Years since the victory. State budgetary institution of social services "Zheleznovodsk comprehensive center for social services of the population"

Victory Day is a national holiday in Russian Federation, held annually on May 9th. For the first time, Victory Day was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 8, 1945 to commemorate the victorious completion of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet people against the Nazi invaders and the historical victories of the Red Army, which culminated in the complete defeat of Nazi Germany. Confirmed in post-Soviet times Federal law No. 32-FZ “On the days of military glory and memorable dates of Russia” dated March 13, 1995

Currently, Victory Day will be celebrated, unlike previous years, apparently in a different way. “Today,” as the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, said at a March 2014 meeting, “we are all witnesses to the fact that the ideas of neo-Nazism are becoming increasingly widespread in the post-Soviet space.” He emphasized: “Under these conditions, the celebration of Victory Day this year becomes extremely important. political significance. We must once again demonstrate to the world Russia’s categorical rejection of fascism.” Further, the head of the Russian military department noted that in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, which recently reunited with Russia, “the celebration of Victory Day takes on special significance due to the fact that this year the peninsula celebrates the 70th anniversary of liberation from the Nazi invaders.”

The more time passes after the war, the more obvious the enormous world-historical significance of the Great Victory becomes. She predetermined the fate of the whole world, saving many peoples from the threat of fascist enslavement.

IN thousand years of history of our Fatherland are forever imprinted with many memorable significant dates. And behind each of them there are feats of arms and accomplishments. Russian people, who has repeatedly risen up against countless attacks on freedom and independence native land. But the most dear and sacred day for the current several generations was May 9 - Victory Day of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

Victory in the last war is not only a historical date and a reminder of the price our people paid for peace and social progress. Victory Day also serves as a warning about the inadmissibility of a new world war, which could become the last for humanity.

Whenever our country goes through difficult times - crises, wars, its people turn to their past. Peering into it, they try to understand the present and see the prospects. In their past, peoples are looking for that support, that source that can lift their spirit and strengthen their moral strength. Patriotism, love for the Fatherland were, are and will be decisive factor ensuring the security of the country and its peoples. Thanks to them, our state has withstood many severe trials.

After almost seven decades that have passed since that memorable event, back in to a greater extent you realize what an abyss we stood on, what a victory we won. To win such a battle as the war of the Soviet people against fascist Germany, only a people united by a single thought could prevent foreign conquerors from becoming masters of our land and defending their right to independence.

The war matured in the bloody rivalry of huge armies, relying on the power of fire, iron and the strength of the human spirit. Combining the ferocity of animals with pathological hatred of the Soviet people, the fascist monster brought sorrow, numerous destructions and disasters to our land.

Numerous documents and historical facts indicate that when forming the ideological basis of the war against the Soviet Union, something more was in mind, going beyond the scope of military-strategic planning. Thus, at a meeting of the Wehrmacht senior command staff on March 30, 1941, Hitler made it clear that we were talking about a war to destroy the Soviet people. Accordingly, military directives emphasized that the war against Russia must be waged with unprecedented cruelty.

Actions against enemy military personnel and civilians, as stated in the Reich Decree on Military Proceedings of May 13, 1941, will not be subject to mandatory prosecution, even if the acts constitute war crimes or misdemeanors. In plans economic activity and food supply in the occupied areas, starvation was foreseen for many millions of people.

That is why the victory over fascism achieved in May 1945 is a triumph of justice, humanism and goodness. This is a crushing blow to the idea and practice of misanthropy, the enslavement and destruction of entire races and peoples, the rampant base passions elevated to the rank of state policy by the Third Reich. This is the enormous significance of the Victory for modern times, since the plague that threatened all of humanity was defeated. And when some figures try to place equal responsibility for the outbreak of the war on the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, it is difficult to imagine a greater outrage against the truth when covering those historical events.

In conditions of increasing military threat, when the inevitability of a collision with the vanguard of fascism became more and more obvious, the Soviet government led by I.V. Stalin persistently pursued a policy of peaceful cooperation, delaying war, and implemented a program for the comprehensive strengthening of the Armed Forces. Unfortunately, not all planned activities were implemented by the time it began.

