Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill approved by lawmakers last month to set May 8 as the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II, instead of the Soviet-inherited celebrations of Victory Day on May 9, reports Radio Free Europe.
This is a move to turn towards the West and away from Russia, as most European countries celebrate Victory in Europe Day on May 8, in order to mark the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender in 1945.
The day was celebrated on May 9 in the Soviet Union because the surrender treaty was signed late at night on May 8 in Berlin, which meant that in Russia’s time zone the clock had already struck past midnight, making it May 9th.
Thus May 8 will become a national holiday; May 9 will be a working day in Ukraine but nevertheless marked as Europe Day.
Since 2015, Ukraine has officially celebrated the Day of Victory over Nazism in World War II on May 9 and marked the Day of Memory and Reconciliation on May 8. The initiative to move Victory Day to May 8 came from Zelensky himself, who stated that May 8 is a day when “the world honors the memory of everyone whose lives were taken away by the war” and that this is “pure history, with no ideological impurities”, reports Taz.
“[Hereby to] establish Europe Day in Ukraine, which is celebrated annually on May 9 together with the states of the European Union”, the text of the decree, published on the website of the Ukrainian head of state, says – sending a clear message reflecting Ukraine’s agenda of distancing itself from Russia on every level.
For many years now, Ukrainian authorities debated eradicating the celebration of Victory Day.
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