Victory Day or May 9 is a celebration of the victory of the Soviet army over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

First day of victory

The first ever Victory Day was celebrated by the Soviet people on May 9, 1945. On the occasion of the celebration, the Victory Salute was organized in Moscow - 30 victorious volleys fired from thousands of anti-aircraft guns. There was no military parade that day, which, however, is not surprising. He passed on Red Square only a month and a half later - on June 24, and all this period of time was spent on the necessary preparations.

The photo shows the first Victory Day in history - May 9, 1945. Neither the people nor the current government had time to prepare for the holiday, but it was not at all important! The Soviet people were happy, because the most long-awaited day had come - the day of the end of the Great Patriotic War.

Brief history of the holiday

The day after the death of A. Hitler, on May 1, 1945, the German command decided to negotiate a truce with the USSR, but I. Stalin said that only unconditional surrender would suit him. There was no response from Germany, after which the Soviet army dealt a crushing blow to Berlin. On the morning of May 2, Berlin was taken by Soviet soldiers, but hostilities did not end there: German troops resisted for several more days.

The act of unconditional surrender was signed on the night of May 9, and in the morning the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued declaring May 9 the Victory Day and an official holiday.

Photo of the document recognizing May 9 as Victory Day.

May 9 in the USSR

The photo shows a military parade in honor of Victory Day on Red Square during the Soviet era.

After the end of the Second World War, Victory Day or May 9 from 1945 to 1948 was an official holiday and non-working day, but later the day off was canceled. Only 20 years after the victory, when Brezhnev came to power, the holiday of May 9 again became a day off.

How Victory Day is celebrated in modern Russia

The photo shows a military parade on Red Square after the collapse of the USSR.

After the collapse of the USSR, the first military parade on Red Square took place in 1995 in honor of the anniversary of the Victory, after which the festive procession became an annual event. Since 2008, the parade has been held with the participation of military equipment.

Parade in honor of Victory Day 2016

Video source: Russia 24

Victory Day Traditions

The photo shows fireworks on Red Square in honor of Victory Day (May 9).

The main traditions of Victory Day include:

Laying flowers at the monument to war heroes or the unknown soldier;
A moment of silence in memory of the fallen soldiers;
Festive parade, which is held in all major cities;
Fireworks in the evening, usually at 22:00.

St. George Ribbon

The picture shows the St. George ribbon.

A new attribute of the Victory Day was the St. George ribbon of two colors: orange and black. It is believed that black symbolizes gunpowder, and orange - fire, but the tape itself is not directly related to the Second World War.

The history of the ribbon takes us back to the reign of Empress Catherine II, who established the soldier's order of St. George the Victorious, and with it the St. George ribbon in 1769 during the Russian-Turkish war. The ribbon was complemented by the motto: "For service and courage" and it was awarded to the most courageous and loyal soldiers of the Russian Empire as an encouragement. The ribbon was not just a symbol - it was accompanied by lifetime payments to the owner, after whose death the ribbon was inherited. It could be seized from the owner in the most exceptional case, for example, in case of gross violation of the law.

This combination of colors has become a symbol of courage and courage, therefore it was widely used in the design of military orders and awards after the end of the reign of the empress.

Since 2005, St. George ribbons have been distributed free of charge in public places to everyone who wants to honor the memory of fallen soldiers and express admiration for the courage of veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

History of the St. George Ribbon

Every country, every nation has its main holiday, which is celebrated annually for a long time. He unites the nation with a sense of pride for the valiant deeds of the ancestors, which will remain in the memory of descendants forever. There is such a holiday in Russia. This is Victory Day, which is celebrated on May 9th.

A bit of history

The Great Patriotic War began on June 22, 1941 and lasted for a long 4 years. The Soviet people endured a lot during the years of fascist occupation, but still they won. The people paved the road to the Victory Day with their own hands. Only thanks to his selfless work and military merits, the Soviet Union was able to win this war, although it was not easy to do so.

