, carrying portraits of their ancestors who fought in the
Great Patriotic War (World War II). on Victory Day in 2014 under the
Soviet flag. .
In Russia During the Soviet Union's existence, 9 May was celebrated throughout it and in the
Eastern Bloc. Though the holiday was introduced in many Soviet republics between 1946 and 1950, it became a non-working day only in the
Ukrainian SSR in 1963 and the
Russian SFSR in 1965. In the Russian SFSR, a weekday off (usually a Monday) was given if 9 May fell on a Saturday or Sunday. The celebration of Victory Day continued during subsequent years. The war became a topic of great importance in cinema, literature, history lessons at school, the mass media, and the arts. The ritual of the celebration gradually obtained a distinctive character with a number of similar elements: ceremonial meetings, speeches, lectures, receptions and fireworks. In Russia during the 1990s, the 9 May holiday was not celebrated with large Soviet-style mass demonstrations due to the policies of successive Russian governments. Following
Vladimir Putin's rise to power, the Russian government began promoting the prestige of the governing regime and history, and national holidays and commemorations became a source of national self-esteem. Victory Day in Russia has become a celebration in which popular culture plays a central role. The 60th and 70th anniversaries of Victory Day in Russia (2005 and 2015) became the largest popular holidays since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The
2020 edition of the parade, marking the
75th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Russophone populations in many countries celebrate the holiday regardless of its local status, organize public gatherings and even parades on this day. Some multilanguage broadcasting television networks translate the "Victory speech" of the Russian president and the parade on
Red Square for telecasts for viewers all over the globe, making the parade one of the world's most watched events of the year.
RT also broadcasts the parade featuring live commentary, and also airs yet another highlight of the day – the
Minute of Silence at 6:55pm MST, a tradition dating back to 1965. Because of
massive losses among both military and civilians during
World War II, Victory Day is one of the most important and emotional dates in Russia.
Other countries currently celebrating 9 May delivering a speech on Victory Day in 2019. at the
2023 Moscow Victory Day Parade •
Armenia has officially recognized 9 May since
its independence in 1991. It is officially known as Victory and Peace Day. The holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union.
Shushi Liberation Day is also commemorated with the holiday. •
Azerbaijan has officially recognized 9 May since 1994. Upon
its independence in 1991, the
Azerbaijani Popular Front Party and later the government of
Abulfaz Elchibey deliberately erased the holiday from the calendar, with veterans being subjected to a targeted anti-Russian/Soviet media campaign. Upon coming to power,
Heydar Aliyev restored the holiday to the national calendar. The holiday is similarly celebrated as it was while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. A wreath laying ceremony is usually held at the monument to
Hazi Aslanov. •
Belarus has officially recognized 9 May since
its independence in 1991 and considers it a non-working day. The holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. Belarus has had seven Victory Day Parades, on
Independence Square and
Masherov Avenue (1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020 and 2025) and has had an annual ceremony on
Victory Square since independence. •
Bosnia and Herzegovina has officially recognized 9 May since its
independence. However, it is not a working day only in
Republic of Srpska. •
Croatia has officially recognized 9 May as Victory Day over Fascism as a memorial day since 2019, which is a legally-recognised day, but is not a public holiday. •
Georgia has officially recognized 9 May since
its independence in 1991. The holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. It is particularly celebrated in this way with the
Russian community in the country. • In Israel, Victory Day on 9 May has historically been celebrated as an unofficial
national remembrance day. However, in 2017,
Victory in Europe Day was upgraded to the status of an official
national holiday day of commemoration by the
Knesset, with schools and businesses operating as usual. As a result of immigration of many Red Army veterans, Israel now hosts the largest and most extensive Victory Day celebrations outside the former Soviet Union. Traditions and customs of Victory Day are the same as in Russia, with marches of Immortal Regiments held in cities with large populations of Red Army veterans and their descendants. •
