a lasting impression on the peninsula's residents. The Russian leader spoke about the "return of Crimea and Sevastopol to their native harbor."

The last time Vladimir Putin participated in the celebrations was September 30th, 2022, when he announced the annexation of four Ukrainian regions: Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Luhansk. In 2023, Putin abstained from attending the concert.

However, he appeared on February 22nd, 2023, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow for a rally concert titled "Glory to the Defenders of the Fatherland." According to Belsat, the event featured a rap about Azovstal and the so-called Novorossiya. There was also a performance of a song that pejoratively addressed Ukrainians as "Dill." Additionally, children from Mariupol expressed their "gratitude for being saved from the Ukrainian regime and Nazis."

Red Square is also the venue for Victory Day, arguably Russia's most significant holiday. Every year, Vladimir Putin and his entourage make their attendance. Last year, the square was under tight security with snipers, and residents were restricted from leaving their homes or opening windows and balconies.