When is Victory Day?
On May 9th Russia and a handful of former Soviet Union republics celebrate Victory Day, which marks the day after Nazi Germany surrendered and Soviet forces took control of Berlin, bringing the second world war (also referred to as 'The Great Patriotic War' in Russia) in Europe to an end.
History of Victory Day
The second world war was the deadliest conflict in human history, which saw 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the USSR and China. The Soviet Union alone lost up to 27 million people in the war, nearly 13% of the population at the time.
Victory day is about remembering those who gave their lives to achieve the victory.
Some countries in Western Europe mark the victory in Europe on May 8th. May 9th was chosen in the Soviet Union, as it was already the next day when the German military surrendered to the Soviet Union and its Allies in Berlin late in the evening of May 8th 1945.
May 9th held no special significance between 1948 and 1964. The first military parade took place on May 9th 1965, marking 20 years since the victory over Nazi Germany. This is also when Victory Day became a public holiday in Russia and in 15 Republics of the Soviet Union. A military parade took place in Red Square. Parades were held again in 1985 and 1990, after which they have been held annually.
Given the loss of life it remembers, it is generally a solemn and sombre day.
It is celebrated by military parades (with the major one taking place in Moscow), concerts, fireworks, recognition of veterans (who usually dress up for the occasion) and food and drink.
As it is quite close to May Day, many will take the opportunity to have some extra time off and have a two-week break.
Traditions of Victory Day in Belarus
Victory Day is a particularly important and sombre day in Belarus, with over 25% of the population of the former Soviet republic having died during the second world war.
In addition to Victory Day, Belarus marks the liberation of Minsk on July 3rd 1944 as its Independence Day.
In a May 2023 poll, Victory Day was found to be the most important national holiday for Belarusians. Pollsters asked what national holidays of Belarus were the most important for respondents. The answers were the following: 81.7% of respondents answered “Victory Day”, 53.4% said “Independence Day”, 20.5% responded “Constitution Day”, 16.6% said “Day of Unity of the Peoples of Belarus and Russia”, 13.5% said “Day of People's Unity”, 12.7% responded “Day of the National Flag, the National Emblem and the National Anthem”, 5.7% said “None”, and 5.8% of respondents found it difficult to answer.
Commenting on the results, Nikolai Sukhotsky, Deputy Director for Science and Innovations at the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, said “It was largely predictable that the majority of Belarusians named Victory Day the main national holiday. We can see that the majority of Belarusians consider Victory Day and Independence Day to be the most important public holidays. It is noteworthy that both holidays are directly linked with the history of the Great Patriotic War. Indeed, 9 May and 3 July are unprecedentedly important dates in the history of our country, and are considered to be a symbol of freedom and peace for Belarusians.”