In their aggressive plans, the Nazis placed their main bet on a “lightning war”: within one and a half to two months, defeat the Red Army, capture Moscow and Leningrad, the industrial regions of the European part of the USSR, reach the Arkhangelsk-Volga line and use powerful air strikes on the industrial regions of the Urals to achieve victory. end the war with the Soviet Union. Their plans included the dismemberment of the USSR, the separation of Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, Crimea, Moldova and the Caucasus from it.

The world waited with bated breath for the outcome of this grandiose invasion. The Nazis were not only thinking about seizing space. Their goal was to enslave and even destroy other peoples. Once again our country was destined to become the only obstacle in the path of those who were eager to arrange the earthly life of man in the image of a pack of animals and make a decisive contribution to the liberation of the planet from the next contender for world domination.

Almost the entire economic and military power of Europe was thrown at the Soviet Union. The position of the Red Army was further complicated by the fact that for a long time there was a threat of an attack on our country by Japan and Turkey, and this, in turn, required the diversion of a significant part of the forces and means to cover the southern and eastern directions.

The path to Victory was long, 1418 days and nights, and difficult. On the morning of June 22, 1941, Moscow radio interrupted its transmissions, and the Soviet people heard a government message that in the middle of the night, without a declaration of war, Nazi troops had suddenly invaded our country.

A week after the start of the war, from June 30, 1941, all state power was concentrated in the hands of the State Defense Committee headed by I.V. Stalin, who on July 3, 1941 addressed the people of the USSR, the army: “Comrades! Citizens! Brothers and sisters! Soldiers of our army and navy! I am addressing you, my friends!”“His speech,” wrote G.K. Zhukov, - sounded like a mighty alarm bell; it was felt that the angry and inviting voice of the alarm bell would fall silent only when the fascist invaders were defeated. In the name of the highest patriotic goal - the defense of their Fatherland, the peoples of our entire multinational state have risen..."

The slogans became the rallying cry: “Everything for the front, everything for victory!” Our cause is just, the enemy will be defeated, victory will be ours!”

In those terrible days, the song “Holy War”, amazing in its power and harsh beauty, resounded: “Get up, huge country, get up for mortal combat, with the dark fascist power, with the damned horde...”. It became an anthem for the Soviet people, their oath before the generations who died for honor and independence ancient Rus', Russia, became the connecting link of all generations of defenders of the USSR.

The country turned into a single military camp. Behind the front line, behind enemy lines, there was another front - the partisan one. Supreme Commander-in-Chief J.V. Stalin in 1942 called the partisans “our second front.” Over a million people's avengers participated in the battles, one and a half million made up partisan reserves. The enemy knew no peace either at the front or in his rear. Military duty and noble rage Soviet people did not leave any hope for the aggressor to conquer Russian soil.

During the period of the country's strategic defense in 1941, fierce battles of our troops lasted for more than five months on land, in the air, and at sea. During this time, the enemy managed to blockade Leningrad, reach the approaches to Moscow, and capture Kharkov, a significant part of Donbass, and almost all of Crimea. However, the occupiers' hopes of a quick victory over the Soviet people in one short-term campaign failed. The Red Army exhausted the enemy in bloody battles, forcing him to go on the defensive along the entire German-Soviet front.

The failure of the German “lightning war plan” was the main result of the strategic defensive campaign of 1941. Even then, German generals began to understand that the war was lost. Even then it became obvious that it was in Russia that the Nazi blitzkrieg, and with it all the hegemonic aspirations of Hitler’s Germany, found their grave!

The Red Army, supported by the entire country, created the necessary conditions for striking the enemy. The victorious completion of the counteroffensive near Moscow laid a solid foundation for future successes and dramatically changed the further nature of the armed struggle. The war turned from lightning fast to protracted. Selfless struggle at the front and the heroic efforts of the people in the rear in 1941 - early 1942. demonstrated to the whole world the ability of the Soviet Union to deploy its potential forces and get out of a difficult crisis situation, change the unfavorable course of the war and turn the course of events in its favor.

