Ukraine marks Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II

Today, May 8, Ukraine marks the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II.

According to Ukrinform, in 2023 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law establishing May 8 as the single official date for honoring victory over Nazism and commemorating those who died during World War II. The day will become an official public holiday after martial law in Ukraine is lifted.

Commemorating the end of World War II on May 8 in Ukraine was first introduced by civic organizations in the early 2000s. In 2014, the format received state-level support from the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory and the Ministry of Culture. In 2015, first by presidential decree and later through decommunization laws, May 8 was introduced as the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation – a commemorative day, though not a public holiday. At the same time, May 9 remained Victory Day over Nazism, as society was not yet ready to abandon the traditional Soviet-era date.

In 2023, President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted to parliament a bill establishing May 8 as the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II. He also signed a decree designating May 9 as Europe Day in Ukraine, celebrated together with the European Union.

Since 2014, the symbol of remembrance for World War II in Ukraine, as in Europe, has been the remembrance poppy – a stylized image resembling a bullet passing through a heart while also symbolizing the rebirth of life where battles once took place.

In general, Ukraine’s transition to the European tradition of remembrance began after the Revolution of Dignity. This approach involves not only changing the date, but also shifting the focus – from the cult of weapons and victory to honoring the contributions of various communities in defeating Nazism, as well as emphasizing human suffering and loss. The Day of Remembrance and Victory serves as a reminder that World War II began as a result of agreements between two totalitarian regimes – Nazi Germany and the communist Soviet Union – as well as the unwillingness of the world’s most powerful states to resist aggressors.

At the same time, Ukrainians, as part of the anti-Hitler coalition, made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazism and its allies. Millions of Ukrainians fought in the regular armies of different states, while hundreds of thousands participated in underground and resistance movements. Ukrainian enterprises worked to support defense efforts, and the territory of Ukraine became one of the key theaters of military operations.

Both totalitarian regimes committed numerous crimes against civilians during the occupation of Ukrainian territory, including the Holocaust, mass killings, and the deportation of entire peoples. Ukrainian losses in World War II are estimated at around 8 million people, including five million civilians and three million military personnel.

Today, the Russian Federation, as the successor to the Stalinist regime, uses myths about World War II to manipulate public opinion and justify its aggression against Ukraine, which began in 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.