Highlights of the political and artistic program 'Epic of Victory'

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army (September 7, 1945 - September 7, 2025), on the evening of September 5, under the direction of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense , the political and artistic program "Epic of Victory" was held at Thang Long Imperial Citadel - a place where the thousand-year-old spirit and military quintessence of the nation converge.

Attending the program were General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense; General Trinh Van Quyet, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Standing Member of the Central Military Commission, Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army; General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Party Central Committee member, Standing Member of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Minister of National Defense; representatives of leaders of a number of ministries, branches, central agencies and leaders and commanders of agencies under the Ministry of National Defense and the General Staff.

General Phan Van Giang and delegates attending the program. (Photo: Trong Duc/VNA)

80 years ago, amid the spirit of the entire nation having just gained independence, the General Staff - the strategic advisory body of the Army was born, from the vision of President Ho Chi Minh: there needs to be a central agency, a "brain" specializing in military affairs to help the Party Central Committee and the Government plan war strategies, organize and command the army.

"Epic of Victory" is not only an art program but also a journey back in history, recreating important milestones in the 80-year journey of the General Staff.

Following the process of construction, growth and development of the General Staff, which is generally recreated in the program, the audience gets to listen to the story of the birth of the strategic staff agency from President Ho Chi Minh's directive at the Northern Palace.

On September 7, 1945, at the Northern Palace, President Ho Chi Minh issued a directive to establish the General Staff and directly assigned the task to comrade Hoang Van Thai and instructed: "The General Staff is a confidential military agency of the Organization, an important agency of the army, with the tasks of: organizing and training the army well; organizing to grasp the enemy and ourselves clearly; devising clever strategies; organizing smooth, secret, quick, timely, and accurate command to defeat all enemies and protect the revolution"...

With an initial staff of only 8 officers, including only two party members, and very limited material conditions, under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Vo Nguyen Giap and the command of the first Chief of the General Staff Hoang Van Thai, the General Staff gradually matured, becoming a sharp command and strategic advisory agency. 80 years of inheriting and promoting the source of Vietnamese military strategy and intelligence, the General Staff wrote heroic songs of victory that resounded throughout the country, forging the tradition: "Loyalty-strategy, Dedication-creativity, Solidarity-coordination, Determination to fight-decision to win"...

Special performances at the program. (Photo: Trong Duc/VNA)

The program "Epic of Victory" is a combination of politics and art, tradition and modernity, with a large-scale stage, interspersed with artistic performances are emotional and profound reports showing the formation and growth of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army through the ages.

Special reports in the program brought viewers to the story of the "Strategic Brain" in the mountains and forests of Viet Bac, where the General Staff gradually matured, contributing decisively to the victory of the resistance war against the French; or sacred places such as "Headquarters in the sacred land - House D67", where important meetings of the Politburo and the Central Military Commission took place during the resistance war against the US.

There are also reports: "The Regional General Staff and its role on the Southern battlefield," "The mission of the General Staff in the renovation period," "The working army - Selflessly serving the people," "The General Staff - The core role in building a national defense."

In addition, with nearly 1,000 artists, actors and illustrators, through touching stories, inspiring characters and a subtle combination of many art forms such as symphony, epic, pop-rock, light music, contemporary dance to gun dance, martial arts..., the program brought the audience a solemn, heroic and emotional artistic space.

Songs and medleys such as " Ho keo Phao - Tren doi Him Lam - Giai phong Dien Bien", "Toan dan danh giac", "Giai van mien Nam", "Dat nuoc", "Tinh anh anh Viet - Laos - Cambodia", "Loi tay biet chua noi" ... were performed emotionally by singers inside and outside the army.

With the consistent message: "Strategy, intelligence and strength of people's war, Vietnamese military art in the Ho Chi Minh era," the program is an epic affirming the role of the General Staff as the "heart of strategy," "commanding brain" and the secret, important strategic advisory agency of the Party and the Army.

At the same time, the program honors the 80-year process of building, fighting, and growing up of generations of officers and soldiers of the General Staff, inheriting the quintessence of the national military, promoting bravery and intelligence under the leadership of the Party, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defense, so that the General Staff will always be worthy of the people's trust and be worthy of being the highest command and advisory body of the Vietnam People's Army and Militia./.

(Vietnam News Agency/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/dac-sac-chuong-trinh-chinh-luan-nghe-thuat-ban-hung-ca-chien-thang-post1060162.vnp