Anniversary of the Victory over Militaristic Japan and the End of WWII in Russia Date in the current year: September 3, 2026

Japan’s imminent defeat in WWII became evident in the summer of 1945. In August, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Soviet Union also violated the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact by invading Manchukuo, a Japanese puppet state in northeastern China and Inner Mongolia.

These events caused Emperor Hirohito to announce the surrender of Japan. Japan officially capitulated on August 15 at 12:00 JST, but the formal surrender occurred on September 2 aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

Most European countries celebrate victory in World War II on May 8 or 9, depending on the time zone, which is the day Germany formally surrendered. In Russia and many other former Soviet republics, Victory Day is one of the most important public holidays. However, in 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev decided that the anniversary of Japan’s capitulation should be observed as a day of remembrance. Thus, a new memorial day was established.

In 2020, the date of the Anniversary of the End of World War II was changed to September 3 to emphasize the transition from war to peace, which caused some controversy. In 2023, the observance was renamed the Anniversary of the Victory over Militaristic Japan and the End of World War II and became a new day of military glory in Russia.