Victory Day celebrations today speak to the emotions of two distinct generations: older Russians still scarred by the war, and the younger demographic rejoicing in the greatness of a post-Communist Russia. Parades feature the latest tanks, warplanes, and nuclear missiles. Battalions and parades are integral to celebrations. Since 2008, Russian Victory Day has not only honored the lives of eight million Russians lost in the war but has also become a display of military might. In 1995, Russian Victory Day became an annual celebration. The festivities intended to evoke memories of a once-powerful county and military, both of which had become mere shadows of their former selves by then. Under Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first elected President, Victory Day rekindled nostalgia for the glory days. Military parades and grand celebrations were the norm and continue in present-day Russia. Russian Victory Day became a public holiday. Brezhnev leveraged general sentiment around the Great Patriotic War to rally support for his leadership. Things drastically changed in 1965 when a World War II soldier, Leonid Brezhnev, rose to the ranks of party secretary. Twenty years passed without Victory Day celebrations. Stalin’s disregard for Victory Day may have stemmed from paranoia - that a show of bravado could incite powerful generals in his army to stage a coup. The day was a World War II legacy he and his comrades would rather forget, alongside numerous atrocities in their name. Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin preferred sweeping the occasion under the carpet.

Russian Victory Day took on multiple meanings and interpretations with every new government. Russia has commemorated Russian Victory Day on May 9 ever since.Ĭelebrations (if any) weren’t always grand. By the time Germany signed the Instrument of Surrender, it was past midnight and already May 9, Moscow time. Joseph Stalin held off on the celebrations until the Nazis surrendered in Soviet-controlled Berlin the next day. Day” or Victory in Europe Day to officially mark Germany’s surrender in Reims, France. On May 7, 1945, General Alfred Jodl signed the terms for Germany’s unconditional surrender that would go into effect on May 8.

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