When did the USSR begin to celebrate May 9th? Victory Day in Russia: history and traditions of the holiday

Victory Day is celebrated on May 9 - in 2019 the 74th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War will be celebrated.

Victory Day is a holiday marking the end of a murderous war that claimed the lives of millions of soldiers and civilians.

The Victory Day will forever remain in history and will always remind of those bloody events and the great defeat of the fascist troops.

Victory Day

The Great Patriotic War, an integral part of the Second World War (1939-1945), began at dawn on June 22, 1941. On this day, Nazi Germany treacherously attacked the Soviet Union, violating the Soviet-German treaties concluded in 1939.

In the hostilities, which lasted almost four years and became the largest armed conflict in the history of mankind, during various periods of the war, from eight to 13 million people fought simultaneously on both sides, from seven to 19 thousand aircraft, from six to 20 thousand tanks and assault guns, from 85 to 165 thousand guns and mortars.

The occupiers planned to win a quick victory, but they miscalculated - Soviet troops exhausted the enemy in bloody battles, forced him to go on the defensive along the entire German-Soviet front, and then inflicted a series of major defeats on the enemy.

Nazi Germany signed the act of unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945 at 22:43 Central European time (at 00:43, May 9 Moscow time) in the suburbs of Berlin - it came into force on the same day at 23:01.

The ninth of May, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, was declared Victory Day over Nazi Germany and “a day of national celebration.”

The first Victory Day was celebrated like no other holiday in modern history. Celebrations and crowded rallies took place everywhere. Orchestras played in the parks and squares of cities and villages, popular theater and film artists, as well as amateur art groups performed.

On this historic day, Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Joseph Stalin addressed the Soviet people. Late evening

Moscow was illuminated by the Victory salute - 30 victorious salvoes were fired by thousands of anti-aircraft guns, which at that time was a grandiose spectacle.

After the Victory salute, dozens of planes dropped garlands of multi-colored rockets over the capital, and numerous sparklers flashed in the squares.

Brief history of the holiday

The first Victory Day in history was celebrated in 1945 - a military parade was held on Red Square in Moscow in honor of the victory in the Great Patriotic War on June 24, which was hosted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov.

An event that will forever go down in world history - the deposition of Nazi banners and standards - they were thrown onto the platform near the Mausoleum, happened precisely at this parade.

Victory Day on May 9 was an official day off until 1948, then it was abolished for many years, although festive events dedicated to the victory were held in all settlements of the vast country.

The Victory Day holiday became a non-working day again only in 1965.

The holiday, in the period between 1965-1990, was celebrated on May 9 very widely - military parades held on Victory Day clearly demonstrated the full power of the Soviet army and the latest achievements in the development of military equipment.

Many countries after the collapse of the USSR, including Georgia, continue to celebrate Victory Day on May 9.

The Victory Day holiday in Russia for several years, after the collapse of the Union, lost its solemn status. Military parades on Victory Day with the participation of military equipment and military aircraft on Red Square in Moscow traditionally began to be held on May 9, 1995.

The geography of cities where the holiday is celebrated is gradually becoming wider and wider. Victory Day on May 9 is celebrated especially solemnly in the hero cities of Russia.

European countries celebrate Victory Day in World War II on May 8, the day when Germany signed the act of surrender, Central European time.

Joy with tears in my eyes

The Second World War and the Great Patriotic War are the largest battles in terms of scale and ferocity. It became a tragedy for the inhabitants of many countries of the world, bringing human losses unprecedented in history and countless suffering to millions of people.

During the hostilities, which lasted almost four years, in the USSR alone, 1,710 cities, more than 70 thousand villages, 32 thousand factories and factories were destroyed, 98 thousand collective farms were plundered - the total cost of these destructions was 128 billion dollars.

We know about the war from the stories of the older generation and from history books, but these terrible events were a reality for millions of people. The war brought a lot of grief - millions of soldiers and civilians died.