Kazakhstan has officially recognized 9 May since
its independence in 1991 as a national holiday. The holiday is sometimes celebrated in connection with the
Defender of the Fatherland Day holiday on 7 May. From 1947 the holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. •
Kyrgyzstan has officially recognised 9 May since
its independence in 1991. The holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. •
Mongolia had officially recognized 9 May during its existence as a
satellite state of the Soviet Union. The holiday continues to be celebrated unofficially throughout the country. •
Montenegro officially recognised 9 May as Victory Day over Fascism as an official holiday. •
Serbia celebrates 9 May as Victory Day over Fascism but it is a working holiday. Still many people gather to mark the anniversary with the war veterans, including the President, Minister of Defense and the highest officers of the
Serbian Armed Forces. •
Tajikistan has officially recognised 9 May since
its independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. •
Turkmenistan has officially recognised 9 May since
its independence in 1991. It officially known as the Day of Remembrance of National Heroes of Turkmenistan in the 1941–1945 World War. It was established by a special decree of
President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov in 2000. The holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. Since 2018, it has not been a public holiday. Various events are conducted at famous parks such as Altyn Asyr Park and the National Cultural Centre's Palace of Mukams. In recent years, Turkmen prisoners have received pardons from the
President of Turkmenistan on Victory Day. •
Uzbekistan has officially recognised 9 May from 2 March 1999, where the holiday was introduced as the "Day of Remembrance and Honour" (
Xotira va Qadirlash Kuni). It is the only country in the
Commonwealth of Independent States to not officially recognize the 9 May holiday as Victory Day. Under President
Islam Karimov, the holiday was toned down, with many veterans being told not to wear their Soviet-era decorations or uniforms on the holiday. Since Karimov's death in 2016, the holiday has been celebrated there similarly to how it was celebrated while the country was
part of the Soviet Union.
Countries formerly celebrating 9 May •
Bulgaria officially recognized 9 May during its existence as a satellite state of the Soviet Union. Since 1989, all official celebrations of 9 May have been cancelled. As in other EU countries, Victory Day in Bulgaria is 8 May, whereas 9 May is
Europe Day. However, many still gather unofficially to celebrate Victory Day on 9 May. Flowers are generally laid at the
Monument to the Soviet Army in Sofia. •
Moldova officially recognized 9 May as
a public holiday from
its independence in 1991 to 2023. From 1951 to 1991, the holiday had also been celebrated during the country's rule by the Soviet Union as the
Moldavian SSR. It is now officially known as the "Victory Day and Commemoration of the Fallen Heroes for the Independence of the Fatherland" (). Victory Day was a major national holiday, particularly due to Moldova's
Russian community and also due to the
Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) and its state-sponsored Victory Day rallies of 2017 on the
Great National Assembly Square at Chișinău. Wreath-laying ceremonies were commonly held at the
Eternity Memorial Complex of Chișinău during the day. •
Poland officially recognised 9 May as
a state holiday, where it was known as
Narodowe Święto Zwycięstwa i Wolności ("National Victory and Freedom Day") from 1945 until 2015. Until 1950 it was also a day free from work. The holiday served both as a celebration of victory against Nazi Germany as well as to highlight the union between the
Polish People's Republic and the USSR. It was a key celebration that was observed with parades and major events throughout the entire country. Since the fall of the Eastern Bloc, the holiday had become controversial in Poland. Since 24 April 2015, Poland officially recognised
Narodowy Dzień Zwycięstwa ("National Victory Day") on 8 May (like Victory in Europe Day) in place of the previous holiday. •
Romania officially recognized Victory Day as
a public holiday during the
communist era. Since Romania's
1877 independence day from the Ottoman Empire also coincides with Victory Day on 9 May, the holiday was made a double celebration, especially under
Nicolae Ceaușescu who sought to portray
communism in Romania as a continuation of Romania's independence struggles from previous centuries. Victory Day in Romania is now celebrated on 8 May, whereas 9 May is celebrated as
Europe Day. However, some Russophiles, Eurosceptics and leftists gather at informal meetings to celebrate Victory Day on 9 May. Thus, it may mark a triple celebration in the country. •
Ukraine officially recognised 9 May from
