Victory Day - Definition and Overview

"May 9", Soviet poster based on the famous photo of the Soviet flag being raised over the Reichstag in 1945

Victory Day (Russian: День Победы, Dyen Pobiedy) marks the capitulation of Nazi forces to the Soviet Union and other principal Allied nations in Berlin on May 8, 1945. It is celebrated in the successor states to the Soviet Union on May 9, the date when the surrender took effect Moscow time, especially in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, concluding the Great Patriotic War. The day is most prominently celebrated in Moscow with a traditional military parade on Red Square.

Although most western European countries mark VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) on 8 May, that only marks the day after the German surrender to the UK, France and the United States. The Red Army's command however insisted that the Germans specifically surrender to the Soviet Union, which contributed most to the defeat of Nazi Germany, and held another surrender ceremony late on 8 May. Field-Marshal Wilhelm Keitel submitted the capitulation of the Wehrmacht to the Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov in the Red Army headquarters in Berlin-Karlshorst.

In the countries of the European Union, May 9 is marked as Europe Day, to mark the publication of the Schuman declaration in 1950 - which led to the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community.