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  The Soviet Victory Day[1] or May 9 marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in the Second World War (also known as the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union and some post-Soviet states). It was first inaugurated in the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union, following the signing of the surrender document late in the evening on May 8, 1945 (May 9 by Moscow Time). It happened after the original capitulation that Germany earlier agreed to the joint Allied forces of the Western Front. The Soviet government announced the victory early on May 9 after the signing ceremony in Berlin[2]. Though the official inauguration happened in 1945 (which means it has been celebrated since 1946), the holiday became a non-labour day only in 1965 and only in some of the countries. After the collapse of the Soviet Union it ceased to be observed in Uzbekistan as from 1988[citation needed], but partially restored in 1999 as Memorial/Rememberance Day.[3] After their separation from the Soviet Union, the Baltic countries now commemorate the end of WWII on May 8, the Victory in Europe Day.[4]
[edit] HistoryTwo separate capitulation events took place at the time. First, the capitulation to the Allied nations in Reims was signed on May 7, 1945, effective 23:01 CET May 8. This date is commonly referred to as the V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) in most western European countries. The other World War II victory day, the V-J day (Victory in Japan Day) is commemorated in August, and is of considerably lesser significance in Europe. However, the Soviet Union's only representative in Reims was General Ivan Susloparov, the Military Liaison Mission Commander. General Susloparov's scope of authority was not entirely clear, and he had no means of immediate contact with the Kremlin, but nevertheless decided to sign for the Soviet side. Susloparov was caught off guard; he had no instructions from Moscow. But if he did not sign, he risked a German surrender without Soviet participation. However, he noted that it could be replaced with a new version in the future. Joseph Stalin was later displeased by these events, believing that the German surrender should have been accepted only by the envoy of the USSR Supreme command and signed only in Berlin and insisted the Reims protocol be considered preliminary, with the main ceremony to be held in Berlin, where Marshal Zhukov was at the time, as the latter recounts in his memoirs:[5]
 Therefore, another ceremony was organized in a surviving manor in the outskirts of Berlin late on May 8, when it was already May 9 in Moscow due to the difference in time zones. Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel submitted the capitulation of the Wehrmacht to the Marshal Georgy Zhukov in the Soviet Army headquarters in Berlin-Karlshorst. To commemorate the victory in the war, the ceremonial Moscow Victory Parade was held in the Soviet capital on June 24, 1945. [edit] CelebrationDuring the Soviet Union's existence, May 9 was celebrated throughout the USSR and in the countries of the Eastern Bloc. Though the holiday was introduced in many Soviet republics approximately between 1946 and 1950, it only became a non-labour day in Ukrainian (1963) and Russian (1965) SSRs. In the latter one, a week holiday was given starting 1966 if May 9 was to fall on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday). After the fall of the communism in Central and Eastern Europe, most former USSR countries retained the celebration as a national holiday even though it was not openly celebrated by some of them. Today and traditionally, ceremonial military parades are held on the day, such as the one in Moscow on the Red Square. [edit] Countries in which May 9 is celebrated
Russophone populations in many world countries celebrate the holiday regardless of its local status. Many Russian communities in United States and Canada, also for example in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania [6] organize public gatherings and even parades on this day.[7] In Europe, some multilanguage broadcasting television chains translate the "Victory speech" of the Russian president and the parade on Red Square.[8] [edit] Soviet and post-Soviet symbols associated with the Victory Day.svg) 
[edit] Soviet Union
[edit] Russia
[edit] Ukraine
[edit] Kazakhstan
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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