The Soviet Union lost a total of 25.6 million citizens, according to other sources 29.6 million people. At least 13.7 million of the war victims are civilians.

On Victory Day, wreaths are laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, near the Eternal Flame - it burns in memory of the fallen heroes.

According to tradition, on Victory Day they visit places where battles took place, monuments of military glory, graves of fallen soldiers, where they lay flowers, as well as hold rallies and ceremonial passage of military units.

On Victory Day, veterans, of whom there are fewer and fewer every year, gather in the central squares of cities, meet with fellow soldiers, and commemorate their fallen comrades.

The memory of the fallen, respect for fearless veterans and pride in their impossible feat will live in our hearts forever.

Every fifth person who fought in the Great Patriotic War was awarded - 11,681 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and 2,532 people are full holders of the Order of Glory.

The material was prepared based on open sources

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

9th May- 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 again became 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.

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 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 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 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 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.

Victory Day, May 9, was celebrated immediately after the war and this day was considered a day off until 1948 (only 3 years). Then it was decided to forget about the bloody war and start rebuilding the war-torn country. During the Brezhnev era, on the 20th anniversary of the Great Victory over fascism, it was decided to return to the celebration of the holiday. Since then, parades have been held annually and May 9 has once again become a day off.

Interestingly, in some countries this holiday is celebrated on the 9th and 8th of May. On May 8, 1945, an agreement on the unconditional surrender of Germany was signed in Karlshort. In the USA this day is called Victory in Europe Day. In France, on May 8, the president of the country, together with lyceum students, lights the eternal flame. And in the UK, ceremonial events begin in April, and on May 9, a wreath-laying ceremony takes place in the park near the Imperial War Museum in London. In Germany, on May 8, a service is held at the German-Russian Museum, a minute of silence and the laying of wreaths.

Decree declaring Victory Day 9th May was actually signed by Mikhail Kalinin before the Act of Surrender of Germany was signed by the German side and representatives of the Allies.

At 6 am on May 9, 1945, Levitan's voice solemnly announced German surrender on the radio. The decree established that May 9 should be considered a non-working day. The Victory Parade in 1945 took place later. On the 46th and 47th days, May 9 was also a non-working day and at that time parades were held on Red Square.



However, before the New Year, December 24, 1947, it was decided to consider May 9 a working day, albeit a holiday. However, on the contrary, January 1 was a working day, and the same decree decided to make it a day off.

Only Leonid Brezhnev made this day a day off again in 1965.

May 9 was recognized as a public holiday during the reign of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev - a big fan of military parades and official celebrations - namely, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany on May 9, 1965, a parade was organized with a procession of military equipment and volleys of guns. Since that very year, 1965, we have an annual holiday on May 9 and Victory Parades are held annually in honor of the Great Victory, war veterans are honored, and more recently, children of war. And every year this Day is celebrated more and more magnificently and solemnly.

It must be said that May 9 was a day off for some time after the end of the war - for three years, but this holiday was not celebrated magnificently, there were no fireworks or gun salvos on that day - the memories of the war were too vivid, the salvos would not have sounded solemnly, but scary. Since 1949, the holiday on May 9 was canceled due to the fact that it was necessary to restore the country.

Only in the first years after Victory Day was this day celebrated (until 1948). Then Brezhnev resumed the tradition. And since 1965, we rest on May 9 and celebrate this day as it should be, with all honors and tribute.

In 1945, Victory Day began to be celebrated. On the night of May 9, Stalin signed a decree that May 9 becomes a public holiday and is henceforth a day off. In the morning, Levitan read out the decree on the radio.

But it was like that for only three years. In 1948, it was decided that organizing holidays was expensive, the country needed to be restored, and the day off was cancelled. Only in 1965, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev again introduced a holiday on May 9, and also resumed Victory Parades and large-scale fireworks.

