Cool men cooling off: Day of the Paratroopers

Aug 03 2010

Jennifer Eremeeva

RBTH

Today is another day to lock up your daughters, and certainly to wear protective footgear around fountains to avoid a huge amount of broken glass! It’s Paratroopers' Day, and this year marks the 80th anniversary from the first jump of the first unit of twelve paratroopers in Voronezh. Like the Border Guards, the Paratroopers take their holiday very seriously, and hold informal reunions across Russia, generally centered at the city’s major fountain, and involving a certain amount of liquid spirits. This year, I decided to go along and join them.

HRH was a little hesitant, as he always is about me venturing into this kind of scenario, and told me to keep in touch on the phone. After four hours in Gorky Park, I dialed his number.

“This is the best holiday of them all!” I gushed, “I’ve had three marriage proposals, ten invitations to go for a beer, and two guys asked me to swim with them.”

“Great,” he said, “what time is dinner?”

Pictures are not always worth a thousand words, but I think, in this case, they might be!

Congratulations to all the paratroopers of Russia! You guys sure know how to put on a great party!

Photos by Jennifer Eremeeva

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