The final push that led to the end of hostilities with Germany was very long and difficult. The Soviet troops began to advance in the region of Poland and Prussia in January 1945. The Allies were not far behind. They were rapidly moving towards Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. According to many historians of that and present time, Hitler's suicide on April 20, 1945, sealed the defeat of Germany.

But the death of a mentor and leader did not stop the Nazi troops. The bloody battles for Berlin, however, led to the fact that the USSR and the allies defeated the Nazis. Victory Day is a tribute to the heavy price paid by the ancestors of many of us. Hundreds of thousands were killed on both sides - only after that the capital of Germany capitulated. It happened on May 7, 1945, that significant day was remembered by contemporaries for a long time.

The Price of Victory

About 2.5 million soldiers were involved in the storming of Berlin. The losses of the Soviet Army were huge. According to some reports, our army lost up to 15 thousand people per day. In the Battle of Berlin, 325 thousand officers and soldiers died. There was a real bloody war. Victory Day - it was still the day, the first celebration of which was just around the corner.

Since the fighting took place within the city, Soviet tanks could not maneuver widely. It was only in the hands of the Germans. They used anti-tank weapons to destroy military equipment. In a matter of weeks in the Berlin operation, the Soviet Army lost:

1997 tanks;
more than 2000 guns;
about 900 aircraft.

Despite huge losses in this battle, our troops defeated the enemies. The Day of the Great Victory over the Nazis was also marked by the fact that about half a million German soldiers were taken prisoner in this battle. The enemy suffered heavy losses. Soviet troops destroyed a huge number of German units, namely:

12 tank;
70 infantry;
11 motorized divisions.

human losses

According to the main sources, about 26.6 million people died in the Great Patriotic War. This number is determined by the demographic balance method. This number includes:

Killed as a result of military and other actions of the enemy.
Persons who left the USSR during the war years, as well as those who did not return after it ended.
Those who died due to an increased mortality rate during the period of hostilities in the rear and in the occupied territory.

As for the gender of the dead and those who died during the Second World War, most of them are men. The total number is 20 million people.

Public Holiday

Kalinin signed a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR that May 9 - Victory Day - is a public holiday. It was declared a public holiday. At 6 am Moscow time, this decree was read out on the radio by a well-known throughout the country announcer - Levitan. On the same day, a plane landed on Red Square in Moscow, delivering the act of surrender of Germany.

In the evening in Moscow they gave the Victory Salute - the largest in the history of the USSR. Of the thousand guns, 30 volleys were fired. It took a long time to prepare for the first celebration dedicated to the Victory Day. The holiday was celebrated like no other in the Soviet Union. People on the streets hugged and cried, congratulated each other on the victory.

On June 24, the first military parade took place on Red Square. Marshal Zhukov received him. Rokossovsky commanded the parade. The regiments of the following fronts marched across Red Square:

Leningradsky;
Belarusian;
Ukrainian;
Karelsky.

Also, the combined regiment of the Navy passed through the square. Commanders and Heroes of the Soviet Union walked ahead, carrying flags and banners of military units that had distinguished themselves in battle.

At the end of the military parade on Red Square, Victory Day was marked by the fact that two hundred banners of defeated Germany were carried and thrown at the Mausoleum. Only after the expiration of time did the military parade begin to be held on Victory Day - May 9th.

oblivion period

After the war, the country's leadership considered that the Soviet people, tired of fighting and bloodshed, should forget those events a little. And oddly enough, the custom of celebrating such an important holiday on a grand scale did not last long. In 1947, a new scenario for Victory Day was introduced by the country's leadership: it was completely canceled, and May 9 was recognized as an ordinary working day. Accordingly, all festivities and military parades were not held.

In 1965, in the year of the 20th anniversary, Victory Day (May 9) was reinstated and again recognized as a public holiday. Many regions of the Soviet Union held their own parades. The day ended with the usual fireworks display.

