May 9 is the main holiday of our country. How to celebrate Victory Day and what not to do on the holiday

Every country, every people has its own main holiday, which is celebrated annually for a long time. It unites the nation with a sense of pride in the valiant deeds of their ancestors, which will remain in the memory of their descendants forever. There is such a holiday in Russia too. Victory, which is celebrated on May 9.

A little history

The Great Patriotic War began on June 22, 1941 and lasted 4 long years. They suffered a lot during the years of fascist occupation, but they still won. The people paved the way for Victory Day with their own hands. Only thanks to his dedicated work and military merits, the Soviet Union was able to win this war, although it was not easy to do.

The final breakthrough, which led to the end of hostilities with Germany, was very long and difficult. Soviet troops began advancing in the area of ​​Poland and Prussia in January 1945. The Allies were not far behind. They quickly moved towards Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. According to many historians of that and present times, Hitler's suicide, which occurred on April 20, 1945, predetermined the complete defeat of Germany.

But the death of the mentor and leader did not stop the Nazi troops. The bloody battles for Berlin, however, led to the fact that the USSR and its allies defeated the Nazis. Victory Day is a tribute to the heavy price paid by the ancestors of many of us. Hundreds of thousands were killed on both sides - only after this did the German capital capitulate. This happened on May 7, 1945; contemporaries remembered that significant day for a long time.

Price of Victory

About 2.5 million soldiers were involved in the assault on Berlin. The losses of the Soviet Army were enormous. According to some reports, our army lost up to 15 thousand people per day. 325 thousand officers and soldiers died in the Battle of Berlin. There was a real bloody war going on. Victory Day was, after all, the day whose first celebration was just around the corner.

Since the fighting took place within the city, Soviet tanks could not maneuver widely. This only played into the hands of the Germans. They used anti-tank weapons to destroy military equipment. In a matter of weeks the following were lost by the Soviet Army:

• 1997 tanks;
• more than 2000 guns;
• about 900 aircraft.

Despite the huge losses in this battle, our troops defeated the enemies. The Day of the Great Victory over the Nazis was also marked by the fact that about half a million German soldiers were captured in this battle. The enemy suffered heavy losses. Soviet troops destroyed a huge number of German units, namely:

• 12 tank;
• 70 infantry;
• 11 motorized divisions.

Casualties

According to main sources, about 26.6 million people died in the Great Patriotic War. This number was determined by the demographic balance method. This number includes:

1. Those killed as a result of military and other enemy actions.
2. Persons who left the USSR during the war, as well as those who did not return after its end.
3. Died due to the increased mortality rate during military operations in the rear and in the occupied territory.

As for the gender of those who died and died during the Second World War, most of them were men. The total number is 20 million people.

Public Holiday

Kalinin signed a decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR stating that May 9 - Victory Day - is a public holiday. It was declared a day off. At 6 a.m. Moscow time, this decree was read out on the radio by a nationally known announcer, Levitan. On the same day, a plane landed on Red Square in Moscow, delivering the act of

Celebration of the first Victory Day

In the evening, the Victory Salute was given in Moscow - the largest in the history of the USSR. 30 salvos were fired from a thousand guns. It took a long time to prepare for the first celebration dedicated to Victory Day. The holiday was celebrated like no other in the Soviet Union. People on the streets hugged and cried, congratulating each other on their victory.

The first military parade took place on Red Square on June 24. Marshal Zhukov received him. The parade was commanded by Rokossovsky. Regiments from the following fronts marched across Red Square:

• Leningradsky;
• Belarusian;
• Ukrainian;
• Karelsky.

A combined regiment of the Navy also passed through the square. Commanders and Heroes of the Soviet Union walked ahead, carrying flags and banners of military units that distinguished themselves in battle.

At the end of the military parade on Red Square, Victory Day was marked by the fact that two hundred banners of defeated Germany were carried and thrown at the Mausoleum. Only after time had passed did the military parade begin to be held on Victory Day - May 9.

