Russia's Victory Day: Symbolism, controversy, and parade power

Victory Day, celebrated on 9 May, is one of the most important national holidays in Russia, commemorating the capitulation of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe. It is a celebration full of grandiosity, military parades, and national pride, yet it also sparks controversy—both within Russia and internationally. It's worth examining its history and symbolism and how the celebrations have changed over the years.

• The Russian Victory Day is celebrated on 9 May, as opposed to 8 May in Western countries.
• The holiday commemorates the capitulation of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II from the perspective of the USSR.
• The culmination of the celebrations is the victory parade on Red Square in Moscow.
• The event is used for propaganda by the Russian authorities, especially since the war in Ukraine.
• The West, including NATO, the USA, the European Union, and many European countries, boycotts the Russian celebrations.
• Participation by countries like China, Serbia, or Slovakia is perceived as support for the Russian narrative.
• Vladimir Putin consistently uses this holiday to build an ideological message of "defending the homeland" from perceived threats from the West.
• In many countries of the region—including Poland—9 May is seen as an element of Russian propaganda.

Russian Victory Day, celebrated on 9 May, is one of the most important national holidays in Russia. It commemorates the capitulation of Nazi Germany and the formal end of World War II on the Eastern Front. While Victory over Germany is also celebrated by other European countries, for Russia—and previously the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)—it holds a particularly propagandistic, historical, and emotional significance.

On 9 May 1945, during the night of 8 to 9 May Moscow time, the act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was signed in Berlin in front of representatives of the USSR. For Russia, this day became a symbol of heroism and suffering, as well as a central point in the narrative of victory over fascism. During the USSR era, the celebrations were especially solemn, but it was not until 1965 that annual military parades began to be organised in Moscow on Red Square.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russian Victory Day did not lose its importance—quite the opposite. The authorities of the Russian Federation, led by Vladimir Putin, have made this holiday an important tool of domestic and foreign policy. The symbolism of 9 May has become closely linked to the narrative about the state's might and the necessity of defending it against threats from the West, including NATO, the USA, and the European Union.

In recent years, especially since the start of the war in Ukraine, the celebrations have taken on an even stronger propagandistic tone. Russia emphasises its role as the "liberator of Europe" in these celebrations and continues the rhetoric of fighting Nazism—despite growing criticism from many Western countries.

Although most Western countries—including Poland, France, Germany, and members of NATO and the European Union—celebrate the end of World War II on 8 May, Russia (and formerly the USSR) celebrates this event a day later, on 9 May. This difference is mainly due to time zone issues and political decisions made after the war.

The signing of the act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany took place on 8 May 1945, in the evening in Berlin, around 10:01 PM GMT (11:01 PM Central European Time). However, in Moscow, it was already 9 May—after midnight. Therefore, the USSR adopted 9 May as the official day of victory over Nazi Germany.

The decision to establish 9 May as a national holiday also had a symbolic dimension. The Soviet Union wanted to emphasise its independence and distinctness from the West in this manner. In the context of the Cold War and increasing tensions between East and West, this difference in dates became one of the elements of propagandistic separation from capitalist countries.

Importantly, even today, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, maintains 9 May as a national holiday, and the celebrations are carefully planned and broadcast in the media. This date holds enormous significance in creating national identity, building the myth of the "Great Patriotic War," and preserving the memory of the USSR's role in defeating Nazi Germany—while simultaneously omitting or downplaying the roles of the West, the USA, Great Britain, or France.

The Russian Victory Day is one of Russia's most spectacular and symbolic national holidays. Every year on 9 May, the streets of cities, especially Moscow, transform into a stage for a military spectacle, culminating in the victory parade on Red Square. The event gathers thousands of soldiers, tanks, missiles, and fighter jets—all to showcase the strength of the Russian Federation's military and to commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

The event is tightly choreographed and serves as a form of commemoration and a propaganda tool. In speeches delivered by Vladimir Putin, references to the fight against Nazism, the role of the USSR, and warnings against "enemies" from the West, NATO, the USA, or the European Union dominate. Especially after the war in Ukraine began, the narrative surrounding 9 May has become significantly more severe.

The celebrations also include:

• laying flowers at monuments to Soviet soldiers,
• marches of the so-called Immortal Regiment, which are processions of people carrying portraits of their relatives who fought in the war,
• educational and media events glorifying the role of the USSR in defeating Nazism,
• religious ceremonies and patriotic concerts.

In recent years, the victory parade has gained increasing political significance—it has become a show of strength and an occasion to legitimise Russia's actions, including aggression towards Ukraine. The participation of foreign leaders is often limited, and the arrival of politicians such as Aleksandar Vučić (Serbia) or Robert Fico (Slovakia) is sometimes seen as an endorsement of the Russian historical narrative.

Although Russian Victory Day is presented as a tribute to the victims of World War II, each year it stirs more controversies—both within Russia and beyond its borders.

Many historians and observers point out that 9 May has become a tool of propaganda, used to build the mythology of the USSR as the sole contributor to the defeat of Nazi Germany. In Moscow's official narrative, the roles of the USA, Great Britain, France, and also Poland, which suffered huge losses and fought against Nazism since 1939, are increasingly omitted.

Controversy also arises from the presentation of history—Russia increasingly uses the victory parade and accompanying speeches to justify its own military actions, especially in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin compares Russia's adversaries to Nazis and accuses the West, NATO, and the European Union of trying to destroy Russian sovereignty and history.

Furthermore, there is increasing criticism of the use of images of children in military uniforms, the glorification of military might, and the marginalisation of the victims' tragedy. International organisations, including the EU and human rights groups, warn that Russia deliberately distorts history to legitimise contemporary aggression, especially against Ukraine and Central and Eastern European countries.

Significantly, some states choose to boycott the celebrations—for example, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania consistently refuse to participate in ceremonies in Moscow, recognising them as propagandistic and not aligned with historical truth.

Russian Victory Day has long elicited mixed reactions internationally. In the past, leaders of many countries—including France, Germany, the USA, Italy, and Poland—attended the anniversary celebrations in Moscow. However, since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and especially after the full-scale war in Ukraine began in 2022, most Western countries decided to boycott the ceremonies, accusing Russia of using history for political purposes.

Contemporary victory parades are no longer a gesture of international community memory, but a show of Russia's military strength and a demonstration of its isolation from NATO, the EU, the USA, and many other countries in Europe. The 9 May celebrations are also criticised for their aggressive rhetoric, anti-Western messaging, and blurring the lines between historical memory and current politics.

The exceptions are countries maintaining close relations with Moscow—such as China, Serbia, or Slovakia. In 2024, among those present at the parade were Xi Jinping and prime ministers Robert Fico, and president Aleksandar Vučić. Their presence was perceived as a sign of support for the narrative presented by Vladimir Putin.

Conversely, Central and Eastern European countries including Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and the Czech Republic not only do not participate in the celebrations but also actively remind people about the crimes of the USSR, Soviet occupation, and historical manipulation of facts. In these countries, 8 May is celebrated as the day of victory over fascism, but without glorifying the role of the Soviet Union.