The collapse of the USSR soon followed, which led to the emergence of various conflicts, including political ones. In 1995, a full-fledged celebration of Victory Day was resumed in Russia. In the same year, as many as 2 parades took place in Moscow. One was on foot and passed through Red Square. And the second was carried out using armored vehicles, and it was observed on Poklonnaya Hill.

The official part of the holiday is traditional. They sound on Victory Day - words of congratulations, followed by the laying of wreaths and flowers at the monuments and memorials of the Great Patriotic War and the obligatory evening fireworks crowns the festival.

Victory Day

There is no more touching, tragic and at the same time glorious holiday in our country than Victory Day. It is still celebrated annually on May 9th. No matter how the facts of our history have changed in recent years, this day remains beloved by everyone, a dear and bright holiday.

On May 9, millions of people remember how their grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought, not sparing their lives, with enemies who decided to conquer the Soviet Union. They remember those who worked hard at factories producing equipment and weapons for the military. People were starving, but they held on, because they understood that the future victory over the fascist invaders depended only on their actions. It was these people who won the war, and thanks to their generation, today we live under peaceful skies.

How is Victory Day celebrated in Russia?

Rallies and demonstrations take place on this day. Flowers and wreaths are laid at the monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Veterans and participants of those distant and at the same time such close events are honored. In general, the same scenario always awaits us on this day. On Victory Day, in many countries they don’t arrange noisy parties, they don’t blow up firecrackers in the evenings. But this date enters the young hearts of Russians with black-and-white newsreels about that time, soul-stirring songs about a cramped dugout, about the front line and the soldier Alyosha forever frozen over the mountain.

May 9 is a holiday of the proud victorious people. It has been 70 years since the first celebration of Victory Day. But until now, this date is sacred for every Russian person. After all, there is not a single family that has not been touched by the grief of loss. Millions of soldiers went to the front, thousands of people remained to work in the rear. All the people rose to defend the Fatherland, and they managed to defend the right to a peaceful life.

An invariable attribute of the Victory Day holiday

Over the years, the holiday acquired its own traditions. In 1965, at the parade dedicated to the great date, a banner was carried out. It remained an invariable attribute of the holiday, which symbolized Victory Day. This banner is extremely significant today: until now, parades are full of red banners. Since 1965, the original Victory attribute has been replaced with a copy. The first banner can be seen in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Also, the unchanging colors that accompany May 9 are black and yellow - symbols of smoke and flame. Since 2005, the St. George Ribbon has been an invariable reflection of gratitude for peace and respect for veterans.

Heroes are winners

Every year Russia celebrates a peaceful spring. Only, unfortunately, front-line wounds, time and disease are inexorable. To date, out of every hundred winners in the Great Patriotic War, only two people have survived. And this is a very sad statistic, especially for those who were born only after they started celebrating Victory Day. Veterans are our grandfathers and great-grandfathers who still remember those war years. They should be treated with special attention and honor. After all, it was they who made the sky above our heads become and remains peaceful.

Time treats ruthlessly everyone, even the valiant heroes of a harsh war. Year after year, the participants in those terrible events are becoming less and less. But they, as before, go out into the streets with orders and medals on their chests. Veterans meet with each other, remember the old days, commemorate friends and relatives who died in those years. Elderly people visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal Flame. They travel to places of military glory, visit the graves of comrades who did not live to see our bright days. We must not forget the significance of exploits, which they have in relation to each individual fate and to world history in general. A little more time will pass, and there will be no witnesses and participants in that bloody war at all. Therefore, it is important to be very sensitive to this date - May 9th.

We remember our ancestors

The main wealth of every human soul is the memory of the ancestors. After all, in order for us to live now and be what we are, many generations of people created our society. They made life the way we know it.

The memory of the departed is priceless. The heroism of the victors of the Second World War cannot be estimated. We do not know all these great people by name. But what they have done cannot be measured by any material good. Even without knowing the names, our generation remembers them not only on Victory Day. We say words of gratitude every day for our peaceful existence. The largest number of flowers - a pronounced evidence of people's memory and admiration - is at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Eternal Flame always burns here, as if saying that although the names remain unknown, the human feat is immortal.

