| Victory Day | |
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Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, 9 May 2005 |
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| Official name | Russian: День Победы, Den' Pobedy |
| Observed by | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan |
| Date | 9 May |
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Victory Day[1] or 9 May marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in the Second World War (also known as the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and all post-Soviet states). It was first inaugurated in the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union, following the signing of the surrender document late in the evening on 8 May 1945 (after midnight, thus on 9 May, by Moscow Time). It happened after the original capitulation that Germany earlier agreed to the joint Allied forces of the Western Front. The Soviet government announced the victory early on 9 May after the signing ceremony in Berlin.[2] Though the official inauguration happened in 1945 (which means it has been celebrated since 1946), the holiday became a non-labour day only in 1965 and only in some of the countries.
In communist East Germany, a Soviet-style "Victory Day" on 9 May was an official holiday from 1975 until the end of the republic in 1990. Prior to that, "Liberation Day" was celebrated on 8 May, between 1950 and 1966, and again on the 40th anniversary in 1985. Since 2002, the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has observed a commemoration day known as the "Day of Liberation from National Socialism, and the End of the Second World War".[3]
In 1988, before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Victory Day ceased to be observed in Uzbekistan, but was partially restored in 1999 as Memorial/Remembrance Day.[4] After their separation from the Soviet Union, the Baltic countries now commemorate the end of WWII on 8 May, the Victory in Europe Day.[5] But many people in Baltic countries still gather to celebrate the Victory Day on 9 May.
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Two separate capitulation events took place at the time. First, the capitulation to the Allied nations in Reims was signed on 7 May 1945, effective 23:01 CET 8 May. This date is commonly referred to as the V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) in most western European countries. The other World War II victory day, the V-J day (Victory in Japan Day) is commemorated in August, and is of considerably lesser significance in Europe.
However, the Soviet Union's only representative in Reims was General Ivan Susloparov, the Military Liaison Mission Commander. General Susloparov's scope of authority was not entirely clear, and he had no means of immediate contact with the Kremlin, but nevertheless decided to sign for the Soviet side. Susloparov was caught off guard; he had no instructions from Moscow. But if he did not sign, he risked a German surrender without Soviet participation. However, he noted that it could be replaced with a new version in the future. Joseph Stalin was later displeased by these events, believing that the German surrender should have been accepted only by the envoy of the USSR Supreme command and signed only in Berlin and insisted the Reims protocol be considered preliminary, with the main ceremony to be held in Berlin, where Marshal Zhukov was at the time, as the latter recounts in his memoirs:[6]
| “ | [Quoting Stalin:] Today, in Reims, Germans signed the preliminary act on an unconditional surrender. The main contribution, however, was done by Soviet people and not by the Allies, therefore the capitulation must be signed in front of the Supreme Command of all countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, and not only in front of the Supreme Command of Allied Forces. Moreover, I disagree that the surrender was not signed in Berlin, which was the center of Nazi aggression. We agreed with the Allies to consider the Reims protocol as preliminary. | ” |
Therefore, another ceremony was organized in a surviving manor in the outskirts of Berlin late on 8 May, when it was already 9 May in Moscow due to the difference in time zones. Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel submitted the capitulation of the Wehrmacht to Marshal Georgy Zhukov in the Soviet Army headquarters in Berlin-Karlshorst. To commemorate the victory in the war, the ceremonial Moscow Victory Parade was held in the Soviet capital on 24 June 1945 (four years and two days after the beginning of Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of the Soviet Union).
During the Soviet Union's existence, 9 May was celebrated throughout the USSR and in the countries of the Eastern Bloc. Though the holiday was introduced in many Soviet republics approximately between 1946 and 1950, it only became a non-labour day in Ukrainian (1963) and Russian (1965) SSRs. In the latter one, a weekday off (usually a Monday) was given starting 1966 if 9 May was to fall on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday).
The celebration of Victory Day continued during subsequent years. The war became a topic of great importance in cinema, literature, history lessons at school, the mass media, and the arts. The ritual of the celebration gradually obtained a distinctive character with a number of similar elements: ceremonial meetings, speeches, lectures, receptions and fireworks.[7]
After the fall of the communism in Central and Eastern Europe, most former USSR countries retained the celebration, though it was not formally celebrated by some of them. In Russia during 1990s the May 9 was not celebrated massively, because Soviet-style mass demonstrations did not fit in with the way in which liberals who were in power in Moscow communicated with the country’s residents. The situation changed when Vladimir Putin came to power. He started to promote the prestige of the governing regime and history, national holidays and commemorations all became a source for national self-esteem. Since then the Victory Day in Russia has increasingly been turning into a joyous celebration in which popular culture plays a great role. The celebration of the 60th anniversary of Victory Day in Russia in 2005 became the largest national and popular holiday since the collapse of the Soviet Union.[7]
Russophone populations in many world countries celebrate the holiday regardless of its local status. Many Russian communities in United States and Canada, also for example in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania[10] organize public gatherings and even parades on this day.[11] In Europe, some multilanguage broadcasting television chains translate the "Victory speech" of the Russian president and the parade on Red Square.[12]
During the Victory Day parade 2010, President Dmitry Medvedev and many other VIPs were seen wearing the commemorative ribbon on the lapel of their jackets.
| Order of Victory |
| Medal For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945 | |
| Medal For the Capture of Berlin | |
| Medal for the 20th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 | |
| Medal for the 30th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 | |
| Medal for the 40th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 |
| Medal for the 50th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 | |
| Medal for the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 |
| Medal for the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 |
| Medal for the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 |
Victory Day London is a ceremonial event held annually since 2007 in London on 9 May in commemoration of the Arctic Convoys 1941-1945 and the victory in the Second World War. It is part of the wider commemoration of 9 May Victory Day, marking the German surrender to the Soviet Union. A ceremony is held aboard the cruiser HMS Belfast, moored on the Thames. The event serves as a reunion day for British and Russian veterans of the Arctic Convoys with members of the British Royal Family present. Other participants include the Russian Ambassador, ambassadors of other FSU countries, and other British and Russian dignitaries. [13][14]
Works related to German Instrument of Surrender (7 May 1945) at Wikisource Works related to German Instrument of Surrender (8 May 1945) at Wikisource
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