Period of oblivion

After the war, the country's leadership considered that the Soviet people, tired of fighting and bloodshed, should forget those events a little. And strange as it may seem, the custom of celebrating such an important holiday on a grand scale did not last long. In 1947, a new scenario for Victory Day was introduced by the country's leadership: it was completely canceled, and May 9 was recognized as an ordinary working day. Accordingly, all festivities and military parades were not held.

In 1965, in the year of its 20th anniversary, it was restored to its rights and again recognized as a national holiday. Many regions of the Soviet Union held their own parades. And this day ended with the usual fireworks display for everyone.

The collapse of the USSR soon followed, which led to the emergence of various conflicts, including on political topics. In 1995, full celebration of Victory Day was resumed in Russia. In the same year, as many as 2 parades took place in Moscow. One was on foot and took place on Red Square. And the second was carried out using armored vehicles, and it was observed on Poklonnaya Hill.

The official part of the holiday takes place traditionally. On Victory Day, words of congratulations are heard, followed by the laying of wreaths and flowers at the monuments and memorials of the Great Patriotic War, and the obligatory evening fireworks crown the celebration.

Victory Day

In our country there is no more touching, tragic and at the same time glorious holiday than Victory Day. It is still celebrated annually on May 9th. No matter how the facts of our history have changed in recent years, this day remains beloved by everyone, a dear and bright holiday.

On May 9, millions of people remember how their grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought, not sparing their lives, with enemies who decided to conquer the Soviet Union. They remember those who worked hard in factories producing equipment and weapons for the military. People were starving, but they held on because they understood that the future victory over the fascist invaders depended only on their actions. It was these people who won the war, and thanks to their generation, today we live under peaceful skies.

How is Victory Day celebrated in Russia?

On this day, rallies and demonstrations take place. Flowers and wreaths are laid at the monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. They honor veterans and participants in those distant and at the same time so close events. In general, the same scenario always awaits us on this day. On Victory Day, in many countries there are no noisy parties, and no firecrackers are set off in the evenings. But this date enters the young hearts of Russians with black-and-white newsreels about that time, with soul-stirring songs about a cramped dugout, about the frontline path and the soldier Alyosha forever frozen over the mountain.

May 9 is a holiday of a proud, victorious people. 70 years have passed since the first celebration of Victory Day. But until now this date is sacred for every Russian person. After all, there is not a single family that would not be touched by the grief of loss. Millions of soldiers went to the front, thousands of people remained to work in the rear. The entire people rose to defend the Fatherland, and they managed to defend the right to a peaceful life.

An invariable attribute of the Victory Day holiday

Over the years, the holiday acquired its own traditions. In 1965, the banner was carried out at a parade dedicated to the great date. It remained an unchanged attribute of the holiday, which symbolized Victory Day. and today it is extremely significant: parades are still full of red banners. Since 1965, the original Victory attribute was replaced with a copy. The first banner can be seen in

Also, the constant colors that accompany May 9 are black and yellow - symbols of smoke and flame. Since 2005, the St. George's Ribbon has been a constant reflection of gratitude for peace and respect for veterans.

Heroes are winners

Every year Russia celebrates a peaceful spring. Only, unfortunately, front-line wounds, time and illness are inexorable. Today, out of every hundred victors in the Great Patriotic War, only two people remain alive. And this is a very sad statistic, especially for those who were born only after Victory Day began to be celebrated. Veterans are our grandfathers and great-grandfathers who still remember those war years. They must be treated with special attention and honor. After all, it was they who made the sky above our heads become and remain peaceful.

Time treats everyone mercilessly, even the valiant heroes of a harsh war. Year by year, the number of participants in those terrible events becomes less and less. But, as before, they go out into the streets with orders and medals on their chests. Veterans meet each other, remember old times, remember friends and loved ones who died in those years. Elderly people visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Eternal Flame. They travel to places of military glory, visiting the graves of comrades who did not live to see our bright days. We must not forget about the significance of feats that they have in relation to each individual fate and to world history in general. A little more time will pass, and there will be no witnesses or participants in that bloody war left at all. Therefore, it is important to be very sensitive to this date - May 9.