Everyone who fought in the Great Patriotic War did not fight for their well-being. People fought for the independence and freedom of their homeland. These heroes are immortal. And we know that a person is alive as long as he is remembered.

The Second World War left a huge and unforgettable mark in the history of our country. For 70 years now, we have been commemorating this great May every year. Victory Day is a special holiday that honors the memory of the dead. In the vastness of Russia, there are a lot of memorials dedicated to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. And all monuments are different. There are inconspicuous obelisks in small villages, and huge monuments in large cities.

Here are some famous throughout the country and the world buildings dedicated to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War:

Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow.
Mamaev Kurgan in Volgograd.
Heroes Square in Novorossiysk.
Alley of Heroes in St. Petersburg.
Eternal Flame of Glory in Novgorod.
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and much more.

Holiday with tears in the eyes

This significant and at the same time mournful holiday cannot be separated from the song "Victory Day". It contains these lines:

"This Victory Day
Smell of gunpowder
This is a holiday
With gray hair at the temples.
It's joy
With tears in his eyes…"

This song is a kind of symbol of the great date - May 9th. Victory Day is never complete without it.

In March 1975, V. Kharitonov and D. Tukhmanov wrote a song dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. The country was preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany, and the Union of Composers of the USSR announced a competition to create the best song on the theme of heroic events. A few days before the end of the competition, the work was written. It was performed at the last audition of the competition by the wife of D. Tukhmanov, the poetess and singer T. Sashko. But it didn't take long for the song to become popular. Only in November 1975, at a celebration dedicated to the Day of the Police, did the listener remember the song performed by L. Leshchenko. After that, she gained the love of the whole country.

There are other performers of the famous "Victory Day". This:

I. Kobzon;
M. Magomaev;
Y. Bogatikov;
E. Piekha and others.

Victory Day will forever remain that holiday for Russians, which is met with bated breath and with tears in their eyes. Eternal memory to the heroes!

Although Russia has experienced a huge number of battles and victories over its long history, the Great Patriotic War is the closest, memorable and terrible for us. There are several reasons for this.

There is not a single family in our country that has not been affected by this disaster. Fathers and grandfathers died, were injured and captured, mothers and grandmothers worked both at the front and in the rear, and those who were children in those terrible years experienced hunger, fear and cruelty. The memory of the ancestors who fought is alive in the heart of every Russian.
Some of the veterans are still alive - participants in the battles and home front workers. To congratulate and thank them, to listen to their stories is the sacred duty of those for whom they fought.
The Second World War is the largest and most terrible in the entire history of mankind. All the more striking is the feat of the Soviet people, who defeated the enemy and eradicated fascism.

Therefore, the holiday of May 9 - spring, bright and solemn - is one of the most important for Russians. What is the history of the celebration of Victory Day, why is it celebrated on this particular day and what events are associated with it - this is our article.

End of the Great Patriotic War

Long months of fighting were drawing to a close already in Germany. The Berlin operation is considered one of the largest and bloodiest in the history of the war. It involved 2.5 million Soviet soldiers, a huge amount of military equipment, aviation. The victims of the Soviet army in the Berlin operation amounted to more than three hundred thousand people.

So many of our tanks were brought into the capital of Nazi Germany that they could not really turn around for hostilities and became an easy target for the enemy.

However, Soviet troops destroyed about a hundred tank, motorized and infantry divisions of the Nazis. Almost half a million opponents were taken prisoner.

The banner hoisted on the Reichstag belonged to division No. 150. The leadership of the Soviet Union considered that it could not become a symbol of the Great Victory, which was obtained through the efforts of the entire Soviet people. Only in Brezhnev's time did the real banner, which visited the Reichstag, begin to participate in the annual parade in the capital.

Instrument of Surrender

The main document, marking the end of the bloodshed, was signed late in the evening on May 8, local time. In Moscow at that moment it was already midnight. Therefore, the whole world celebrates the Victory Day a day earlier than the Russian Federation, and before it the Soviet Union.