its independence in 1991 until 2013, where it was a non-working day. If it fell on a weekend the following Monday was non-working. The holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. According to opinion polling by
Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, in 2010 almost 60% of Ukrainians considered Victory Day one of the biggest holidays of Ukraine. Since 15 May 2015,
Communist and
Nazi symbols are
prohibited in Ukraine. Before 15 May 2015, Ukraine held military parades in the capital on
Khreshchatyk in 1995, 2001, 2010, and 2011, and 2013. On May 8, 2023,
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree according to which Ukraine would celebrate
Europe Day on May 9, and submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a bill establishing May 8, the
Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II 1939 – 1945, as a day off instead of Victory Day over Nazism in World War II on May 9. On May 29, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada made the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II 1939 – 1945 on May 8 as a public holiday, canceling the Victory Day over Nazism in World War II on May 9. In 2022, following the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, only 13% of
Ukrainians were ready to celebrate May 9. According to a study conducted by the
Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in February 2024, 11% of Ukrainians celebrate Victory Day as the most popular holiday, while
Christmas is 70%, Easter is 68% and New Year is 47%. Sociologists note that in 2010, Victory Day on May 9 was one of the most important holidays, as 58% of Ukrainians thought so. However, already in 2021, only 30% of Ukrainians considered it an important holiday. The decline in the popularity of Victory Day in Ukraine is explained by the fact that this day is very actively celebrated in
Russia as a militaristic holiday.
Unrecognized states celebrating Victory Day •
Abkhazia has officially recognised 9 May since its declaration of independence in 1990. From 1951 the holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. •
South Ossetia has officially recognised 9 May since its declaration of independence in 1990. From 1951 the holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. •
Transnistria has officially recognised 9 May since its declaration of independence in 1990. From 1951 the holiday was similarly celebrated there while the polity was
part of the Soviet Union.
Former states • From 1948 to 1993, the communist-dominated
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic celebrated the holiday on 9 May in concert with the Soviet Union. Then, it was mainly celebrated with a military parade of the
Czechoslovak People's Army (ČSLA) on
Letná every five years to mark the end of World War II and the anniversary of the
Prague uprising (the first one took place in 1951 while the last of these parades took place in 1985). Since the
Dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993,
Czech Republic has officially recognized
8 May as Liberation Day (Den osvobození). In recent years the Prague uprising and liberation of
Plzeň by American troops have been commemorated on 5 May. • The
German Democratic Republic recognized
Tag der Befreiung (Day of liberation) on 8 May, it was celebrated as a public holiday from 1950 to 1966, and on the 40th anniversary in 1985. Only in 1975 was the official holiday on 9 May instead and that year called
Tag des Sieges (Victory Day). In
Federal Republic of Germany, events are held on
8 May to commemorate those who fought against Nazism and died in World War II. Also, on 8 May, the German state of
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 2002 has recognised a commemorative day
Tag der Befreiung vom Nationalsozialismus und der Beendigung des 2. Weltkrieges (Day of Liberation from National Socialism, and the End of the Second World War). •
Soviet Union celebrated 9 May since 1945, with the day becoming a public holiday since 1965 in some Soviet Republics. • officially recognised 9 May from 1965 to its disestablishment after the
Yugoslav Wars. The first victory parade was held on
Bulevar revolucije in the presence of
Marshal Josip Broz Tito in 1965 and was held every 5 years since (save for 1980) until the final parade in 1985.
Former unrecognized states • The
Republic of Artsakh had officially recognised 9 May since its declaration of independence in 1991. From 1951 the holiday was similarly celebrated there while the country was
part of the Soviet Union. It coincided with the country's
Liberation Day, celebrating the Armenian victory in the
Capture of Shushi.
Holiday traditions Victory Day Parades on
Moscow's
Red Square. on
Moscow's
Red Square. .
Military parades and Soviet military symbolism play an important role in the 9 May celebrations across Russia.
