Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War is celebrated in Russia on May 9 as a national holiday dedicated to the struggle of the Soviet people for the freedom and independence of their Motherland against Nazi Germany and its allies.
The Great Patriotic War: the beginning
The most important and decisive part of the Second World War is the Great Patriotic War. The treacherous attack of Nazi Germany began at dawn on June 22, 1941. Violating Soviet-German treaties, Hitler's troops invaded the territory of the Soviet Union.
Romania and Italy took the side of Germany, and were later joined by Slovakia, Finland, Hungary and Norway.
The war lasted almost four years and became the largest armed conflict in human history. On the front, stretching from the Barents to the Black Sea, from 8 million to 13 million people fought simultaneously on both sides in different periods, from 6 thousand to 20 thousand tanks and assault guns, from 85 thousand to 165 thousand guns and mortars, from 7 thousand to 19 thousand aircraft.
© Sputnik / Yakov Ryumkin
Already at the very beginning, the plan for a lightning war, during which the German command planned to capture the entire Soviet Union in a few months, failed. The persistent defense of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Kyiv, Odessa, Sevastopol, and the Battle of Smolensk contributed to the disruption of Hitler’s plan for a lightning war.
The Great Break
The country survived, the course of events turned. Soviet soldiers defeated fascist troops near Moscow, Stalingrad (now Volgograd) and Leningrad, in the Caucasus, and inflicted crushing blows on the enemy in the Kursk Bulge, Right Bank Ukraine and Belarus, in the Iasi-Kishinev, Vistula-Oder and Berlin operations.
Over the course of almost four years of war, the Armed Forces of the USSR defeated 607 divisions of the fascist bloc. On the Eastern Front, German troops and their allies lost more than 8.6 million people. More than 75% of all enemy weapons and military equipment were captured and destroyed.
© Sputnik / Georgy Petrusov
The Patriotic War, which was a tragedy in almost every Soviet family, ended in victory for the USSR. The act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was signed in the suburbs of Berlin on May 8, 1945 at 22.43 Central European time (Moscow time on May 9 at 0.43). It is because of this time difference that the Day of the end of World War II in Europe is celebrated on May 8, and in the USSR and then in Russia - on May 9.
May 9
In the USSR, May 9 was declared Victory Day over Nazi Germany by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the day of surrender. The document declared May 9 a non-working day.
On May 9, folk festivals and crowded rallies took place everywhere. Amateur groups, popular theater and film artists, and orchestras performed in the squares and parks of cities and villages. At 21:00, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Joseph Stalin addressed the Soviet people. At 22:00 a salute was fired with 30 artillery salvoes from 1,000 guns. After the fireworks, dozens of planes dropped garlands of multi-colored rockets over Moscow, and numerous sparklers flashed in the squares.
© Sputnik / David Sholomovich
During the Soviet period, parades on Red Square in Moscow occurred only three times.
On May 9, 1995, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, an anniversary parade of war participants and wartime home front workers with units of the Moscow garrison was held on Red Square, which, according to its organizers, reproduced the first historical parade. The Victory Banner was carried across the square.
Since then, parades on Red Square have been held annually, so far without military equipment, then it appeared.
© Sputnik / Ilya Pitalev
According to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation, on May 9, when laying wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, holding ceremonial meetings, military parades and processions of Great Patriotic War veterans on Red Square in Moscow, along with the State Flag of the Russian Federation, the Victory Banner hoisted above the Reichstag is carried out.
St. George Ribbon
Since 2005, a few days before May 9, the patriotic event “St. George’s Ribbon” starts. For millions of people not only in Russia, but also abroad, the St. George ribbon is a symbol of memory, connection between generations and military glory. A decade later, the action became the largest in the entire history of the project. It united 85 regions of the Russian Federation and 76 countries. In addition to the CIS countries, Germany, Great Britain, France, Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Czech Republic, Spain, Finland and other European countries, the USA, Canada, Argentina, China, Israel, and Vietnam are taking part in the event. African countries also joined the action: Morocco, Congo, South Africa, Tanzania and others. © Sputnik / Vladimir Vyatkin
Procession of the Regional Patriotic Public Organization "Immortal Regiment Moscow" along Red Square
In 2018, to commemorate the 72nd anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, military parades will be held in dozens of cities in Russia and other countries of the world.