Since it took time to form a new German government that could maintain official relations with the victorious powers, the peace treaty was concluded only 10 years later - in 1955.

Victory parade

The morning of Victory on May 9 began with the fact that an act of surrender was delivered from Berlin to Moscow by plane. However, the Parade took place only on June 24, when the winners arrived at home, at least some of them. The parade was hosted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov, whom many remember riding a white horse, and Konstantin Rokossovsky commanded the event. Enemy banners were thrown to the foot of the Mausoleum. The consolidated victorious regiments of the Workers 'and Peasants' Army marched along Red Square. Victory banners were carried by the heroes of the Soviet Union.

How to start celebrating Victory Day

On May 9, a large-scale fireworks display took place in the capital of the Soviet Union. A thousand guns participated in it, they fired 30 volleys.

This day has not become the same as we now see on May 9, and the history of the holiday has undergone some changes. In 1945, this date was declared by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Stalin, a day off. But in 1948, the order was canceled, and the entire Soviet people worked as usual.

The restoration of the national economy was declared a priority task, to which both holidays and days of rest must be sacrificed.

At the same time, military pensions were canceled, and many cripples who were injured during the battles found themselves on the streets without a livelihood. The fact is that the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, veterans, their glory, were not needed by the Stalinist regime. Marshal Zhukov was disgraced. The authorities pretended that the holiday did not exist. Only in 1965, more than a decade after the death of the leader, Victory Day was returned to the people and finally declared a day off.

Victory celebration traditions

In 1945, on this great day, even strangers on the streets of cities hugged and congratulated each other. Today, there are slightly different traditions that take root throughout Russia:

On the eve of the holiday in educational institutions - from kindergartens to universities - lessons of courage are held. Sometimes they are visited by veterans who talk about what they have experienced themselves.
Laying flowers at the eternal fire. This symbol of inextinguishable courage and heroism of soldiers is in many cities of our country. Both representatives of the administration and ordinary people bring wreaths and scarlet carnations there.
A moment of silence. For 60 seconds, people freeze, remembering those who died for the Motherland in the battles of the Great Patriotic War.
In our time, St. George ribbons have become an attribute that demonstrates the greatness of the holiday of May 9 and Victory Day in all its splendor. Celebration is not only joy and jubilation, it is also a memory of the horrors of battles. Therefore, the black and orange ribbon, originating in the 18th century, when the Order of St. George appeared, symbolizing the smoke and fire of battle, reminds of the past like nothing else.
There is a tradition to congratulate veterans on the holiday. On the ninth day of May, people buy scarlet carnations, approach the participants in the battles of the Great Patriotic War on the street, give them flowers and thank them for their work, for their contribution to the victory, for the peaceful sky above their heads. This is very important for children, because veterans are gradually leaving, and seeing them, talking to them is a great rarity and value.
In many cities of Russia, on Victory Day, parades are held in which troops of local garrisons, students of military educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, and cadets participate. An obligatory addition is a brass band, decorating the holiday with its sound.
A few years ago, a unique phenomenon appeared in our country - the Immortal Regiment. Now May and the solemn holiday of victory are associated with many people with it. This is a social movement organized by journalists, which consists in the fact that a huge number of people pass through the streets with portraits of their ancestors. A large number of veterans, participants in the war have already left, but their descendants want to preserve their glory and the memory of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers. Every year the number of members of the Immortal Regiment increases.
Another phenomenon that has appeared relatively recently is military-historical reconstruction. Today in Russia and abroad there are a huge number of clubs that specialize in restoring the form, structure, events of a particular military period.

On the eve or on the day of the holiday in many cities, reconstructions of battles are held - the Berlin operation, the battles near Stalingrad, and so on. For the viewer, this is a unique opportunity to see a spectacle as close to reality as possible with the participation of people in uniform and with equipment that exactly repeats the real-life military equipment of those years, with shots and explosions. This helps to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the event, to feel it.

