DISINFO: Changing the date of Victory Day is an attempt to downplay the USSR's role in WWII
SUMMARY
In an attempt to distort history and facts, Zelenskyy signed a law in 2023 that moved the celebration of Victory Day in WWII from 9 to 8 May, renaming it the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism, while 9 May became Europe Day in Ukraine. For years, the West has been systematically attempting to falsify history, downplay the role played by the Soviet Union in the victory over Nazism, and attribute this victory to itself. This is despite the fact that history has recorded this victory in the name of the Soviet Union due to its pivotal role in the victory over Nazism and the decisive battles.
RESPONSE
This message contains a number of well-known pro-Kremlin narratives about Western historical revisionism.
According to the Kremlin’s policy, the official Russian historiography is the only “true” way of interpreting the historical events of WWII. Any disagreement with the Kremlin’s official view on the history of WWII is automatically labelled by Russia as a “falsification of history”.
World War II fighting effectively ended in Europe when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces on May 7, 1945, and signed its first unconditional surrender at the headquarters of Allied Commander, US General Dwight D. Eisenhower in Reims, France.
This surrender took effect on May 8 at 11:01 pm Central European Time (CET). Another nearly identical document was signed the next day in Berlin on 8 May, with also 11:01 pm as the time when the surrender would take effect. Due to time differences, this was already just after midnight on 9 May in Moscow. While most of Europe celebrates Victory in Europe Day on 8 May when most of the developments took place, Russia chose to commemorate it on 9 May.
Ukraine’s 2023 decision to change the day commemorating the end of World War II in Europe focused on remembrance and reconciliation aligning with broader European practices. The objective is to honour all victims of World War II, dismantle Soviet-era myths, and promote reflection and remembrance rather than militarism.
Ukraine’s approach aims to foster honest dialogue about the tragedies of the war, seeks to heal historical wounds, and acknowledges the experiences of diverse peoples who fought against Nazism, including stateless people like Jews and Ukrainians. The red poppy has been adopted as the symbol of remembrance, under the slogan: "1939–1945. We remember. We win."
At the same time, Western historians acknowledge the role played by the USSR in defeating Nazism and do not question the Soviet contribution to the victory in WWII and the status of the USSR as one of the countries that had won WWII. The policy of the US or the EU is not directed against Russia or any other country.
See similar cases that the West is trying to distort the truth about World War II, that the US and EU re-write WWII history to start a new world war, US and EU re-write WWII history to start a new world war, and that Western historical revisionism is aimed at weakening and destroying Russia.