Russia held its “Victory Day” martial parade on Monday to stain the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s undoing by Nazi Germany in World War II. Russia Victory Day celebrated on 9 May. More than 65,000 men were expected to take part along with 2,400 weapons and material units. This year the parade comes against the backdrop of Russia’s ill-fated invasion of its neighbor Ukraine, which has left thousands dead and more than 5 million people fleeing the country. The invasion prompted international condemnation and sweeping economic sanctions on key sectors of the country, companies, and individuals linked to the Kremlin.
History Of Russia Victory Day
On 7 May 1945, General Alfred Zodl signed the terms of Germany’s unconditional surrender, which would take effect on 8 May. The Allies marked May 8 as “V.E. Day to Officially Mark the Surrender of Germany at Reims, France” or Victory in Europe Day. Joseph Stalin stopped the celebrations until the Nazis surrendered in Soviet-controlled Berlin the next day. When Germany signed the capitulation it was past midnight and already May 9 Moscow time. Russia commemorates Russian Victory Day on May 9 ever since.
Celebrations (if any) were not always lavish. Russian Victory Day has taken on multiple meanings and interpretations with each new government. Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin preferred to sweep the event under the carpet. The day was a legacy of World War II that he and his comrades would rather forget along with countless atrocities to their name. Stalin’s neglect of Victory Day may have stemmed from paranoia that a display of bravery might provoke his army’s powerful generals to stage a coup. Twenty years passed without a Victory Day celebration.
The situation changed drastically in 1965 when World War II soldier Leonid Brezhnev was promoted to party secretary. Brezhnev exploited the general sentiment surrounding the Great Patriotic War to rally support for his leadership. Russian Victory Day became a public holiday. Military parades and lavish celebrations were the norm and continue in present-day Russia. Victory Day revived nostalgia for the glory days under Russia’s first elected president, Boris Yeltsin.
The festivities were intended to evoke the memory of the once mighty county and the military, both of which had by then become a shadow of their former selves. In 1995, Russian Victory Day became an annual celebration.
However, it was President Vladimir Putin who raised the Victory Day celebrations to new heights. Since 2008, Russian Victory Day has not only honored the lives of the 8 million Russians lost in the war but has become a show of military might. Battalions and parades are an integral part of the celebrations. Parades feature the latest tanks, fighter jets, and nuclear missiles. Victory Day celebrations today speak to the emotions of two distinct generations: older Russians still scarred by the war, and younger populations reveling in the glories of post-communist Russia.
Most Russians find the outlandish celebrations boring and remind the day of what it should be about – the sacrifice of loved ones in war. In 2011, three journalists took it upon themselves to remind everyone by walking silently through the streets with portraits of family members killed in the war. The gesture resonated with Russians everywhere and it soon became the Immortal Regiment March.
Since then, citizens have taken to the streets in silence each year with photos of loved ones lost in the war. Compared to the loud state-sanctioned celebrations that support military glory, the march is a stark reminder of the cost of war and a fascinating spectacle.
Why Russia Victory Day Is Celebrated?
In past years, Mr. Putin has used May 9 a holiday sacred to Russians to commemorate the 27 million Soviets who died in World War II to mobilize the nation for the prospect of a new war ahead. Addressing the nation from his rostrum in Red Square on May 9 last year, he warned that Russia’s enemies were once again deploying “most Nazi ideologies”.
Now, Russian state media is referring to Ukrainians who resisted Russian aggression as “Nazis” and portraying the war as the unfinished business of World War II. It seems almost certain that Mr. Putin will use his May 9 speech next week to invoke the heroism of Soviet soldiers in World War II to try to inspire Russians to make new sacrifices. The narratives that Mr. Putin spins to justify his war in Ukraine are in line with the grandiose, nostalgic narrative of Victory Day.
You may read Bangladesh Victory Day 2022
How Russia Victory Day Is Celebrated?
Many people attend local military parades and watch fireworks at night on Victory Day. The largest parade takes place in Moscow’s Red Square, where the Russian military is on display. Most veterans wear their medals when they go to a parade, or an event hosted by a local veteran’s organization. Another tradition is to give flowers to veterans in the streets, usually red carnations, and lay wreaths at war memorials.
Nearby schools can host a program prepared by students, featuring wartime songs and poems. At home, families gather around a festive table to honor the surviving witnesses of World War II and remember those who died. They can also watch a favorite Soviet film based on the events of World War II, also known as the Great Patriotic War. These films are repeated every year, but the audience never seems to get tired of them.
Russia Victory Day Message
The day was first inaugurated in the 15 republics of the Soviet Union and was followed by the German instrument of surrender. After the signing ceremony in Berlin, the Soviet government declared Victory Day a holiday. The Russian government officially declared May 9 as a holiday in 1991.
1. As “Victory Day” gets underway in Russia; speculation is rife that President Vladimir Putin could declare some sort of victory in Ukraine on Monday — even all-out war. Happy Russia Victory Day.
2. May 9 is one of the most significant days of the year for Russia and its national identity as it marks the anniversary of the defeat of the then-Soviet Union by Nazi Germany in 1945 at the end of World War II. Happy Russia Victory Day.
3. “Russian propaganda uses the language of what happened in World War II to explain to the public what is happening in Ukraine.” Happy Russia Victory Day.
Russia Victory Day Wish
Victory Day is celebrated as a great celebration in Russia because this day commemorates the holiday. The day was first inaugurated in the 15 republics of the Soviet Union and was followed by the German instrument of surrender. After the signing ceremony in Berlin, the Soviet government declared Victory Day a holiday.
1. In Putin’s Russia, the language changed and the Soviet Union’s victory over the Nazi regime in World War II gradually became a victory for Russia. Happy Russia Victory Day.
2. After February 24th Russia is a field of semiotic guerilla warfare trying to dismantle the cordon sanitaire with semiotic tools. Happy Russia Victory Day.
3. These semiotic tools are penal and in whatsoever cases considered crimes. Happy Russia Victory Day.
Russia Victory Day Status
Victory day is a glorious and auspicious day for any nation now days we all are social media aware and connected through social media so on Russian victory day we all should exchange different types of greetings to Russians so our social media on Victory Day, Russia Through different types of posts should be shared so that the future generations will know about the Day.
1. “Not speaking the death toll is an enormous effort at censorship.” Especially the young sailors who died in the Battle of Moscow. Most of them were declared “lost” at sea.
2. Remembrance of the fallen during World War II makes most of us feel historically good, and it ended with Putin’s war on Ukraine.”
3. “Centuries of symbolic power have effectively shielded Russian society from confronting its history. This symbolic protective veil is now broken and Russia will not be able to rehabilitate itself as a member of the world community.
FAQ About Russia Victory Day.
Which Date did We celebrate Russia Victory Day?
Ans: We celebrate Russia Victory Day On 9 May. Source-Wikipedia
Why Russia Victory Day Is Celebrated?
Ans: Addressing the nation from his rostrum in Red Square on May 9 last year, he warned that Russia’s enemies were once again deploying “most Nazi ideologies”. Now, Russian state media is referring to Ukrainians who resisted Russian aggression as “Nazis” and portraying the war as the unfinished business of World War II.
Victory Day parades were occasionally marked during the Soviet era and were revived by President Boris Yeltsin for the 50th anniversary in 1995, but in 2008 Vladimir Putin made it an annual event featuring military hardware. Russia’s identity is largely framed against the backdrop of Victory Day, with schoolbooks and history books focusing on Russia as the wartime liberator of Europe.