On May 9, a public event in memory of the “Immortal Regiment” will also take place, which is a march during which people carry photographs of their relatives who participated in the Great Patriotic War.
The great victory of the peoples of Rus' in the Great Patriotic War is a heroic and turning point in the significant events of the mid-20th century.
Fascism was a powerful, cruel, inhumane enemy that swept away everything beautiful and good from its path.
For the sake of victory over the Nazis, the leadership of our country resorted to emergency measures, and the great Russian people had to make an incredible amount of effort, estimated at millions of lives.
The road to German enemy Berlin took the Soviet army more than three years of difficult front-line battles and battles. Under the might of the Wehrmacht, the Soviet Union did not surrender, unlike other European states.
Where it all began
May 9- one of the main holidays of great Russia and the former countries of the Soviet Union. Each of us annually remembers the horrors of the war that Soviet soldiers were able to survive, and in almost every family there are veterans of this war who survived the victory or did not return from the battlefield.
The celebration was established in 1945 after the defeat of fascist troops by the Soviet war. It was on May 9 that the Soviet and German sides signed the agreement on the surrender of the Wehrmacht, which marked the end of the brutal interethnic bloodshed.
On June 24, 1945, the official date for celebrating the Great Victory was announced - May 9. On the occasion of this significant historical event, a parade was held under the leadership of Rokossovsky, but three years later the Victory Day ceased to be a day off.
The leaders of the Union believed that the people should at least temporarily forget about the terrible military events. But still, holiday greeting cards were issued every year, and front-line veterans received congratulations.
Since the beginning of the rule of the country by L.I. Brezhnev, May 9 has again become a public holiday, military parades were held in large cities of the country, and festive fireworks thundered. Since 1965, military parades in Moscow have been held every 10 years, but with the collapse of the USSR, political instability appeared and the governments of the new states had no time for popular celebrations.
The holiday was fully restored only in 1995, and Russian residents witnessed two vibrant Moscow parades at once: Russian troops paraded on Red Square, and a military parade using armored vehicles took place on Poklonnaya Hill.
From now on, military processions on Moscow's Red Square and the laying of wreaths at the monuments of fallen heroes are held every year. Until 2008, military equipment did not participate in parades, but later the tradition was restored.
May 9 is Victory Day, but in other countries this day is celebrated on May 8, due to the difference in time zones (according to European time, this great event happened on May 8). But in essence, it turns out that the inhabitants of Europe celebrate a slightly different event - Victory in Europe Day - they have every right to celebrate the date of liberation of the peoples of European countries.
On May 9, the history of the holiday has become one of the brightest and most colorful annual events. There are parades in city squares, music from the war years, a volley of fireworks, and everyone congratulates the veterans. But we should not forget that this day for front-line soldiers is also a day of bitter memory of the horrors of the war experienced, of the soldiers who died in the name of victory.
It is our duty to remember veterans not only on this great historical day, we are obliged to give them the attention and care that they deserved and gave us a bright and peaceful future.
The history of Victory Day, and such symbols of the holiday as the parade, fireworks, the victory banner, and the St. George ribbon.
Victory Day. History and attributes of the holiday.
Already 73 years old in Russia and the member countries of the former USSR they celebrate. However, many, especially young people, know nothing about the history of the holiday.
History experts say that on April 30, 1945, Hitler’s suicide was a sign of approaching victory. However, the German troops did not stop, and only after a series of bloody battles did Germany capitulate on May 2. The surrender was signed on May 9, 1945. So the official date was set for celebrating the victory over Nazi Germany, which was announced in the USSR on the radio.
However, the first celebration took place only on June 24, 1945. Under the command of Konstantin Rokossovsky, a parade was organized in Moscow, and festive fireworks thundered in other cities throughout the USSR.
In 1947, all events related to the celebration of the great victory were canceled by the country's leadership due to the opinion that people should rest and forget these bloody years. Some documents testify to this.
Only in 1965, 20 years later, the victory of the Soviet troops was recognized as a national holiday and on May 9 parades and fireworks were held in the cities.
