War is never expected. An attack always occurs suddenly. And only after enough years are left 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.
Nevertheless, on the ninth of May of each year, starting in 1945, many countries celebrate this bright holiday, honor veterans and conduct a festive concert on Victory Day, ending with a salute. An integral part of the annual holiday is also considered a military parade and laying flowers at memorials.
Victory Day. history of the holiday
May 9 is considered the Day of the legendary victory over the Nazi invaders, as well as the Day of Remembrance for the soldiers who fell in the Great Patriotic War. In 1945, the army of the Soviet Union launched an offensive in central Poland and in the east of Prussia. It was then that Victory Day was significantly 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 region, Soviet soldiers advanced to the Elba River. On April 30, Hitler committed suicide. By that time, he had survived four assassination attempts. The second of May was the surrender of Berlin. What is
Victory Day? This is the same number when Germany surrendered to the grace of the enemy. The act of unconditional surrender was signed on the eighth of the fifth month of 1945, at night. Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union, as well as the British, French and Americans. Even before the signing of the final Act of military surrender 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 lot of time has passed. Like any historical event in human life, the Victory Day holiday has overgrown with a large number of stories and myths. In addition, many of these stories were created intentionally. For example, a production photograph of the installation of the Red Flag over the Reichstag. Until now, many are tormented by questions. Why were tanks, smoke and fighter jets painted on the photograph depicting a historic moment? Who, after all, took away part of the Banner of Victory from memory? And also why for the whole twenty years May 9 was not marked on the calendar as a day off?
Why are there 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 another day? Although Berlin fell under the onslaught of the Soviet troops on May 2, German soldiers nevertheless resisted for another whole week. The act of final military surrender was signed on the night of May 9th. And then the time difference played a role. At that moment, when the ninth day had already arrived in Russia, it was still the eighth in the countries of Europe. That is why the countries of Europe celebrate May 8th. This holiday is called the Day of Reconciliation. On this day, they honor the victims of Nazism. And if we turn to official facts, it will become known that, according to them, the Soviet Union fought with Germany until January 25, 1955.
Raising the Red Banner over the Reichstag
On May 1, 1945, a red flag was set over the Reichstag. It is he who is considered the Banner of Victory. There is information that several groups went up on the roof with flags, and which of them was the first to manage is unknown. But there is an official version. According to this version, the flag of Berest, Egorov and Kantaria was set.
But it is known that in the photo depicting this moment, in fact, Kovalev, Ismailov and Gorichev were captured. The photo was taken already on the second of May, after the capture of Berlin, and later was heavily edited. Puffs of smoke were depicted on the negative, which were supposed to indicate an ongoing battle. One of the soldiers also had a trophy watch, which then disappeared from the photograph. This was done so that no one could accuse the troops of the Soviet Union of 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 happened because those who took the Reichstag and hoisted their banner over it turned out to be completely not strong in combat training. But they still decided not to appoint others. Therefore, it was decided not to take the flag to the parade. Somewhat later, it turned out that someone cut off from the Victory Banner a strip that was at least three centimeters wide. It is not known who took part of the flag as a souvenir. One version says this is the work of the gunner who participated in the assault on the Reichstag.
First Victory Celebration
The first Victory Day, the parade in honor of which was held on June twenty-fourth, 1945, was somewhat late. It was planned for the end of May, but the garment factories, tasked with making ten thousand full-dress uniforms for soldiers for the holiday, did not meet the deadlines.
All the soldiers who were selected for the parade had the same height and had to train ten hours a day. A flight of aircraft was also planned, but had to be canceled due to heavy rain. Took a parade of beetles on a white horse. Stalin was supposed to be in his place, but on the eve of Joseph Vissarionovich fell from his horse and entrusted this matter to Marshal Zhukov.
Twenty year break
In modern life, congratulations on Victory Day in poems and songs sound annually from the local stages of different cities and towns.
Fireworks are now thundering in your honor.
We, veterans, congratulations on Victory Day!
It's great that this holiday is.
Thank you, our grandparents!
You worthily carried a heavy cross
And undoubtedly they deserved glorious honors.
We wish you wonderful long years,
So that you never grieved about anything!
T. Dementieva
This day is written in newspapers and broadcast on radio and television. But it was not always so. In the forty-eighth year, people were announced that they should forget about the past war and actively engage in rebuilding their country.
And only in the nineteen sixty-fifth year, this holiday was revived again thanks to Brezhnev. A second parade was held. The next major military parade was in nineteen eighty-fifth, and then in the ninety. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, parades began to be held only from the ninety-fifth year, but since then they have been held annually.
Interesting Facts
Despite the fact that Victory Day is May 9, one thousand nine hundred and forty-five, the war officially ended only on January 25, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-fifth.
One of the symbols of Victory was the stripes with St. George ribbon. This tape was approved in the eighteenth year and was a reward for valor.
In Europe, this holiday is celebrated on May 8, and in America on September 2, the day Japan won.
Starting from nineteen forty-eighth to sixty-fifth, May ninth was not considered a day off.
The last parade of veterans, which was held on foot, in the city of Moscow took place in the two thousandth year.
In the two thousand and eighth year, heavy equipment took part for the first time in the Moscow Victory Parade.
This article found out a little what Victory Day is and where it came from. And also shed light on some interesting historical facts that were not widely publicized. This holiday is warmly and sadly celebrated annually in many countries. And the memory of this day is still passed down from generation to generation, despite the large number of years that have passed.