2015 The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory have published teaching materials in advance and recommended the holiday be celebrated in a new format. Despite the fact that the law "About perpetuation of the victory over Nazism in World War II 1939 – 1945" officially did not came into force, the holiday in Ukraine officially was celebrated in a format different from Russian formats of celebration of "
Victory Day". On this day there were ceremony of laying flowers at monuments to unknown soldiers of the
Red Army, in
Kyiv – a peace march involving military brass bands from Ukraine,
Estonia,
Jordan,
Lithuania,
Poland, and
Serbia. It was after the ceremony of oath of cadets in the presence of the
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. The day before, Poroshenko delivered a speech to a
Verkhovna Rada filled with veterans of the Red Army, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army,
Anti-Terrorist Operation veterans, as well as former presidents of Ukraine (
Leonid Kravchuk,
Leonid Kuchma and
Viktor Yushchenko) and
Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon. For this memorable day the
President of Ukraine established a state award by his order – the anniversary Medal "70 Years of Victory over Nazism".
2016 2016 was the first year that the holiday was celebrated as an official holiday (although the first celebrations took place the year before, the law establishing the holiday was adopted a couple days after 9 May).
2017 More than 30,000 police officers were deployed to monitor holiday marches. The 72nd anniversary celebrations coincides with the ceremonies for the
Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv.
2019 President-elect
Volodymyr Zelensky arranged a meeting in
Zaporizhia of a veteran
Red Army Captain and a veteran of the
Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
2020 The 2020 celebrations in honor of the
diamond jubilee were cancelled by order of Prime Minister
Denys Shmyhal in light of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine. On 7 May,
Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko announced the organization of a planned event in the Park of Eternal Glory with a high security presence. President Zelensky went on a working visit to the
Luhansk Oblast where he visited an urban settlement that is divided by the border between Ukraine and
Russia. In the settlement, he visited the memorial complex "Ukraine to the Liberators". He also visited the
Zakarpattia Oblast, where he also laid flowers at the "Hill of Glory" memorial complex. During his holiday address on 9 May, he paid tribute to Ukrainians who fought during the war, including
Crimean Tatar Amet-Khan Sultan, American military personnel
Alex M. Diachenko and
Michael Strank, as well as
Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Kozhedub. Zelensky also announced the creation of memorial project, which would involve the placement of bells in the four corners of Ukraine.
2021 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in a ceremony of honoring the victims of World War II on Glory Square in Kyiv and he laid flowers at the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Kyiv), honoring the memory of soldiers killed during World War II.
2022 Amidst the
Russian invasion of Ukraine people came out to pay their own tributes at the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Kyiv). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his public address that this isn't a war between two countries but two opposing world views. He end his speech by saying, "We won then, we will win now."
2023 To mark the 78th anniversary of Victory in Europe, President Zelensky stated that from 2023 onwards, May 8 will be the new date of the formal commemoration of victory over Nazism in World War II, in line with celebrations of
Victory in Europe Day in the European Union and with commemorations in the US and Canada, with May 9 being earmarked as
Europe Day in its stead as a commemoration of the 1950 formation of the EU — all as a reaction to the Russian invasion the previous year, a break of the former precedence, and a show of gratitude to the countries that have helped Ukraine resist Russia and its allies. May 8 will remain, though, as the date of the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation and thus the two holidays were to be merged as one. A Presidential Decree to formalize the transfer of Victory Day to May 8 and renew the Europe Day holiday on May 9 was signed in
Kyiv that day. == Symbols ==