What is Victory Day? history of the holiday

War is never to be expected. The attack always happens suddenly. And only after enough years have passed behind, as a result of a scrupulous analysis of previous events, historians will make a statement about how inevitable the terrible events were. What is Victory Day, everyone knows. Even those who did not study the details of previous events did not go deep into history and were not interested in the origin of this holiday. But nevertheless on the ninth of May each year, beginning in 1945, many countries celebrate this bright holiday, celebrate veterans and hold a festive concert on the Victory Day, which ends with a salute. An integral part of the annual holiday is also a military parade and the laying of flowers to memorials.

Victory Day. history of the holiday

The ninth of May is considered the Day of the legendary victory over the fascist invaders, as well as the Day of memory of the soldiers who fell in the Great Patriotic War. In 1945, the Soviet Union's army launched an offensive in the territory of central Poland and the east of Prussia. It was then that the Victory Day was greatly approximated. The history of the holiday began from this moment. It was the month of January. German troops were expelled from the Ruhr basin and the Rhine area, Soviet soldiers advanced to the Elbe River. On the thirtieth of April Hitler died. By the time he survived four attempts. On May 2, Berlin surrendered. What is Victory Day? This is the very date when Germany surrendered to the mercy of the enemy. The Act of unconditional surrender was signed on the eighth day of the fifth month of 1945, at night. Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union, as well as the British, the French and the Americans. Even before the signing of the final Act of Military Capitulation in Karlshorst, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, placing his signature on the decree, proclaimed the ninth day of the month of May as a holiday, Victory Day.

Some little-known facts

Since the surrender of Germany a long time has passed. Like any historical event in human life, the Victory Day holiday has gained a lot of stories and myths. In addition, many of these stories were created deliberately. For example, a production photo of the installation of the Red Flag over the Reichstag. Till now many torment questions. For what in the photo depicting a historical moment, tanks, smoke and fighters were completed? Who did take the part of the Victory Banner for memory? And also why for the whole twenty years the ninth of May was not celebrated in the calendar as a day off?

Why there are two dates of the Great Victory?

We figured out what Victory Day is and where it came from. But why does Europe celebrate this holiday on another day? Although Berlin fell under the onslaught of Soviet troops on May 2, the German soldiers still resisted for a whole week. The act of final military surrender was signed on the night of the ninth of May. And then the difference in time played a role. At the moment when the ninth day was already in Russia, in the countries of Europe there was still the eighth. This is why the countries of Europe celebrate the eighth of May. This holiday they have the name - Day of Reconciliation. On this day they give honors to the victims of Nazism. And if you look at the official facts, it becomes known that, according to them, the Soviet Union fought against Germany until January 25, 1955.

Bordering the Red Banner above the Reichstag

On May 1, 1945, a red flag was installed over the Reichstag. It is he who is considered the Banner of Victory. There is information that several groups were raised on the roof with flags, and who was the first to manage them is unknown. But there is an official version. According to this version, the flag of Berest, Egorov and Kantaria was installed. But it is known that in the photo depicting this moment, in fact, Kovalev, Ismailov and Gorichev were imprinted. The photo was taken already on May 2, after the capture of Berlin, and later was heavily edited. On the negative, they depicted a puff of smoke that should have indicated the ongoing battle. Also, one of the soldiers had a captured watch, which then disappeared from the photograph. This was done so that no one could blame the Soviet Union for looting.

Where did the piece of the banner disappear?

When the first Victory Day was celebrated, the parade in Moscow was held without a banner. This was because those who took the Reichstag and hoisted his banner above him were absolutely not strong in drill training. And others still decided not to appoint. Therefore, it was decided not to pass a flag on the parade. Somewhat later it turned out that someone cut off from the Banner of Victory a strip that was at least three centimeters wide. Who took the part of the flag as a souvenir - and it is not known. One version says, this is the work of a gunner who participated in the storming of the Reichstag.

The First Victory Celebration

The first Victory Day, the parade in honor of which was held on June 24, 1945, was somewhat delayed. It was planned for the end of May, but the garment factories, which received the task of making ten thousand dress uniforms for the soldiers, did not fit in time. All the soldiers who were selected for the parade, had the same growth and had to train for ten hours a day. The flight of aviation was also planned, but it had to be canceled because of heavy rain. He accepted the parade of Beetles on a white horse. In its place was supposed to be Stalin, but on the eve of Joseph Vissarionovich fell from his horse and commissioned the case to Marshal Zhukov.

Twenty year break

In modern life, congratulations on the Victory Day in poems and songs are heard every year from local scenes of different cities and towns.

The salutes are now booming in your honor.
We, the veterans, congratulate you on the Victory Day!
How wonderful that this holiday is.
Thank you, our grandparents!
Worthy carried you a heavy cross
And they deserve glory honors, no doubt.
We wish you a wonderful long life,
So that you never tire of anything!

T. Dementieva

About this day they write in newspapers and broadcast on radio and television. But it was not always so. In the forty-eighth year, people were told that they should forget about the past war and actively engage in the reconstruction of their country.

And it was only in 1916 that this holiday was revived again thanks to Brezhnev. The second parade was held. The next major military parade was in 1918, and then in the ninety. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, parades began only in the ninety-fifth year, but since then they have been held annually.

Interesting Facts

Despite the fact that the Victory Day is the ninth of May, one thousand nine hundred and forty-five, the war officially ended only on the twenty-fifth of January one thousand nine hundred and fifty-five.

One of the symbols of the Victory was the stripes with the St. George ribbon. This tape was approved in the eighteenth year and was a reward for the manifested valor.

In Europe, this holiday is celebrated on May 8, and in America - on September 2, the day Japan won.

From the year nineteen forty-eight to the sixty-fifth, the ninth of May was not considered a day off.

The last parade of veterans, which was conducted on foot, in the city of Moscow was held in 2000.

In the two thousand and eighth year for the first time in the Moscow Victory Parade heavy equipment took part.

In this article, it was a little clarified what Victory Day is and where it came from. It also sheds light on some interesting historical facts that did not have wide publicity. This holiday is celebrated with warmth and sadness annually in many countries. And the memory of this day is still transmitted from generation to generation, despite the large number of past years.