Victory Day is a holiday that commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. It was first inaugurated in the 15 republics of the Soviet Union following the signing of the German Instrument of Surrender late in the evening on 8 May 1945 (9 May Moscow Time). The Soviet government announced the victory early on 9 May after the signing ceremony in Berlin. Although the official inauguration occurred in 1945, the holiday became a non-labor day only in 1965, and only in certain Soviet republics.

The German Instrument of Surrender was signed twice. An initial document was signed in Reims on 7 May 1945 by Alfred Jodl (chief of staff of the German OKW) for Germany, Walter Bedell Smith, on behalf of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and Ivan Susloparov, on behalf of the Soviet High Command, in the presence of French Major-General François Sevez as the official witness.

Since the Soviet High Command had not agreed to the text of the surrender, and because Susloparov, a relatively low-ranking officer, was not authorized to sign this document, the Soviet Union requested that a second, revised, instrument of surrender be signed in Berlin.

A second surrender ceremony was organized in a surviving manor in the outskirts of Berlin late on 8 May, when it was already 9 May in Moscow due to the difference in time zones.

During the Soviet Union’s existence, 9 May was celebrated throughout it and in the Eastern Bloc. Though the holiday was introduced in many Soviet republics between 1946 and 1950, it became a non-working day only in the Ukrainian SSR in 1963 and the Russian SFSR in 1965

The celebration of Victory Day continued during subsequent years. The war became a topic of great importance in cinema, literature, history lessons at school, the mass media, and the arts. The ritual of the celebration gradually obtained a distinctive character with a number of similar elements: ceremonial meetings, speeches, lectures, receptions and fireworks.

Victory Day in modern Russia has become a celebration in which popular culture plays a central role. The 60th and 70th anniversaries of Victory Day in Russia (2005 and 2015) became the largest popular holidays since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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  • Moss [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    9·
    5 months ago

    Do you spend much time with other people? I’ve been in those circumstances too, like those things exactly, and I usually find that spending time with others makes me feel a lot better. Its a lot less predictable and boring, even when I’m not with friends.

    If you have friends around, I’d recommend reaching out to them and trying to organise any kind of socialisation as often as you feel you can. If you don’t have any friends around, try looking for clubs and societies around you.

    Also I find that when I’m doing something productive I feel better than when I’m not. Creative things are great, like writing and drawing, but sometimes I’m feeling shit and don’t have any inspiration, so then I bake some bread or go swimming or do a workout. It feels a lot better to do something with your hands and see a tangible product or do some exercise and feel tired than to sit in front of a computer.

    I hope any of this is useful to you. The worst loops I get in are when I don’t look forward to anything and don’t want to do anything, so I don’t do anything and then end up feeling miserable for not doing anything. Taking that step to break the loop and do something that will make my body feel good, even if in my mind it feels like it won’t, helps me.