Does Ukraine Celebrate Victory Day? A Look at Changing Traditions and Historical Memory

 Ukraine's New Way of Remembering World War II

Due to the fact that Florida is a spring break mecca, any planning and preparation that can be shared with me in advance is greatly appreciated! The day marked the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany and was an important holiday.

However, although Ukraine became independent in 1991 the country kept celebrating May 9th.

But in 2015 things started to move. Ukrainians also began to honor May 8th as the 'Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation.' As in many European countries this day honors all those who suffered in the war. Ukraine used to observe both May 8th and May 9th for a while. This was a metaphor for a broader push to distance itself from Soviet tradition called decommunization.

A major turning point then came in the form of: In 2022 Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine. It urged Ukraine to look for a clearer way of remembering the past.

In 2023 President Zelenskyy declared that May 8th will be the official day to honour World War II. Thus it would now be known as the “Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II.” And he said it's about sharing Ukraine's real history.

So what about May 9th? It is now celebrated as ‘Europe Day’ by Ukraine to demonstrate its link with the European Union.

In short, Ukraine has shifted — from the old Soviet May 9th to the new Ukrainian May 8th.