Victory Day (9 May)

• 1. Origins Of The Holiday

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  Late in the evening on the 8th of May 1945, German officials signed an Instrument of Surrender in Reims, France. This document was witnessed by representatives from the United States and Free France. However, Soviet High Command had not agreed to the text. A second ceremony took place late that same night in Berlin-Karlshorst. Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signed the final surrender terms there. Marshal Georgy Zhukov signed for the Red Army at the same table. Because Moscow is five hours ahead of Central European Time, it was already the 9th of May when the signing occurred in Berlin. The Soviet government announced the victory early on the 9th of May after the signing ceremony concluded. Earl F. Ziemke documented this timeline in his 1990 history of the war. The time zone difference established the 9th of May as Victory Day for the Soviet Union.

• 2. Evolution In Russia

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  The holiday became a non-working day only in 1965 within the Russian SFSR. During the Soviet era, celebrations included speeches, lectures, and fireworks. In the 1990s, large mass demonstrations ceased under successive Russian governments. Vladimir Putin rose to power later that decade. His administration began promoting national holidays as sources of self-esteem. The 60th anniversary in 2005 became one of the largest popular holidays since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Around 30 leaders attended the 70th anniversary celebration in 2015. Western leaders boycotted these ceremonies due to military intervention in Ukraine. The 2020 parade marking the 75th anniversary was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mass media and cinema kept the war as a central topic throughout these decades.

• 3. Post-Soviet Celebrations

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  Armenia officially recognized the 9th of May as Victory and Peace Day after independence in 1991. Azerbaijan restored the holiday to its calendar in 1994 after it had been erased by earlier governments. Belarus has held seven parades on Independence Square since 1995. Kazakhstan celebrates the date alongside Defender of the Fatherland Day on the 7th of May. Georgia maintains strong observances within its Russian community. Turkmenistan established the holiday via decree from President Saparmurat Niyazov in 2000. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan continued traditions from their time as Soviet republics. Uzbekistan introduced the holiday on the 2nd of March 1999 under the name Day of Remembrance and Honour. These nations maintained varying degrees of official recognition while preserving core rituals like wreath-laying at memorials.

• 4. Eastern Bloc Divergence

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  Poland observed the 9th of May as National Victory and Freedom Day until 2015. The country shifted its official commemoration to the 8th of May that year. Romania celebrated the 9th of May during the communist era but now marks Europe Day on that date instead. Bulgaria cancelled all official celebrations of the 9th of May after 1989. Czechoslovakia held parades every five years until 1985 before dissolving in 1993. The Czech Republic now recognizes the 8th of May as Liberation Day. Moldova officially recognized the 9th of May from independence in 1991 until 2023. Ukraine changed its legislation in 2015 to replace Great Patriotic War with World War II terminology. By 2023, Ukrainian law established the 8th of May as a public holiday instead of the 9th of May. Opinion polling showed only 11% of Ukrainians considered the 9th of May popular by February 2024.

• 5. Global Diaspora Observances

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  Israel hosts the largest Victory Day celebrations outside the former Soviet Union due to immigration of Red Army veterans. Schools and businesses operate normally there despite the holiday status. The Knesset upgraded Victory in Europe Day to an official national remembrance day in July 2017. Russophone communities organize public gatherings and parades worldwide regardless of local state recognition. Television networks broadcast the Moscow parade globally for international viewers. Washington D.C., Berlin, and Yekaterinburg host Immortal Regiment processions. Up to 12 million Russians participate in these marches nationwide. RT provides live commentary on the parade featuring the Minute of Silence at 6:55pm MST. These traditions date back to 1965 when the silence ritual began.

• 6. Symbols And Rituals

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  The first victory parade occurred on the 24th of June 1945 on Moscow's Red Square. A small detachment from the First Polish Army participated alongside the Red Army. The Immortal Regiment was introduced in 2012 as a civil event where participants carry portraits of relatives who served. A banner reading Bessmertniy Polk leads the front line of the procession. The Saint George Ribbon features three black stripes and two orange stripes. It became associated with Russian support for the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Latvia passed a bill on the 20th of April 2023 banning all public celebrations on May 9 except Europe Day. Patriarch Kirill gave blessings for prayer services in memory of deliverance during the 65th anniversary in 2010. The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces completed construction timed to Victory Day in 2020.