Special characters on the nation's first National Day

(Baonghean.vn) - The person who designed the stage at Ba Dinh Square; the person who raised the flag on Independence Day; the person who sewed the shirt that Uncle Ho wore on the first Independence Day... are extremely special characters on the first National Day (September 2, 1945).

1. Head of the Independence Day Organizing Committee

President Ho Chi Minh himself assigned Mr. Nguyen Huu Dang to take care of the organization of the Independence Day with an order: "This is a great historical event ending the August Revolution and giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam" along with a confident encouragement: "Only difficult tasks are assigned to you!".

As a person with experience in mobilizing the masses and growing up from the actual National Language Propagation Movement, Mr. Nguyen Huu Dang quickly gathered human and material resources from architects to carpenters directly involved in the construction, from industrialists and merchants donating materials to technicians supplying and installing broadcasting equipment... so that on the appointed day and time, the Independence stage stood majestically in the middle of Ba Dinh Square.

From that podium, President Ho Chi Minh declared national independence and the birth of the first Democratic Republic in Vietnamese history.

2. The person who sewed the shirt Uncle Ho wore on the first Independence Day

When it comes to President Ho's clothes, what impresses those who have met, lived and worked with him is the simplicity, formality, politeness and closeness. The clothes he wore on the day he read the Declaration, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, were khaki shirts, the yellow color of which has become a familiar image to every Vietnamese citizen.

The person who made the shirt for Uncle Ho was Mr. Phuc Hung - the owner of a famous tailor shop in Hang Quat at that time. On August 28, 1945, Mr. Phuc Hung came to work and only knew that he would make a shirt for an old man Ly from the countryside who was visiting the capital, cutting and sewing a four-pocket style shirt, wearing it with a closed collar when there was an important event, and for everyday use, the shirt could be opened comfortably, and could be worn with shoes or sandals. After 2 days, the shirt was completed.

3. The designer of the Independence Monument on Ba Dinh Square

Design drawing of Independence Monument on September 2, 1945

The designer of the Independence Monument at Ba Dinh Square on September 2, 1945 was Architect Ngo Huy Quynh. He was one of the last students of the Indochina Fine Arts School and one of the great figures of Vietnamese Architecture.

On September 1, 1945, Architect Ngo Huy Quynh was assigned by his superiors to design and participate in building the Ceremony Platform in Ba Dinh Flower Garden, which could be simple but solemn. After a few minutes of calculation, Architect Ngo Huy Quynh chose the option of building a wooden ceremony platform by nailing it (because of the urgent time) and wrapping it with silk on top of it, gold and red below, to create an artistic shape, both quick and easy to do. The place where the ceremony platform was built was a round grass bed in the middle of Ba Dinh Flower Garden. The structure was designed in light yellow, with two arms embracing the back of the red ceremony platform.

With talent and effort, he and his colleagues completed this famous project in just one day and night (the project was completed before dawn on September 2). The red and yellow colors of the altar with two incense burners on both sides, along with the color of the red flag with yellow star on the altar flagpole, all stood out brightly and vividly.

4. Flag bearer on Independence Day

The photo of Ms. Le Thi was taken when she joined the revolution, when she was only 19 years old.

At the “Declaration of Independence” ceremony on September 2, 1945, held at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi, Ms. Le Thi (real name Duong Thi Thoa), from Me So commune, Van Giang district, Hung Yen province, unexpectedly received the task of raising the national flag. At that time, she was only worried, trying to complete the task. Later, she realized that it was a special honor and pride to be chosen to raise the flag of independence at that important historical moment.

After Independence Day, Ms. Le Thi enthusiastically participated in the revolutionary movements. She was elected Secretary of the Women's Association for National Salvation in Hoan Kiem area, Deputy Secretary of the Women's Association for National Salvation in Vinh Phuc province... In 1956, when peace was restored, she was sent to study the first advanced theory class at Nguyen Ai Quoc School. Graduating with honors, she was retained as a lecturer, and then held many different positions.

When the country was at peace, she returned to work in Hanoi and established the Institute for Family and Gender Studies. After her continuous contributions to the country, in 1991 she was awarded the title of professor by the State.

5. Mysterious figure filmed precious footage on September 2, 1945

Precious footage of the historic day September 2, 1945

The film “Independence Day September 2, 1945” directed by People’s Artist Pham Ky Nam was released in 1975. Exactly 30 years after the sacred ceremony took place at Ba Dinh Square, marking the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Vietnamese people for the first time had access to a valuable documentary film that authentically recorded the atmosphere of that historic day.

The black and white footage moved viewers with images of crowds of people eagerly marching to Ba Dinh Square, waving their hands and singing the song "Destroy the Fascists", along with the national oath of Independence resounding in the square... Few people know that just one year before, in 1974, during a trip to France to make a documentary about the life and work of President Ho Chi Minh, director Pham Ky Nam had first encountered the footage by chance.

The person who gave him these precious films was a Vietnamese living in Paris. According to director Pham Ky Nam, when he asked the Vietnamese living in Paris about the author of the film, he received the answer: “I don’t know anything more because I wasn’t the one who filmed it. I only know that these films are useful to you, and I gave them to you personally, because I love the country and people of Vietnam very much.”

From the time the film was released in 1975 until the day director Pham Ky Nam passed away (in 1984), the question always lingered in his mind: Who secretly filmed those precious footages? And until now, that question still has no exact answer.

Peace

(Synthetic)