The decree on the celebration of Victory Day on May 9 was adopted by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 8, 1945.

According to the document, this date was declared a non-working day throughout the country.

However, in reality, immediately after the end of the war, Victory Day was celebrated on May 9 only until 1947, in 1948 this day became working again, there were no official celebrations and military parades.

Brezhnev resumed the pompous celebrations in 1965.

Until 1991, the celebration remained almost unchanged - a parade in Moscow and local celebrations in the capitals of the union republics.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, each of the former member states celebrated this date in its own way.

Freedom has traced that May 9, 2022 is happening in various post-Soviet countries.

Russia

A military parade was traditionally held in Moscow, hosted by Putin personally on Red Square.

The parade in Russia was not canceled even in 2020 and 2021, which were the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2022, unexpectedly before the event in Moscow and a number of other cities canceled flights.

The official reason was called "unfavorable weather at the airfields of departure."

Vladimir Putin and Veterans, Moscow, May 9, 2022

The parade in Russia was held not only in Moscow, but also in St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Ekaterinburg, Rostov, Kaliningrad and a number of other cities.

Much of Putin's speech during the official part was not about the victory in May 1945, but about the situation in Ukraine and Russia's confrontation with the West.

None of the leaders of other countries came to Moscow to celebrate this year, and Lukashenko was not there.

Belarus

Unlike Russia, military parades in Belarus on May 9 are held only on anniversaries.

This was the case, for example, on May 9, 2020, when the 75th anniversary of the victory was celebrated.

In other years, military parades in Belarus are held on July 3, when official Minsk celebrates the anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from occupation (in fact, Minsk was liberated on July 3, the liberation of the whole country took place on July 28. - RS).

In 2021, the parade was not held, the reasons were not officially explained.

Nothing is known about its preparation this year.

Alexander Lukashenko speaks on May 9 in Victory Square in Minsk

"I am addressing this message to those who outlawed Victory Day, who are destroying monuments to fallen liberators and, above all, to honest soldiers," Lukashenko said at a rally on May 9.

- As a representative of the winning country, I appeal to the peoples of the West.

Your politicians have done a lot to make you forget to whom the world owes liberation from fascism.

Today, few people living outside of Russia know that Soviet soldiers and the Soviet Union won World War II. "

The celebration on May 9, 2022 was limited to laying flowers on Victory Square, concerts near the Palace of Sports and Victory Park, as well as fireworks in different parts of the city.

Similar events were organized on a smaller scale in other Belarusian cities.

Ukraine

Ukraine has officially celebrated two days since 2015: May 8 is the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, May 9 is the Day of Victory over Nazism in World War II.

May 9 is not a day off in Ukraine.

Installation in Kiev with the image of Putin and a gun

Events on May 9, 2022 in Kiev were canceled due to martial law.

The office of President Vladimir Zelensky posted a video with him, recorded on Khreshchatyk's anti-tank fortifications.

Like Putin, Zelensky devoted most of his speech to Russia's war against Ukraine.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

Europe Day is celebrated on May 8 in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, as well as in other EU countries.

The celebrations are limited to speeches by leaders reminding them of the losses suffered during World War II.

Action in Riga, March 2022

Proponents of the May 9 celebrations in Lithuania are visiting the Antokal Cemetery, where a memorial to Soviet soldiers is located.

On the eve of May 9 this year, Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašus asked Lithuanians to limit themselves to the May 8 celebrations and promised that everyone who came to the 9th cemetery would "receive information about the war in Ukraine."

On May 9, the Lithuanian portal Delfi organized a live broadcast from the territory of Antokal Cemetery.

Opinions of the participants about the events in Ukraine were divided.

Georgia

Georgia celebrates Victory Day over fascism on May 9, it is an official holiday.

Festive events are taking place in Tbilisi's Vake Park, a former Victory Park on the outskirts of Tbilisi in 1946.

Georgian war veterans traditionally gathered there to lay flowers at the monument to Soviet soldiers.

Anti-war action in Tbilisi, May 8, 2022

In 2021, Vake Park was closed for repairs and restoration of the fountain, festive events are no longer held there.

City officials invited veterans to gather in another city park.

The Georgian authorities do not hold military parades and holiday concerts in the squares.

Moldova

In Moldova, official celebrations are scheduled for May 9.

This is a big Victory March, a rally in Chisinau and official celebrations.

This year, shortly before the holiday, the Moldovan authorities officially banned the use of "St. George's" ribbons, for which participants in the celebrations face a fine of 9,000 lei (about $ 480. - RS).

According to even pro-Russian Moldovan media, most of the participants of the celebrations refused the "St. George's" ribbons this year.

Demonstration in Chisinau, May 9, 2022

The march took place in the center of Chisinau on the morning of May 9, its participants carried a large red cloth.

Moldovan President Maria Sandu did not take part in the ceremony near the Victory Memorial.

Kazakhstan

Celebrations in Kazakhstan are reminiscent of Belarusian ones - laying flowers with the participation of President Kasym-Zhamart Takayev, rallies in cities and towns, holiday concerts.

However, unlike Belarus, where the "Immortal Regiment" was allowed to hold for the first time this year, the Cossack authorities banned the action due to "possible provocations".

One of the peculiarities is that Kazakhstan has a tradition of congratulating living veterans with military concerts.

Almaty, May 9, 2022

In addition to official celebrations and holiday salutes, Kazakhstan distributes cash payments to World War II veterans every May 9.

This year it is about $ 3,300.

In addition to veterans, former prisoners of concentration camps and close relatives of deceased veterans also receive payments, albeit on a smaller scale.

Uzbekistan

There are officially 236 World War II veterans left in this post-Soviet country.

The Uzbek authorities announced personal congratulations with the participation of representatives of various ministries for each of them.

The veterans will be visited by state delegations, all of whom will receive payments of 15 million soums (about $ 1,300).

In addition - a personal congratulation from the President and a copy of the monument to the Independence of Uzbekistan.

The big holiday concert, which took place on May 9 in Tashkent, was organized not by the country's authorities, but by the Russian propaganda organization Rossotrudnichestvo.

It was held on May 8 under the name "Spring of Victory".

Armenia

The celebrations take place on May 9, the official day off.

The central event, as in Belarus, is the laying of wreaths at the memorial to the victims of the war.

It was attended by all senior officials of the country, despite the great differences between them.

Yerevan, May 9, 2022

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also mentioned the situation in Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh).

Parades and marches on May 9 are not held in Yerevan.

Azerbaijan

There are officially two Victory Days in the country.

The first is celebrated on May 9, the second, on the occasion of the victory in the recent war in Karabakh, on November 8.

At the same time, festive marches and a military parade were held on the occasion of the successful outcome of the conflict in Karabakh in 2020 for Azerbaijan.

Events on May 9, as in most countries of the former Soviet Union, are limited to laying flowers to the monument to Soviet soldiers.

Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan

In all these countries, the celebrations are held according to a similar scenario - laying flowers at memorials, parades and holiday rallies.

In 2020 and 2021, the parade was canceled due to a pandemic, but this year in Kyrgyzstan the parade was canceled without explanation.

Bishkek, May 9, 2022

The parade on May 9, 2022 took place in the capital of Tajikistan Dushanbe, it was held in Victory Park.

There are 59 World War II veterans left in Tajikistan.

In Turkmenistan, the authorities have officially announced that all events will be postponed until the evening, as Ramadan falls on May 9 this year.

A rally and a military salute are planned.