Concerts are held on the squares of cities on Victory Day, poems and songs of the war time are heard. Sometimes spontaneous dance floors are organized right there, where even veterans and children of the war waltz.

In St. Petersburg on May 9, a sound reproducing a metronome is heard from all radar points. This is a tribute to the memory of besieged Leningrad, when this unpretentious knock announced that the Northern Capital was still alive. The city on the Neva does not forget the terrible days of the occupation, the courageous inhabitants - both the dead and those who survived the war.

There are traditions of Victory Day within Russian families. Firstly, many visit their veterans' graves in the cemetery on the eve of the holiday. They look after them, remember their loved ones, pray for them if they consider it necessary.

On May 9, many channels show films about the Great Patriotic War. Soviet copies are of particular value, some of them starred actors who themselves participated in the battles. These works of art help to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the war years, to feel and understand it.

Victory Day is usually a gentle and bright spring day. In many regions of the country, lilac and bird cherry are already blooming, enhancing the holiday atmosphere. For every Russian, this date is memorable and great, mournful and solemn at the same time.

Date in 2019: May 9, Thursday.

Victory Day! So much in these words. They contain the bitterness of tears and losses, they contain the joy of meetings and achievements. After all, the events of those terrible years touched every family, every person. And even though many years separate us from that Great Victory, every year at the beginning of May, all Russians with respect and awe remember the feat of their fathers and grandfathers. Let's remember how it all began and how the traditions of celebrating May 9 have changed over half a century.

For all residents of Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, one of the most important holidays is May 9 - Victory Day is celebrated by everyone, regardless of age and social status. Fortunately, many of us do not know the horrors of war, the hardships and troubles that people who went through the nightmare of the war years had to endure. But we are well aware that this happiness is due precisely to those fighters who did not return from the battlefield, as well as to the heroes who worthily reached the glorious Victory Day.

History of Victory

Soviet troops marched for four years to the day of victory over fascism. Four years that went down in history as the greatest feat of ordinary soldiers and officers, children and teenagers, old people and women who literally pulled out their right to a happy peaceful life with their teeth. And not only your life, but also your children, grandchildren, that is, our peaceful life with you. And it is impossible to forget this feat.

Raising the flag over the Reichstag

And the most joyful, unforgettable event, of course, was and always will be Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War.

It was Victory Day that marked the complete surrender of the Nazi troops. But this event was preceded by other equally important stages of surrender.

By the end of April, Soviet troops came close to Berlin, where they met with fierce resistance. Preliminary negotiations on May 1 on complete surrender did not produce results, which led to the assault on the central part of the city and the battles for the main office. Despite heavy fighting, on May 2, the flag was raised over the Reichstag by Soviet soldiers. By 3 p.m. after the German propaganda deputy spoke on the radio, the remnants of the German garrison laid down their arms and surrendered. This is how Berlin capitulated, but it was not yet a Victory.

The act of complete surrender was signed only five days later, which the German command agreed to because of the senselessness of continuing hostilities. Early in the morning of May 7, the document is signed by all parties to the military conflict. But General Ivan Susloparov, speaking on behalf of the Soviet command, did not have Moscow's permission to approve such historical documents.

Therefore, it was decided to sign the second act, but already by authorized persons of all parties. The document, which has all legal rights, is signed at Central European Time on May 8 at 22:43, which corresponds to 0:43 on May 9, Moscow time.

It was this document that proclaimed the complete surrender of Germany.

history of the holiday

On the morning of May 9, Stalin signs the Decree of the Commander-in-Chief, in which May 9 is proclaimed Victory Day.

The first celebration in 1945 was remembered for the grandiose salute. And the Victory Parade in honor of the end of the war was held in Moscow on June 24.

However, the solemn celebration of May 9 lasted only three years. In 1948, the holiday was abolished. Either in this way they wanted to heal the wounds of the terrible war years, or Stalin did not like it that the people associated the holiday with Marshal of Victory Zhukov.