In the 90s, due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, holidays in honor of the victory in the Great Patriotic War died down somewhat, but in 1995, two full-fledged parades were already held. One is on Red Square, and the second is on Poklonnaya Hill with the participation of armored vehicles. Wreaths were laid at monuments and memorials.
To get into the atmosphere of Victory Day, let’s look at what is typical for this holiday.
Fireworks on Victory Day
The first homemade salute was given on August 5, 1943, which commemorated the successful advance of Soviet troops near Orel and Nizhny Novgorod. So fireworks became a tradition that commemorated the successes of the Red Army in battles.
The army held a grand salute in Kharkov when the city was liberated. This time they even used machine guns that fired bullets into the sky. But, since there were casualties after the experiment, machine guns no longer took part in fireworks.
And, of course, on May 9, 1945, the largest fireworks display was organized with the participation of 1000 anti-aircraft guns.
Victory Banner
Another attribute of the holiday is the victory banner, which was removed from the Reichstag. Taking part in parades, it proudly hovers over the soldiers marching along Red Square.
Victory Day Parades
And finally, the holiday parade itself. Traditionally, this festive event takes place on Red Square. For the first time such a decision was made by Stalin; on June 22, 1945, he issued a corresponding order scheduling a parade on June 24 on Red Square. Since then it has been like this.
The first parade was rehearsed for a month and a half, training the soldiers to take 120 steps per minute. For quick results, stripes were drawn along the length of the step, strings were pulled at a certain height. The sky was reflected in the patent leather boots, and the metal plates nailed to the soles of the boots clattered on the asphalt. It rained during the first parade. About 40 thousand people took part in the parade.
St. George ribbons
Already in our time, the symbol of the celebration of Victory Day of the herd is the “St. George’s Ribbon”, which is painted black - the color of smoke, and orange - the color of fire. Its history begins in 1769, when Catherine II approved the Order of St. George the Victorious. In Soviet times, the ribbon began to be called “Guards” and was awarded to distinguished soldiers. The “Guards Ribbon” participates in the design of the Order of Glory.
On Victory Day, a ribbon is tied to clothing as a sign of memory, grief and respect for the Russian soldiers who defended our freedom at the cost of their own lives.
The holiday and history of Victory Day will be unforgettable for many generations. May 9 is celebrated in many countries around the world. Over the years, the holiday has acquired its own symbolism and received many conflicting assessments. All this is discussed in an interesting article, written in lively language and completely original.
May 9 Our entire country celebrates the holiday of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This is a holiday of glory, pride, courage and eternal memory. It was on May 9, 1945, at one o'clock in the morning Moscow time, that the act of surrender of the Third Reich was adopted. On the same day, the Victory Banner and the document itself were delivered by plane to Moscow to Red Square. And in the evening, in honor of the victory, a large-scale salute of 1000 guns was given in the capital, 30 artillery salvoes were fired, complemented by the flight of multi-colored rockets and the illumination of searchlights. All this was accompanied by noisy celebration of the crowd that spontaneously formed on the streets of Moscow.
The government decided to declare May 9 a Victory Day and consider this day a non-working day. Thus, already in the first peaceful moments, the traditions of the great holiday began to be laid. However, 2 years later, in the midst of the restoration of the post-war economy, May 9 becomes a weekday. This continued until 1965, when L.I. Brezhnev, who had just come to power, ordered the restoration of the status of a non-working day.
Not a single holiday can be imagined without traditions; Victory Day also has them. Meeting front-line soldiers, congratulating war and home front veterans, laying flowers at monuments and memorials, holding festive processions and parades with demonstrations of military equipment, it is impossible to imagine May 9 without this. And in anniversary years, traditions acquire a particularly solemn scope.
So in 1995, in honor of the half-century anniversary of the Victory, two parades took place in Moscow: a pedestrian one on Poklonnaya Hill and one on Red Square with the participation of military equipment. Since then, parades have been held annually. Marches of veterans who have not lost their military bearing in their advanced years always look especially touching.
An invariable attribute of Victory Day was the festive fireworks, the tradition of which was founded in Moscow in 1943 in honor of the liberation of Orel and Belgorod, although at that time it was not yet a fireworks of the winners. Since 1945, the tradition has been established of producing Victory salutes in the capital from 31 points with an interval of 20 seconds, 30 salvoes each.