Let's remember our ancestors

The main wealth of every human soul is the memory of their ancestors. After all, in order for us to live now and be who we are, many generations of people created our society. They made life as we know it.

The memory of the departed is priceless. The heroism of the victors of World War II cannot be assessed. We do not know all these great people by name. But what they accomplished cannot be measured by any material benefit. Even without knowing their names, our generation remembers them not only on Victory Day. We say words of gratitude every day for our peaceful existence. The largest number of flowers - an expressed evidence of people's memory and admiration - is at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. There is always a light burning here, as if saying that although names remain unknown, human feats are immortal.

Everyone who fought in the Great Patriotic War did not fight for their own well-being. People fought for the independence and freedom of their homeland. These heroes are immortal. And we know that a person is alive as long as he is remembered.

Monuments dedicated to Victory Day

The Second World War left a huge and unforgettable mark on the history of our country. For 70 years now, we have been annually remembering this great May. Victory Day is a special holiday where the memory of those who died is honored. In the vastness of Russia, a lot of memorials dedicated to the victory in the Great Patriotic War have been created. And all monuments are different. There are both inconspicuous obelisks in small villages and huge monuments in large cities.

Here are some famous buildings throughout the country and the world dedicated to WWII soldiers:

• Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow.
• Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd.
• Heroes Square in Novorossiysk.
• Alley of Heroes in St. Petersburg.
• Eternal Flame of Glory in Novgorod.
• Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and much more.

Celebration with tears in your eyes

This significant and at the same time mournful holiday cannot be separated from the song “Victory Day”. It contains these lines:

"This Victory Day
The smell of gunpowder
This is a holiday
With gray hair at the temples.
This is joy
With tears in his eyes…"

This song is a kind of symbol of the great date - May 9. Victory Day is never complete without it.

In March 1975, V. Kharitonov and D. Tukhmanov wrote a song dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. The country was preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany, and the Union of Composers of the USSR announced a competition to create the best song on the theme of heroic events. A few days before the end of the competition, the work was written. It was performed at the last audition of the competition by D. Tukhmanov’s wife, poet and singer T. Sashko. But the song did not immediately become popular. Only in November 1975, at a celebration dedicated to the song performed by L. Leshchenko, was remembered by the listener. After that, she gained the love of the whole country.

There are other performers of the famous “Victory Day”. This:

• I. Kobzon;
• M. Magomaev;
• Yu. Bogatikov;
• E. Piekha et al.

Victory Day will forever remain that holiday for Russians, which they greet with bated breath and tears in their eyes. Eternal memory to the heroes!

On May 9, 2018, our country celebrates the most important date for the 73rd time - Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. Our people paid a huge price for this Victory - more than 27 million dead, tens of millions maimed, knocked out generations, the memory of which was echoed decades later by demographic crises... Almost every Russian family sacredly preserves the memory of its heroes of this most terrible war in the history of mankind - the dead, those who fought, home front workers, children of besieged Leningrad, prisoners of concentration camps...

History of the Victory Day holiday

The first time Victory Day was celebrated in the USSR was on May 9, 1945. It was on May 9 that the end of the Great Patriotic War was officially announced to the Soviet people. And on July 24, 1945, the historic Victory Parade took place in Moscow on Red Square to commemorate the USSR’s victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War.

From 1945 to 1948, Victory Day on May 9 was a day off and was celebrated quite officially in the Soviet Union. The main official attribute of the holiday was the fireworks, which took place in the hero cities.

Veterans, of whom there were many at that time and who were still young, traditionally met on May 9, drank “People’s Commissar” hundred grams for the Victory, recalled their experiences... In Moscow, the traditional gathering of veterans and fellow soldiers takes place at the Bolshoi Theater, Muscovites also came there, there were always a lot of young people ... This famous ritual was reflected in many “thaw” films, when the memory of war heroes began to be actively revived, in particular in the film Marlena Khutsieva"July Rain"

In 1948, the May 9 holiday was canceled, although a thirty-artillery salvo was still carried out. Until the early 1960s, Victory Day was celebrated very modestly, mainly among veterans and the military, among whom there were many participants in the Great Patriotic War.

