Victory Day Date in the current year: May 9, 2024

The surrender document was signed late in the evening on May 8, 1945. Due to the difference in time zones, it was already May 9 in Moscow. The Soviet government announced the victory early on May 9.

Victory Day was first celebrated in 1946, but it became a non-working holiday only in 1965. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, some former Soviet republics continued to celebrate it. Victory Day had been canceled in Uzbekistan, but in 1999 the government restored it as an official remembrance day. In the Baltic countries, Victory in Europe Day is celebrated instead on May 8.

Victory Day is traditionally celebrated with military parades and solemn ceremonies at monuments, memorials and cemeteries. These ceremonies aim at honoring those who suffered and died during the war. Special honor is paid to the veterans of the war who are still alive.

In some countries, the holiday has been renamed but its essence has not changed. For instance, it is now called Victory and Peace Day in Armenia and Memorial/Remembrance Day in Uzbekistan. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, May 9 is referred to as Victory Day over Fascism. It is also celebrated in Serbia and Israel, where it is a working holiday.