One of the symbols of the celebrations is the St. George Ribbon - two colors of black and orange. During the war, it became a sign of the soldier’s special military valor. Nowadays, since 2005, it has been customary on the eve of the holiday to distribute a ribbon to everyone and tie it on clothing as a sign of gratitude, respect, memory, and sorrow for those who died in the war.
It is impossible to imagine Victory Day without the Victory Banner, the state relic of Russia, which was hoisted over the Reichstag on April 30, 1945. Since 1996, it has become an accepted state symbol of the victory of the Soviet people over the enemy and should be used during official celebrations, as well as public events in memory of the war.
Of course, the spiritual symbol of the holiday are the hero cities and cities of military glory (their status was officially determined in 2006), which took the brunt of the fascist troops. In Russia there are 7 and 45 of them, respectively. Commemorative obelisks and steles are installed in them, and on May 9 and the birthday of these cities, festive events and fireworks are held.
In non-CIS countries, it is customary to celebrate the victory holiday on May 8, since formally the surrender of Germany was signed first in France on May 7, and then again, according to Central European time, the next day in Germany. And the date itself, as a rule, has a different context. In the USA, the holiday is not a national holiday and is called Victory Day in Europe. It is usually attended by officials, veterans, and public figures who lay flowers and wreaths at the memorials.
And in West Hollywood, where the country's first monument in honor of Victory in the Great Patriotic War was unveiled, next to which veterans hold a solemn procession. In England, May 9 is not a day off, however, according to established tradition, on this day a solemn ceremony in memory of the victims of the war takes place at the Soviet war memorial in London.
The countries through which the war was a heavy roller stand apart. In Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, it is customary to celebrate the day of liberation from fascism. In the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Serbia, festive events are particularly solemn and official, accompanied by the laying of flowers at memorials, ceremonial demonstrations, parades and rallies. In Germany, Victory Day is not a day off, which does not cancel the celebration. Many veterans usually come to the country these days.
In modern Russia, the great status of the holiday is beyond doubt, which is why it is celebrated on a grand scale. Although the date is official, it has a strong basis in society, because the war, one way or another, affected almost every family. The current 73rd anniversary was no exception. Ceremonial marches are planned in 40 cities, and parades are held in 28 cities. In Moscow, the parade will feature soldiers dressed in wartime uniforms, World War II-era equipment and modern examples of the latest weapons. A very interesting and expected event will be the participation of units of a number of foreign armies in the parade.
Today, the day of victory over Nazism has acquired a vivid political context both in the near and far abroad. It has become the subject of bargaining and manipulation, incorrect assessments and opinions. The victory of the Soviet people is being called into question, new assessments of the actions of the Red Army are being voiced - not liberation, but the occupation of Eastern Europe. Despite this, the eternal ideals of peace, kindness, harmony, which the Great Victory gave us as anti-values of war, will not cease to be relevant.
Interesting and useful information for children and schoolchildren
Information about the Victory Day holiday for junior grades
May 9 today- Victory Day in the war over Nazi Germany is one of the most important, touching and glorious holidays in Russia, the former Soviet republics and many European countries.
May 9 in Russia Victory Day is celebrated. May 9 is Victory Day over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. The war began on June 22, 1941. Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 considered the bloodiest in human history. The entire Soviet people stood up to fight the fascist invaders. People of all nations and nationalities who worked at the front and in the rear were united by one goal - to survive and win. Our entire people rose up to fight the Nazi invaders: queues formed at the military registration and enlistment offices, sometimes they went to the front straight from school. Only women, children and old people remained in the rear. They worked in factories, dug trenches, built defensive structures, and extinguished incendiary bombs on roofs. And also - raising children, saving the future of the country. The main motto of the entire people was: “Everything for the front, everything for victory!”