In the early 60s, the then head of the Soviet state Nikita Khrushchev returned Victory Day to state status - it was then that the still young veterans were made to understand that their feat had not been forgotten, that the country remembered and loved them. Khutsiev’s films “Ilyich’s Outpost” and “It Was the Month of May”, “The Cranes Are Flying” are about this Mikhail Kalatozov, this is the famous “Belorussky Station” Andrey Smirnov and dozens of other film masterpieces.

And in 1965 - in the twenty-year anniversary of the Victory - May 9 again became a day off, and the holiday acquired those features that it has retained to this day. Military parade, minute of silence in memory of the dead, honoring veterans, holiday fireworks.

The last time the anniversary of the Victory, in which veterans still alive and more or less full of strength were able to take part en masse, occurred in 1985, on the fortieth anniversary of the Victory. The holiday was widely celebrated in 1995, but the veterans left - and much fewer of those who actually participated in that war gathered for the half-century anniversary of the Victory.

Subsequent anniversaries were more aimed at preserving the people's memory of the war and Victory, which was especially clearly manifested in the people's action "Immortal Regiment", which dates back to 2012. Every year, more and more people take part in the procession of people with portraits of their relatives - heroes and participants of the Great Patriotic War, home front workers, children of besieged Leningrad, people who survived the war - the number goes into the millions. The President of Russia regularly participates in these events Vladimir Putin, whose father defended Leningrad on the Nevsky patch.

Congratulations on Victory Day

The Great Patriotic War gave a powerful stimulus to Russian poetry, giving the world both lyric masterpieces and poems that reflected all the pain and horror of the war. These are “Wait for me”, “Enemies burned their own hut”, “When they go to death, they sing”, “Dugout”, “Do you remember, Alyosha, the roads of the Smolensk region”, “He was buried in the globe”, “I know, none of mine guilt...", "My comrade in mortal agony..." and dozens of other masterpieces, many of which we remember by heart from school.

Without detracting from the greatness of these verses, let’s say a word for the poetic lines that will be appropriate for congratulating veterans and loved ones who may remember the war not only from books, but also from personal childhood impressions.

***
The holiday is joyful and bright
The whole country celebrates.
May the sun shine brightly on us -
The world doesn't need war!
Happy Victory Day,
Glory to the fallen and the living.
We glorify your immortal feat
And we say “thank you”!

***
I wish you a clear sky and peace without war,
And radiant joy
For all the people of the earth.
Relatives, loved ones - happy holiday!
Love, health, strength!
May every day make you happy
And brought happiness!

***
Victory Day is memorable and bitter!
Victory Day is a holiday for centuries!
Let's bow to the veterans together.
The country says “thank you” to you.
We survived. Saved. Forever in memory
To all those who died, to all who did not live.
To you, who are next to us today,
Health, joy and strength to everyone!

On May 9, Russia celebrates a national holiday - Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, in which the Soviet people fought for the freedom and independence of their Motherland against Nazi Germany and its allies. The Great Patriotic War is the most important and decisive part of the Second World War of 1939-1945.

The Great Patriotic War began at dawn on June 22, 1941, when Nazi Germany, violating the Soviet-German treaties of 1939, attacked the Soviet Union. Romania, Italy took her side, and a few days later Slovakia, Finland, Hungary and Norway.

The war lasted almost four years and became the largest armed conflict in human history. On the front, stretching from the Barents to the Black Sea, from 8 million to 12.8 million people fought on both sides at different periods, from 5.7 thousand to 20 thousand tanks and assault guns, from 84 thousand to 163 thousand guns and mortars were used , from 6.5 thousand to 18.8 thousand aircraft.

Already in 1941, the plan for a lightning war, during which the German command planned to capture the entire Soviet Union in a few months, failed. The persistent defense of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), the Arctic, Kyiv, Odessa, Sevastopol, and the Battle of Smolensk contributed to the disruption of Hitler’s plan for a lightning war.

