Victory Day over Nazism in World War II

While 9 May is the general commemoration of the termination of the Second World War and the allied victory in Europe and North Africa, in Ukraine it is in recent years a triple anniversary aside from Europe Day being marked on said date - 9 May being the date of the 1920 Kyiv Polish-Ukrainian victory parade during the Ukrainian War of Independence, the first ever military parade in modern times to be held in the capital following the Polish-Ukrainian Kyiv offensive. No major commemorations of the parade have been held so far, however.

The Ukrainian Institute of National Memory have published teaching materials in advance and recommended the holiday be celebrated in a new format. Despite the fact that the law "About perpetuation of the victory over Nazism in World War II 1939 - 1945" officially did not came into force, the holiday in Ukraine officially was celebrated in a format different from Russian formats of celebration of "Victory Day". On this day there were ceremony of laying flowers at monuments to unknown soldiers of the Red Army, in Kyiv - a peace march involving military brass bands from Ukraine, Estonia, Jordan, Lithuania, Poland, and Serbia. It was after the ceremony of oath of cadets in the presence of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.[19][20]

The day before, Poroshenko delivered a speech to a Verkhovna Rada filled with veterans of the Red Army, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, Anti-Terrorist Operation veterans, as well as former presidents of Ukraine (Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yushchenko) and Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon.[21]

For this memorable day the President of Ukraine established a state award by his order - the anniversary Medal "70 Years of Victory over Nazism".[22]

2016 was the first year that the holiday was celebrated as an official holiday (although the first celebrations took place the year before, the law establishing the holiday was adopted a couple days after 9 May).[23]

More than 30,000 police officers were deployed to monitor holiday marches. The 72nd anniversary celebrations coincides with the ceremonies for the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv.[24]

President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky arranged a meeting in Zaporizhia of a veteran Red Army Captain and a veteran of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.[25]

The 2020 celebrations in honor of the diamond jubilee were cancelled by order of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in light of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine.[26] On 7 May, Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko announced the organization of a planned event in the Park of Eternal Glory with a high security presence. President Zelensky went on a working visit to the Luhansk Oblast where he visited an urban settlement that is divided by the border between Ukraine and Russia. In the settlement, he visited the memorial complex "Ukraine to the Liberators".[27] He also visited the Zakarpattia Oblast, where he also laid flowers at the "Hill of Glory" memorial complex.[28] During his holiday address on 9 May, he paid tribute to Ukrainians who fought during the war, including Crimean Tatar Amet-Khan Sultan, American military personnel Alex M. Diachenko and Michael Strank, as well as Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Kozhedub.[29] Zelensky also announced the creation of memorial project, which would involve the placement of bells in the four corners of Ukraine.[30]

To mark the 78th anniversary of Victory in Europe, President Zelensky stated that from 2023 onwards, May 8 will be the new date of the formal commemoration of victory over Nazism in World War II, in line with celebrations of Victory in Europe Day in the European Union and with commemorations in the USA and Canada, with May 9 being earmaked as Europe Day in its stead as a commemoration of the 1950 formation of the EU — all as a reaction to the Russian invasion the previous year, a break of the former precedence, and a show of gratitude to the countries that have helped Ukraine resist Russia and its allies. May 8 will remain, though, as the date of the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation and thus the two holidays were to be merged as one. A Presidential Decree to formalize the transfer of Victory Day to May 8 and renew the Europe Day holiday on May 9 was signed in Kyiv that day.