But despite the heroic resistance, the enemy was uncontrollably approaching Moscow. To deceive the German pilots who bombed Moscow, houses and trees were painted on the Kremlin wall. The domes of the Kremlin cathedrals did not shine with gold: they were painted black, and the walls were covered with green and black stripes. Our fighters also blocked the path of enemy aircraft. A division under the command of General Panfilov fought on the approaches to Moscow. At the Dubosekovo railway crossing, twenty-eight of our soldiers with political instructor Vasily Klochkov stopped a fascist tank column. Before the start of the fierce battle, Klochkov uttered a phrase that became historical: “Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat - Moscow is behind.” Almost all of Panfilov’s heroes died, but did not allow enemy tanks to approach Moscow.
As Hitler's army advanced eastward, partisan detachments began to appear in the territories occupied by the Germans. Partisans blew up fascist trains, organized ambushes and surprise raids.
Berlin has fallen. The war of the Soviet and other peoples against German fascism ended in complete victory. But the price of this victory was great and bitter. Our country lost about 27 million people in this terrible war.
More than 2.5 million soldiers and officers, 6,250 tanks and self-propelled guns, and 7,500 aircraft were involved in the Berlin operation of 1945, which was the final one in the Great Patriotic War. The losses turned out to be enormous: according to official data, the Red Army lost more than 15 thousand soldiers and officers per day. In total, Soviet troops lost 352 thousand people in the Berlin operation.
On May 9, 1945, Moscow was illuminated with fireworks to the long-awaited victory. Our entire country celebrated the first day of peace with jubilation. Muscovites left their homes and hurried to Red Square. On the streets, the military was hugged, kissed, grabbed and swung, thrown over the heads of the seething sea of people. At midnight, an unprecedented fireworks display burst out. Thirty salvoes were fired from a thousand guns.
The holiday of May 9 has become sacred for each of us. We should all remember the past and thank the older generation for the Great Victory.
Victory Day of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War- was and remains one of the most revered holidays both in Russia and in the CIS countries.
According to the glorious tradition of recent years, volunteers everywhere distribute St. George’s ribbons, which not only veterans, but also young people tie and wear as a symbol of the connection between generations and the memory of the Great Victory.
Also on this day, ceremonies of laying flowers and wreaths at monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War are held everywhere, various events are held to honor war veterans, festive concerts are organized, battle reconstructions and much more.
History of the holiday Victory Day is unique - it was a day of general rejoicing, insane joy, real pride in one’s people and soul-tearing sorrow at the price paid for this happiness. It was and remains a holiday “with tears in our eyes”; over time, the pain of loss became less, although even now tears also well up when remembering memories, documentaries and feature films, and reading literature about the war.
It’s especially sad to look at the few survivors and realize that at the cost of their lives they provided us with a future, and we could not give them a worthy present. It is also annoying when you encounter distortion of the facts of history, belittling the role of the Russian soldier in the victory or desecration of their memory. What was it really like?
Holiday Victory Day in our country began in our country with the signing of the act of surrender of Germany on May 9, 1945, which meant the long-awaited victory and the end of the war.
Soviet troops came close to Berlin, so hated at that moment, but long-awaited, 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 number of soldiers in tens of thousands.
Ah, if it hadn’t occurred to a bunch of “proud” paranoids to “defend their honor to the end,” then 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 found out that on the morning of May 9 at the airfield named after 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.
The history of the holiday - Victory Parade.
Thus, from now on and forever, the date named May 9 is the Victory Day of the Soviet (Russian) people over the fascist occupiers. On the evening of this significant day, a Victory salute was given in Moscow, which became the largest in the history of the USSR: exactly thirty salvos were fired from a thousand guns.
On these same days, Stalin signed a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR stating that May 9 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 through Red Square. Remember those famous shots when German standards are thrown at the foot of Lenin's mausoleum? These are chronicles from that first Victory Parade.
Chronicle of the holiday May 9.
However, the weekend and holiday on May 9 did not last long, only until 1948, since the country’s leadership decided that it was time to forget about the war and began to restore the national economy.
Justice triumphed 17 years later - in 1965. Victory Day has again become a holiday and a non-working day, and large-scale celebrations of the undeservedly forgotten date have resumed throughout the country.
And since 1965 was an anniversary year, for the first time in 20 years a military parade was held across Red Square, which was repeated in 1975, 1985 and 1990. Since the 60s, organized parades began to be held 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 organized annually. And since 2008, military equipment has again participated in them.
Victory Day holiday today.