The country survived, the course of events turned. Soviet soldiers defeated fascist troops near Moscow, Stalingrad (now Volgograd) and Leningrad, in the Caucasus, and inflicted crushing blows on the enemy in the Kursk Bulge, Right Bank Ukraine and Belarus, in the Iasi-Kishinev, Vistula-Oder and Berlin operations.

Over the course of almost four years of war, the Armed Forces of the USSR defeated 607 divisions of the fascist bloc. On the Eastern Front, German troops and their allies lost more than 8.6 million people. More than 75% of all enemy weapons and military equipment were captured and destroyed.

The war, which was a tragedy in almost every Soviet family, ended in victory for the USSR. The act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was signed in the suburbs of Berlin on May 8, 1945 at 22.43 Central European time (Moscow time on May 9 at 0.43). It is because of this time difference that the Day of the end of World War II in Europe is celebrated on May 8, and in the USSR and then in Russia - on May 9.

According to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation of April 15, 1996, on Victory Day, when laying wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, holding ceremonial meetings, military parades and processions of Great Patriotic War veterans on Red Square in Moscow, along with the State Flag of the Russian Federation, the Victory Banner hoisted above the Reichstag is carried out in May 1945.

Since 2005, a few days before Victory Day, it starts with the goal of returning and instilling the value of the holiday in the younger generation. Black and orange ribbons have become a symbol of memory of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a sign of gratitude to the veterans who liberated the world from fascism. The motto of the action is “I remember, I am proud.”
The action covers almost the entire territory of Russia, many countries of the former USSR, and in the last few years it has also taken place in the countries of Europe and North America.

According to established tradition, veterans’ meetings, ceremonial events and concerts are held on Victory Day. Wreaths and flowers are laid at monuments of military glory, memorials, and mass graves, and guards of honor are displayed. Memorial services are held in churches and temples in Russia. Since 1965, radio and television have been broadcasting a special solemn and mourning program “Minute of Silence” on May 9.

On May 9, 2013, a military parade will be held in 24 cities of the country. 11 thousand 312 people will take part in the parade on Red Square in Moscow. It will involve 101 units of weapons and military equipment. Eight helicopters will carry the flags of the branches and branches of the military.

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Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 is celebrated not only in Russia, but also in the former Soviet republics and many European countries.

2014 marks 69 years since the Soviet army defeated Germany in this long and bloody war.

Victory Day - the history of the holiday

The final stage of the war was the Berlin operation, in which more than two and a half million Soviet soldiers took part, seven and a half thousand aircraft, more than six thousand tanks and self-propelled guns were involved. It is difficult to imagine what sacrifices this victory cost our country. According to some reports, during the operation the Red Army lost more than fifteen thousand soldiers every day. While fulfilling their duty, a total of 352 thousand people died during the Berlin operation.

Tanks were brought into the city, but there were so many of them that wide maneuvers were impossible - this made Soviet equipment vulnerable to German anti-tank weapons. Tanks became easy targets. In two weeks of the operation, a third of tanks and self-propelled guns (almost two thousand units of equipment), more than two thousand mortars and guns were lost. However, the Berlin operation brought victory to the Red Army. Soviet troops defeated seventy enemy infantry, twelve tank and eleven motorized divisions. About four hundred eighty thousand opponents were captured.

So, on the evening of May 8, the act of unconditional surrender of Germany was signed. This happened at 22:43 Central European time and at 00:43 Moscow time. The act came into force at 1:00 Moscow time. Therefore, in European countries Victory Day is celebrated on May 8, and in Russia on the 9th. It is interesting that, although the act of surrender was adopted, the Soviet Union continued to officially remain at war with Germany until 1955, when the corresponding decision was made by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

On May 9, a plane landed at the Frunze Central Airfield in Moscow, bringing the act of German surrender to the capital. The Victory Parade took place on Red Square on June 24. The parade was hosted by Marshal Georgy Zhukov, and Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky commanded the parade. The combined regiments of the fronts marched through the square in a solemn march. The commanders of armies and fronts walked ahead, Heroes of the Soviet Union carried banners.