Nevertheless, the holiday has lost that solemnity and loftiness that was originally invested in it.

Literally before the beginning of Brezhnev's rule, Victory Day was a working day and was marked by salutes and the standard 30 volleys from artillery pieces.

Under Brezhnev, the approach to celebrating Victory Day changed dramatically. Since 1965, the holiday has been declared a day off again and the tradition of holding military parades has returned. The scale of solemnity of the events held increased every year.

After the collapse of the Union, against the backdrop of political instability, the holiday was simply ignored for several years in terms of holding festive and traditional events. And only in 1995, the tradition of holding parades and processions on Victory Day was revived again. But literally until 2008, military equipment did not participate in such parades.

One holiday - different dates

If in Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union Victory Day is unconditionally perceived as May 9, then in European countries it is customary to celebrate the holiday on May 8. This is due not so much to the confusion of dates as to the time difference when the German Surrender Act was signed. According to the time in Europe, the event happened on the night of May 8th.

Signing the act of surrender

The UN also made its contribution, which, by its resolution adopted in 2004, recommended that the participating countries celebrate the Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Second World War.

Therefore, in Europe, the holiday is celebrated in many countries on May 8, and it has a more tragic than joyful coloring.

Unfortunately, in the Baltic countries, in Ukraine, where the vision of many historical events has radically changed recently, decisions were made at the government level to postpone and rename the holiday. But, as life shows, folk traditions and memory are much stronger, and many people, as before, try to celebrate Victory Day according to the date set by their ancestors.

Celebration traditions

Today May 9 is one of the brightest and largest holidays in Russia. The celebration is held in all major cities and small towns of the country. Music of the war years and military themes plays everywhere, people take to the streets to lay flowers at monuments, graves, and also congratulate veterans. But for the front-line soldiers, of whom there are only a few, it is also a day of bitterness, a day of remembrance of the horrors suffered and the dead comrades.

Parade in honor of Victory Day

Various units of the army, as well as modern military equipment, walk along the main square of the country and in large hero cities. Be sure to take part in the parade and aviation. War veterans, representatives of the government of the state, as well as guests of the country are present at the parade as guests of honor.

Laying flowers and a moment of silence

Each city has its own places of military glory.

It is to such memorials and monuments, monuments and burials, monuments to the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame, other historical and memorable places that people go all day long to bow and lay flowers, wreaths, baskets. During the solemn laying ceremony, the event is accompanied by a minute of silence. This is a tribute and honor to those heroes who laid down their lives for the sake of peace, for the sake of Victory.

This is a young tradition, which in just a couple of years has spread not only to all cities of Russia, but has also gained recognition in many countries of the world.

Millions of children and grandchildren take to the streets of cities with portraits of their fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, who were directly involved in the approach of the Great Victory. A real “immortal regiment” passes through the streets, since in our memory these heroes will always be alive.

Action on Victory Day “I remember! IM proud of!" appeared back in 2005. This motto does not require any special explanation, and the St. George or Guards Ribbon became the symbol of the action.

To remind the younger generation of the valiant feat of our ancestors, this tradition appeared to tie a ribbon on Victory Day. But attacks by some states on this harmless attribute unwittingly made the St. George ribbon a real symbol of victory.

Salute

In the evening, after the main festive events in large cities, a large-scale festive fireworks display is mandatory.

Hundreds, thousands of balls are raised up, which crumble into millions of sparks, illuminating the sky above the cities and creating an unforgettable sight. Volleys are fired from special artillery pieces. It is this event that creates a genuinely unique feeling of unity, a feeling of gratitude that inevitably awakens in the hearts of people during the Volleys of Victory.

Congratulations

Dear veterans, all our words and congratulations on Victory Day are intended for you. We bow at your feet and thank you for our peaceful sky. We wish you good health and peace of mind. And we promise that we will do everything so that our children and grandchildren remember this day and never know the horrors of war.