Victory Day Parades are
military parades that are held on 9 May, particularly in various post-soviet nations such as
Russia,
Kazakhstan,
Belarus, and until 2015,
Ukraine. Outside of the former Soviet Union, military victory parades have also been held in
Serbia,
Poland and the
Czech Republic. The first victory day parade on
Red Square took place with the participation of the
Red Army and a small detachment from the
First Polish Army on 24 June 1945. After a 20-year hiatus, the parade was held again and became a regular tradition among
Eastern Bloc countries and Soviet allies. Countries that had this tradition included
Yugoslavia and
Czechoslovakia, both of which had their last parades in 1985. After the
fall of the Soviet Union, they quickly fell out of style in
Europe and soon became a practice among
post-Soviet nations, many of which have large Russian populations. In 1995, Russia,
Kazakhstan,
Belarus, and
Ukraine held parades for the first time since 1991.
Mass processions In Belarus on non-jubilee years, a procession is held from
October Square, which ends with the laying of wreaths on
Victory Square. In 2015, a parade of young people, cadets of military lyceums, young athletes took place on Bishkek's
Ala-Too Square, attended by President
Almazbek Atambayev and Prime Minister
Temir Sariev. The
Immortal Regiment () is a massive civil event staged in major cities in Russia and around the world every 9 May. Since it was introduced in 2012, it has been conducted in cities such as
Moscow,
Washington D.C.,
Dushanbe,
Berlin, and
Yekaterinburg. Participants carry pictures of relatives or family members who served during the Second World War. The front line of the procession carries a banner with the words
Bessmertniy Polk written on it. Up to 12 million Russians have participated in the march nationwide in recent years. Since 2015, the President
Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials have participated in the procession in Moscow. It has come under criticism by those who charge that participants are carrying photographs and discarding them after the event. On 20 April 2023 the
Latvian Parliament passed a bill to ban all public celebrations on May 9, the only exception being Europe Day.
Religious commemorations In the Easter message of 1945, the
Patriarch Alexy I of Moscow wrote: Every 26 April (
Old Style, O.S.; 9 May, New Style or N.S.), the
Russian Orthodox Church commemorates the dead, being the only special remembrance day for the dead with a fixed date. After the
liturgy, a memorial service for the fallen soldiers is served in all churches and monasteries of the Orthodox Church. The annual commemoration on Victory Day "of the soldiers who for faith, the Fatherland and the people laid down their lives and all those who died in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945" was established by the
Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1994. On the eve of the 65th anniversary in 2010,
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow gave his blessing for all the churches of the Russian Orthodox Church to perform a "prayer service in memory of the deliverance of our people from a terrible, mortal enemy, from a danger that our Fatherland has not known in all history". The patriarch composed a special prayer for this rite, taking as a basis the prayer of
Philaret Drozdov, written in honor of the victory of the
Imperial Russian Army over the
French Grande Armee during the
Napoleonic Wars. The completion of the
Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces was timed to Victory Day in 2020.
Other events Traditions such as the Victory Relay Race are held on jubilee anniversaries. In 2013, Turkmenistan conducted live-fire military exercises "Galkan-2013" (Shield-2013) dedicated to the 68th anniversary of the Victory, observed by President
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov at the Kelyata Training Center of the
Ministry of Defence of Turkmenistan in the
Bäherden District of the
Ahal Region. In 2016, Moldovan Defence Minister
Anatol Șalaru attended a display of vehicles from the
Moldovan National Army and the
United States Army in the central park of
Chișinău. In April 2020, an official in the
Western Military District of Russia announced that an air show would be held at
Kubinka air base in Victory Day. On Victory Day, many books on topics such as the war such as
Panfilov's Twenty-Eight Guardsmen are published. On the eve of the diamond jubilee, President Vladimir Putin, at the request of Chancellor
Sebastian Kurz, gave a live address broadcast Austrian TV channel
ORF. ==Soviet and post-Soviet symbols associated with Victory Day==