Victory Day (May 9)
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- For the song, see Den Pobedy
The Soviet Victory Day[1] or May 9 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 some 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 May 8, 1945 (May 9 by Moscow Time), which in turn happened after the original capitulation in April, that Germany earlier agreed to the joint Allied forces of the Western Front. The Soviet government announced the victory early on May 9 after the signing ceremony in Berlin[2]. Though the official inauguration happened in 1945 (which means it was celebrated since 1946), the holiday became a non-labour day only in 1965 and only in some of the countries.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, only Baltic countries rejected May 9 from their annual celebrations. It was also signed off in Uzbekistan since 1988, but partially restored in 1999 as Memorial/Rememberance Day.[3]
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[edit] History
Two separate capitulation events took place at the time. First, the capitulation to the Allied nations in Reims was signed on May 7, 1945, effective 23:01 CET May 8. 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:[4]
| “ | [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 May 8, when it was already May 9 in Moscow due to the difference in time zones. Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel submitted the capitulation of the Wehrmacht to the 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 June 24, 1945.
[edit] Celebration
During the Soviet Union's existence, May 9 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 week holiday was given starting 1966 if May 9 was to fall on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday).
After the fall of the communism in Central and Eastern Europe, most former USSR countries retained the celebration as a national holiday even though it was not openly celebrated by some of them. Today and traditionally, ceremonial military parades are held on the day, such as the one in Moscow on the Red Square.
[edit] Countries in which May 9 is celebrated
Armenia has officially recognized May 9 since 1946, however many Armenians do not openly celebrate it;
Azerbaijan has officially recognized May 9 since 1946;
Belarus has officially recognized May 9 since 1946, though it is a labour day;
Georgia has officially recognized May 9 since 1946;
Germany has never officially recognized the holiday, however May 9 was celebrated by Russian and Jewish communities in East Berlin up until 1990.
Kazakhstan has officially recognized May 9 since 1947. The holiday is sometimes celebrated in connection with other national holidays on May 10 and 11.
Kyrgyzstan has officially recognized May 9 since 1946;
Moldova has officially recognized May 9 since 1951;
Russia has officially recognized May 9 since 1946 and considers it a non-labour holiday even if it falls on a weekend (in which case any following Monday will be non-labour);
Tajikistan has officially recognized May 9 since 1946;
Turkmenistan has officially recognized May 9 since 1946;
Ukraine has officially recognized May 9 since 1946 and considers it a non-labour holiday;
Uzbekistan has officially recognized May 9 from 1946 until 1988. Starting 1999, the holiday was restored as "Memorial/Remembrance Day".[5]
Russophone population in many world countries celebrates the holiday regardless its local status. Many Russian communities in United States and Canada, also for example in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania [6] organize public gatherings and even parades on this day.[7] In Europe, some television chains of multilanguage broadcasting translate the "Victory speech" of the Russian president and the parade on Red Square.[8]
[edit] Soviet and post-Soviet symbols associated with the Victory Day
- Victory Banner
- Ribbon of Saint George, colloquially known as "George's Ribbon" (Георгиевская лента): originally associated with the Order of St. George of the Russian Empire, it was reintroduced in the Soviet Union for the Medal For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.
[edit] Soviet Union
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Order of Victory |
[edit] Russia
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Medal for the 50th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 |
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Medal for the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 |
[edit] Ukraine
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Medal for the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 |
[edit] Kazakhstan
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Medal for the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 |
[edit] See also
- End of World War II in Europe
- German Instrument of Surrender, 1945
- Minute of Silence
- Victory Day in other countries
- Victory in Europe Day
- Victory over Japan Day
[edit] References
- ^ (Russian: День Победы, Den' Pobedy; Ukrainian: День Перемоги, Den' Peremohy; Belarusian: Дзень Перамогі, Dzień Pieramohi; Polish: Dzień Zwycięstwa; Kazakh: Жеңіс Күні, Jeñis Küni; Lithuanian: Pergalės diena; Moldovan: Зиуа Викторией, Ziua Victoriei; Latvian: Uzvaras diena; Estonian: Võidupäev; Tatar Cyrillic: Җиңү көне, Latin: Ciñü köne)
- ^ Ziemke Further readingCHAPTER XV:The Victory Sealed Page 258 last 2 paragraphs
- ^ "Their memory lives on"
- ^ G.K. Zhukov, Memoirs, Moscow, Olma-Press, 2002, p.329
- ^ "Their memory lives on"
- ^ " Estonia: Local Russians Celebrate End Of World War II", Radio Liberty, May 9, 2007
- ^ "Russian Orthodox Church in Toronto celebrates May 9, 2005"
- ^ "May 9 parade TV-event from Israel"
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Victory Day (Russia) |
Works related to German Instrument of Surrender (7 May 1945) at Wikisource
