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Today, May 8, Ukraine honors the memory of all those who fought against Nazism and all the victims of World War II. This date is the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, as well as the Day of Liberation from Fascism. In civilized countries, this day is imbued with the spirit of pacifism and regret for the horrors of war, but in Russia, the words “Ready to repeat” are heard everywhere, FREEDOM informs.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspects armored vehicles, which will soon go to the Ukrainian front. On the same day, a rehearsal of a military parade is taking place in Moscow: tanks are driving in the city center and soldiers are marching. The capitulation of Nazi Germany is a triumph for Russian weapons, the Kremlin believes. However, for the rest of the world, these days of May have a completely different meaning.
The people of France celebrate this date as the Day of Reconciliation with Germany. It is imbued with the idea of pacifism. The President of the Republic lays a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Arc de Triomphe. Gifts are given to veterans at the parade. This year, official Paris did not invite representatives of the aggressor country, Russia, to the celebration for the second time in a row.
In the UK, on May 8, wreaths are laid on London’s Whitehall Street, near the obelisk in memory of the fallen in two world wars. Flowers are also brought to the monument to Soviet soldiers next to the Imperial War Museum. Here you will not hear joyful exclamations and you will not see the smiles of the locals.
Also in Germany itself, May 8th is the Day of Liberation from National Socialism. Locals gather for amateur concerts in cultural centers, where they sing war songs and read letters and poems from the front, and share their memories. This year, Germany banned the display of Russian flags, popular before a full-scale war, when Russian-speaking residents organized car rallies these days. And although one such did take place, it was opposed by local German anti-fascists.
“We oppose this tradition of victorious madness, which has been actively developing in Russia over the past 20 years, and, in fact, which is one of the reasons for this aggressive war. Because instead of remembering the victims, instead of commemorating the millions of people who died in this war, in fact, there is war propaganda,” said Yuri Nikitin, Chairman of the Board of Freies Russland NRW.
In the United States, the official ceremony takes place on April 25 near the Spirit of the Elbe memorial plaque near Washington. In 1945, a meeting of Soviet and American troops took place there, and the plate became a symbol of the brotherhood of states.
In most European countries, as well as in the United States, the holiday is called the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation and is celebrated earlier – on May 8, on the day the act of surrender of Germany was signed. In Norway it is the Day of Liberation, and in Slovakia it is the Day of Victory over Nazism, in Poland it is the Day of Victory and Freedom.
Differences in dates arose due to differences in time zones. At the time of the announcement of surrender, according to European time, it was still May 8, 22:43, and in Moscow it was already 43 minutes like May 9. So, two time zones shared one event, although then, of course, it did not matter much. The main thing was that the nightmare of the most terrible war in world history, which claimed the lives of at least 60 million people, had ended.