In 1945, Stalin signed a decree making May 9 a public holiday and a day off. However, already in 1948, Victory Day became a working day. Parades and celebrations resumed only in 1965. At this time, the holiday of May 9 finally became a day off again.

Victory Day - holiday traditions

The first Victory Day was celebrated like never before in history. On the streets people hugged and kissed each other. Many were crying. On the evening of May 9, a Victory salute was given in Moscow, the largest in the entire history of the USSR: thirty salvos from a thousand guns. Since then, Victory Day has been and remains one of the most important and revered holidays in Russia and the CIS.

According to tradition, on this day volunteers hand out St. George ribbons on the streets - a symbol of the holiday. Veterans and young people tie them as a sign of memory of the war and the connection between generations. Victory Day, as a rule, begins with a parade and the laying of flowers and centuries at the monuments of the Great Patriotic War. On this day, veterans are honored, festive concerts are organized for them, and gifts are given to them. Educational institutions conduct lessons on courage and remember the war and its heroes.

This day became special on May 8, 1945, when the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “On declaring May 9 as Victory Day” was signed in the Kremlin. Its text read: “In commemoration of the victorious completion of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people against the Nazi invaders and the historical victories of the Red Army, ... to establish that May 9 is a day of national celebration - the VICTORY HOLIDAY. May 9 is considered a non-working day.”

However, after several months, on September 2, 1945, the same Presidium of the Armed Forces legalized the “more important” holiday: Victory Day in World War II. It was timed to coincide with September 3, the day of victory over Japan. And, to the delight of citizens, they were also declared non-working.

However, they did not rejoice for long. The existence of this new “red date” in the calendar turned out to be very short-lived.

Victory Day No. 2 in the Country of Soviets was celebrated “in full” only once – in September 1946. And then it turned out that for the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of the USSR, the victory over Nazi Germany was much more important than the final victory in World War II. As a result, the idea of ​​a “Japanese” Victory Day was quietly put on hold. In the years following 1946, the authorities did not announce any celebrations, much less a holiday on September 3. Although formally this was a violation of the law: after all, the September decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Court was never officially canceled.

But with Victory Day No. 1, not everything went smoothly either. Citizens of the USSR had a chance to walk in honor of the recent “victory” over the Nazis only in May 1945, 1946 and 1947. And then “at the top” for some reason they reconsidered their attitude towards this holiday and decided that it should not be celebrated on such a large scale. (It has been suggested that such “obstruction” was perpetrated by Stalin himself, imbued with jealousy of Marshal Zhukov, who at that time had become the “main winner of Germany” for the residents of the country.) Be that as it may, on December 24, 1947, a new document prepared by Presidium of the Supreme Council: “In amendment to the Decree of May 8, 1945, May 9, the Victory Day over Germany, is considered a working day.”

As a result, starting from 1948, our grandparents and fathers and mothers celebrated Victory Day with hard work in workshops, construction sites, in the fields, studying in schools and institutes... Of course, on this day, protocol “meetings of activists with invitations” were held everywhere participants in the hostilities,” newspapers printed solemn editorials, but in fact the only truly festive attribute of this day during the times of Stalin and Khrushchev remained gun salutes fired on the evening of May 9 in several large cities. Even the anniversary holidays in 1950, 1955, and 1960 were no exception.

Only on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Victory, May 9 was again included in the list of main (and non-working!) holidays. Then, in 1965, Victory Day was celebrated on a grand scale. It was precisely this anniversary that awarded the Soviet capital with the honorary title “Hero City”. On the 9th, a military parade was held on Red Square and the Victory Banner was carried in front of the troops (previously, parade units marched through the capital only on May 1 and November 7).

Since then, Victory Day has always been celebrated very solemnly. Streets and squares were decorated with flags and banners. At 7 pm a minute of silence was declared in memory of the victims. Mass meetings of veterans in the center of Moscow have become traditional.

When the sad period of the collapse of the USSR began, the holiday, so revered by the people in most union republics, for some time lost some of its former scale. On May 9, 1990, the last military parade in Soviet history on the occasion of Victory Day took place near the walls of the Kremlin. This tradition was resumed in the new Russia only five years later.