A holiday called Victory Day was introduced in 1945. This day, May 9, was a non-working day until 1948, but there was no widespread celebration in those years. They decided to resume the tradition in 1965, at the same time they began to hold parades on Red Square in Moscow and other cities, laying flowers at the memorials of the victims. And in the evenings of May 9, fireworks were displayed.

From 1945 to 1948 there was a victory holiday - May 9. Then the state decided to cancel it due to the fact that there are many holidays. In 1968, the holiday was returned to the popular element at the level of a state holiday.



On May 9, 0:43, the act of surrender of Germany was signed. But having accepted the surrender of Germany, the USSR did not sign the agreement and the war continued for some time. And on January 21, 1955, the document ending the war was officially signed.

However, May 9 was celebrated only for three years; the holiday has not been celebrated since 1948, as the country was recovering from the war.

The holiday was revived again only during the Brezhnev era. In 1965, parades were held again to honor veterans. May 9 was officially recognized as a day off.

Every year May 9 was a holiday for the Soviet people, as on this day they remembered those who did not return from this damned war. But only since 1965, by government decree led by L.I. Brezhnev, May 9 became a day off and remains so to this day.

Holiday - VICTORY DAY - was approved By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, dated May 8, 1945 with the wording - in honor of the day of victory over Nazism.

This is due to the discrepancy in time between Russia and Europe, because the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany was signed (Central European Time) on May 8, not May 9, at 22:43, and in the Soviet Union at that time it was already 0: 43 May 9.

The Act came into force starting at 1:00 (Moscow time), so Victory Day is celebrated by post-Soviet countries on May 9.

There is a common misconception that Victory Day on May 9 became a day off only under Brezhnev. This is not true - from 1945 to 1947 this day was also a day off. Inside the posting are scans (published in the poltora-bobra LiveJournal) from newspapers with the corresponding decrees.

The act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was signed on May 8 at 22:43 Central European time (that is, May 9 at 0:43 Moscow time) and came into force from 24:00 Moscow time. It is because of this natural time difference that Victory Day is celebrated on May 8th all over the world, and on the 9th in the Soviet Union. The day before, on May 8, 1945, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a Decree declaring May 9 as Victory Day over Nazi Germany: “To commemorate the victorious completion of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people against the Nazi invaders and the historical victories of the Red Army, which culminated in complete defeat Hitler’s Germany, which declared unconditional surrender, establish that May 9 is a day of national celebration - Victory Day.”

On December 23, 1947, in the USSR, Victory Day on May 9 was declared a regular working day. At the same time, January 1 was declared a day off - before that, from 1930 to 1947, the New Year was celebrated in the USSR, of course, but January 1 was a working day. Because The New Year is largely a children's holiday, so we can say that in this way adults gave Victory Day to children. In the conditions of devastation, it was not possible to take another day off.

Scan from the newspaper "Izvestia" No. 302 dated December 24, 1947.

There is a version that Stalin made May 9 a working day, because... I was afraid of veterans and did not want to glorify their merits.
“They,” writes front-line soldier Anatoly Chernyaev, who later became assistant to Secretary General Gorbachev, “have seen the West. They've seen everything. They acquired new human dignity... Stalin was right to fear this generation.”

To assess the validity of this statement, you need to look at what Soviet newspapers wrote on Victory Day after 1947.

Literary newspaper, May 8, 1948

Trud, May 8, 1948

"Soviet Art", May 7, 1949

"Soviet Art", May 9, 1949

As we can see, tribute was paid to the victorious front-line soldiers in newspaper articles. Victory Day was celebrated at the state level, this event was covered in the press, festive concerts were organized for the people, it was just a working day. Thus, the thesis that Stalin was “afraid of front-line soldiers” is not confirmed in practice.

In the year of the twentieth anniversary of the Victory, by Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 25, 1965, May 9 was declared a non-working day and a national holiday. By this time, the country had already recovered from the ruins, so the introduction of an additional day off was not critical for the economy.