May 9 is a day of sorrow and a day of joy. We mourn for the dead, for those who sacrificed their lives for our well-being. We rejoice in the Victory, the greatest victory of good over evil, faith in life over fascism, good over the "black plague". Indeed, on that distant spring day, something happened that millions of people went to for four years, suffering losses, suffering from grief. And today we rejoice in our victory, we are proud that we are followers of the great winners.

Tears and joy in our eyes

There is simply no more joyful holiday.

Flowers for veterans in our hands,

Thank you for a trouble free life.

There will be fireworks today

With victory, - everyone repeats,

With pride in the eternal regiment we go,

The pain will not subside, but our memory is alive,

She gets stronger with age.

How much trouble that war brought

What a blessing that the victory was ours.

Many days, minutes, years.

Victory was brought as close as possible.

And now the trouble has receded forever,

Everyone rejoiced and rejoiced.

Congratulations today to those who survived

We bow our knees before you

And remember the dead, and be silent,

Swallowing tears of bitterness.

We will say thank you for a world without war,

Thank you all for the victory

Thanks to all those who did not return from the war,

Thank you father and grandfather.

Larisa, April 27, 2017.

history of the holiday Victory Day is unique - it was a day of general rejoicing, insane joy, real pride in one's people and heartbreaking sorrow from the price paid for this happiness. It was and remains a holiday “with tears in the eyes”, over time, the pain of loss has become less, although even now tears also well up with memories, frames of documentary and feature films, reading literature about the war.

It is especially bitter to look at the already few survivors and realize that they - at the cost of their lives provided us with a future, and we - could not give them a worthy present. It is also annoying when you meet with a distortion of the facts of history, downplaying the role of a Russian soldier in victory or desecrating their memory. How was it really?

Holiday Victory Day in our country began in our country with the signing of the German surrender on May 9, 1945, which meant the long-awaited victory and the end of the war.

To Berlin, such, at that moment, hated, but long-awaited, Soviet troops came close already in April 1945. On both sides, huge forces were prepared for the decisive battle: the number of tanks and aircraft numbered in the thousands, and the soldiers - tens of thousands.

Ah, if it hadn’t occurred to a bunch of “proud” paranoids to “defend their honor to the end”, then in five minutes from Victory we would not have lost 80 thousand young and mature, wise and dreamy women and men, girls and boys who in the spring of 1945, they wanted only one thing - to return home alive.

But they no longer knew that on the morning of May 9 at the airfield near Moscow. Frunze landed the Li-2 with the only important document on board - the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Nazi Germany, which was signed at 0.43 am on the same May day.

History of the holiday - Victory Parade.

Thus, from now on and forever, the date - May 9 - is called the Day of Victory of the Soviet (Russian) people over the fascist invaders. On the evening of this significant day, the Victory salute was given in Moscow, which became the largest in the history of the USSR: out of a thousand guns, exactly thirty volleys were fired.

On the same days, Stalin signed a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR that 9th May becomes a public holiday and is declared a day off.

On June 24, under the command of Rokossovsky, the first Victory Parade took place on Red Square, which was hosted by Marshal Zhukov. In conclusion, 200 banners of defeated Germany were carried across Red Square. Remember those famous shots when German standards are thrown at the foot of Lenin's mausoleum? These are footage from the chronicle from that first Victory parade.

Chronicle of the holiday on May 9.

However, May 9 was a day off and a holiday for a short time, only until 1948, since the country's leadership decided that it was time to forget about the war, taking up the restoration of the national economy.

Justice triumphed 17 years later - in 1965. Victory Day again became a holiday and a non-working day, and large-scale celebrations of an undeservedly forgotten date resumed throughout the country.

And since the year 1965 was an anniversary year, for the first time in 20 years a military parade was held on Red Square, which was repeated in 1975, 1985 and 1990. Since the 60s, organized parades began to take place in many other cities of the Soviet Union.

After the disappearance of the USSR Victory Day was widely celebrated only in 1995. Since then, parades on Red Square have been held annually. And since 2008, military equipment has again been involved in them.

Holiday Victory Day today.