Tradition, militarisation and national identity: the significance of Victory Day in Russia
On the 9th May 2023, a single antique Soviet tank rolled across Moscow’s Red Square, accompanied by 51 military vehicles. The usual fly-past of Russia’s airforce had been cancelled without explanation. Across the country, several regions had scrapped their usual 9th May parades altogether, over fears of Ukrainian strikes.
Victory Day, as it is known in Russia, is usually a much more lavish affair. It commemorates the Soviet victory over Nazi forces in 1945 and is the most important secular holiday in the country. In previous years, this was reflected in the scale of the parade; usually, columns of troops fill the square, resplendent with the best of Russia’s military hardware, a fly-past is held, and across the country “Immortal Regiments” march in large-scale public events to commemorate those killed in World War II. In 2023, this was all greatly scaled back, which many analysts interpreted as a sign of Russia’s ongoing catastrophic military losses in Ukraine.
But why is Victory Day so important for Russia? And what can it tell us about the current state of the Russian premiership?
The history of Victory Day
The surrender of Nazi Germany took effect at 11:01 p.m. on the 8th of May, 1945, a date celebrated as “Victory in Europe Day” by France, Britain, and the United States. Due to the time difference, this moment fell on May 9 in Moscow, which is why the Soviet Union commemorated that date as its “Victory Day.”
In the first 20 years after the war, various festivities and military gatherings were held, but the scale of the celebration was muted in comparison to later years. Only in 1965, twenty years after Victory Day in 1945, did the 9th of May become a public holiday, under Brezhnev. A second military parade took place (the first having happened in 1945), and a third would not occur until 1985, forty years after the end of the war.
Starting in 1995, Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first elected president, established the tradition of holding annual Victory Day parades. Under Vladimir Putin, these events have been transformed into a formidable showcase of military might, featuring not just marching troops but also the latest Russian military hardware such as warplanes, tanks, and nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.
What does the 9th May mean to Russians?
The Great Patriotic War, as World War II is known in Russia, was a period of immense sacrifice and suffering for the Soviet Union, which lost more than 20 million people during the conflict. The victory over Nazi Germany was widely portrayed as a testament to the resilience, courage, and strength of the Soviet people. The 9th of May is therefore not just a date on the calendar; it is traditionally viewed as a symbol of national endurance and the triumph of good over evil.
The embrace of Victory Day as a nationalistic symbol of Russia’s strength largely occurred under Putin, gradually becoming less about remembering the war dead and more about creating a sense of national strength and unity. Narratives about the Soviet defeat of the Nazis in 1945 have taken on an almost fetishistic intensity, exemplified in the Russian word pobedobesie, which critics of Putin’s regime have used to refer to the obsession with victory and the creeping militarisation of Russian society evident in recent 9th of May celebrations.
Indeed, far from a day that commemorates peace in Europe and the end of a fascist regime, these narratives have been repeatedly used by Putin’s government to justify and garner support for Russia’s own military actions. Tellingly, in 2008, the parade prominently featured heavy weaponry for the first time since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in a clear showing of Russia’s military prowess. Just three months after this display, Russia launched an invasion of Georgia.
The relevance of the 9th of May has taken on new dimensions with the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Russian government has often invoked the memory of the Second World War to justify its actions, framing conflicts in terms of fighting against what it perceives as modern-day fascism. One of Russia’s main justifications for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was to “denazify” the country, a narrative which seeks to draw parallels between the historic victory in 1945 and current military endeavours, aiming to stir patriotic feelings and support for the conflict. Whilst there are those in Ukraine who hold far-right views, Russian propaganda’s distortion of this problem is out of proportion to reality. Some critics have argued that the word “Nazi” has been eroded so much in Russian military discourse that it now brings to mind nothing more than a historical echo of the Russian defeat of an enemy, consequently meaning that all enemies of Russia can be labelled as Nazis.
Victory Day 2024
This year, it seems that the Victory Day parade will again be used to send a message about Russia’s continuing wartime state. Reports suggest that alongside the usual Red Square parades will be a month-long exhibition in Moscow’s Victory Park, showcasing seized NATO equipment including British armoured vehicles captured on the battlefields of Ukraine. However, the “Immortal Regiment” marches, where people around the country march with photographs of family members killed in the Second World War, have been cancelled for a second year in a row over public security concerns.
As Russia is poised to commemorate another Victory Day under these modified circumstances, the event continues to serve as a powerful tool for the Kremlin to reinforce its narrative of historical greatness and contemporary power. However, the palpable changes in the celebration’s format this year raise important questions about the future trajectory of Russian national identity and its implications for both domestic policies and international relations. As the war in Ukraine persists, the way Russia chooses to celebrate this day offers insight into the broader narrative it seeks to project to its citizens and the world. The continued evolution of this holiday will undoubtedly be a key barometer of Russia’s national mood and geopolitical stance in the years to come.
Emily Ranken