Victory Day ( 9 May ) Victory Day or 9 May marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in the Second World War ( also known as the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union ) . It was first inaugurated in the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union , following the signing of the surrender document late in the evening on 8 May 1945 ( after midnight , thus on 9 May , by Moscow Time ) . The Soviet government announced the victory early on 9 May after the signing ceremony in Berlin . Though the official inauguration happened in 1945 ( which means it has been celebrated since 1946 ) , the holiday became a non - labour day only in 1965 and only in some of the countries . In the former Soviet Union this festival was celebrated to commemorate the Red Army ' s victory over the Nazi forces . In communist East Germany , a Soviet - style " Victory Day " on 9 May was an official holiday from 1975 until the end of the republic in 1990 . Prior to that , " Liberation Day " was celebrated on 8 May , between 1950 and 1966 , and again on the 40th anniversary in 1985 . Since 2002 , the German state of Mecklenburg - Vorpommern has observed a commemoration day known as the " Day of Liberation from National Socialism , and the End of the Second World War " . In 1988 , before the dissolution of the Soviet Union , Victory Day ceased to be observed in Uzbekistan , but was partially restored in 1999 as " Memorial / Remembrance Day " . After their separation from the Soviet Union , the Baltic countries now commemorate the end of World War II on 8 May , the Victory in Europe Day . Since the Capture of Shusha in 1992 by the Armenian forces in the Nagorno - Karabakh War , May 9 celebrations in Armenia as well as the " de facto " independent Nagorno - Karabakh Republic have honored that victorious turning - point in the war in addition to the victory in World War II . History . Two separate capitulation events took place at the time . First , the capitulation to the Allied nations in Reims was signed on 7 May 1945 , effective 23 : 01 CET 8 May . This date is commonly referred to as the V - E Day ( Victory in Europe Day ) in most western European countries . The other World War II victory day , the V - J day ( Victory in Japan Day ) is commemorated in August , and is of considerably lesser significance in Europe . However , the Soviet Union ' s only representative in Reims was General Ivan Susloparov , the Military Liaison Mission Commander . General Susloparov ' s scope of authority was not entirely clear , and he had no means of immediate contact with the Kremlin , but nevertheless decided to sign for the Soviet side . Susloparov was caught off guard ; he had no instructions from Moscow . But if he did not sign , he risked a German surrender without Soviet participation . However , he noted that it could be replaced with a new version in the future . Joseph Stalin was later displeased by these events , believing that the German surrender should have been accepted only by the envoy of the USSR Supreme command and signed only in Berlin and insisted the Reims protocol be considered preliminary , with the main ceremony to be held in Berlin , where Marshal Zhukov was at the time , as the latter recounts in his memoirs : Therefore , another ceremony was organized in a surviving manor in the outskirts of Berlin late on 8 May , when it was already 9 May in Moscow due to the difference in time zones . Field - Marshal Wilhelm Keitel submitted the capitulation of the Wehrmacht to Marshal Georgy Zhukov in the Soviet Army headquarters in Berlin - Karlshorst . To commemorate the victory in the war , the ceremonial Moscow Victory Parade was held in the Soviet capital on 24 June 1945 ( four years and two days after the beginning of Operation Barbarossa - the invasion of the Soviet Union ) . Celebration . During the Soviet Union ' s existence , 9 May was celebrated throughout the USSR and in the countries of the Eastern Bloc . Though the holiday was introduced in many Soviet republics approximately between 1946 and 1950 , it only became a non - labour day in Ukrainian ( 1963 ) and Russian ( 1965 ) SSRs . In the latter one , a weekday off ( usually a Monday ) was given starting 1966 if 9 May was to fall on a weekend ( Saturday or Sunday ) . The celebration of Victory Day continued during subsequent years . The war became a topic of great importance in cinema , literature , history lessons at school , the mass media , and the arts . The ritual of the celebration gradually obtained a distinctive character with a number of similar elements : ceremonial meetings , speeches , lectures , receptions and fireworks . In Russia during 1990s the May 9 was not celebrated massively , because Soviet - style mass demonstrations did not fit in with the way in which liberals who were in power in Moscow communicated with the country ’ s residents . The situation changed when Vladimir Putin came to power . He started to promote the prestige of the governing regime and history , national holidays and commemorations all became a source for national self - esteem . Since then the Victory Day in Russia has increasingly been turning into a joyous celebration in which popular culture plays a great role . The celebration of the 60th anniversary of Victory Day in Russia in 2005 became the largest national and popular holiday since the collapse of the Soviet Union . Countries in which 9 May is celebrated . Russophone populations in many world countries celebrate the holiday regardless of its local status , organize public gatherings and even parades on this day . Some multilanguage broadcasting television chains translate the " Victory speech " of the Russian president and the parade on Red Square . Victory Day London . Victory Day London is a ceremonial event held annually since 2007 in London on 9 May in commemoration of the victory in the Second World War and the Arctic Convoys 1941 - 1945 . A ceremony is held aboard , moored on the Thames . The event serves as a reunion day for British and Russian veterans of the Arctic Convoys with members of the British Royal Family present . Other participants include Russian ambassador , ambassadors of other FSU countries , British and Russian dignitaries . From 2012 , the event is expanded with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra performance of Tchaikovsky ’ s 1812 Overture , accompanied by cannons salute from HMS " Belfast " . The concert is held in Hay ' s Galleria and is free to the public .