The beginning of the spring-summer campaign of 1942 was also unfavorable for the Soviet people and their Armed Forces. The enemy still had sufficiently large military and economic capabilities, although he did not have enough forces for an offensive on the entire Soviet-German front. Concentrating their main efforts on the southern flank, the German invaders managed to deliver a powerful blow to the south towards Stalingrad and the Caucasus.

The Red Army was again forced to switch to strategic defense. The fierce, bloody battle on the Volga lasted for more than six months, but the enemy was unable to take Stalingrad. He did not receive Caucasian oil, he could not deprive the Soviet Union of external relations, he did not manage to defeat our main forces and end the war in 1942. Soviet troops, launching a counteroffensive on November 19, 1942, inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy at the Volga stronghold, encircling and destroying his group of thousands.

By this time, the successes of the Soviet Union in the fight against the enemy were of enormous international significance. The anti-Hitler coalition was strengthened. The military prestige of Germany was sharply shaken, the morale of the German army and its satellite troops was undermined, and the internal political situation in the countries of the fascist bloc worsened. The liberation struggle of the peoples of Europe and Asia against the occupiers took on a wider scope. Türkiye and Japan were forced to refrain from entering the war against the Soviet Union.

The main events of 1943 again unfolded on the southern wing of the Soviet-German front. Hitler's leadership, still not giving up hope of changing the course of the war in their favor, by carrying out total mobilization by the summer of 1943, increased the size of its armed forces to the highest level of the entire war and launched another major strategic offensive near Kursk. It only took a few days for the Soviet troops to defeat the advancing enemy groups in defensive battles, wear them down and then launch a decisive counteroffensive.

At Kursk the enemy was inflicted such a defeat from which he was unable to recover until the very end of the war. It confronted Germany with a military catastrophe. The victory on the Kursk Bulge and the advance of Soviet troops to the Dnieper completed a radical change in the Great Patriotic War and in World War II in general in favor of the anti-Hitler coalition. As a result of the heavy defeat of the Wehrmacht on the Soviet-German front, the fascist aggressive bloc began to crack at all the seams and began to fall apart. Italy left the war. Japan finally refused to start a war against the USSR. The tendency for Germany's satellites - Romania, Hungary, and Finland - to exit the war has noticeably expanded. Thus, in 1943, most of the territory of the Soviet Union occupied by the invaders was liberated, and conditions were created for their complete expulsion from our Motherland.

1944 was the year of decisive victories for the Red Army. Consecutive attacks were carried out on one or another section of the front. Soviet troops defeated large enemy groups, throwing them back hundreds of kilometers. An important result of 1944 was that, under the blows of the Soviet troops, the hopes of the military-political leadership of Germany to transform the war into positional forms - to stabilize the front, prolong the war, accumulate forces in order to change its course in their favor.

Our troops completed the liberation of the territory of the Soviet Union, and now military operations were transferred to Germany and the countries of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.

The 1945 campaign occupies a special place during the Great Patriotic War. By the beginning of the year, Nazi Germany found itself sandwiched by the Red Army from the east and Anglo-American troops from the west. Under these conditions, Hitler, having information about the anti-Soviet plans of some circles in the United States and England, tried to aggravate the contradictions between the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition and thus blow it up from the inside.

The German leadership sought to create a defense on the eastern front in which the expected offensive of Soviet troops would get bogged down. This, according to Hitler, gave him the opportunity to gain time and achieve the implementation of various behind-the-scenes deals with the British and Americans.

On the Western Front, the Nazis intended to switch to active hostilities in order to make the leaders of the Western powers more accommodating. Hitler hoped that as a result of a strong blow to the allies, their plans would be disrupted for a long time and the leaders of the states allied to the USSR would have to make a fundamental revision of their policies. As we know, these plans failed.

The strategic offensive, launched by the Red Army on January 12, 1945 at the request of the Allies 8 days ahead of schedule, forced the German command to significantly weaken its group on the Western Front and made it possible to create favorable conditions for the Allies to carry out subsequent offensive operations.

After the war, British Prime Minister W. Churchill, in his memoirs, highly appreciated the efficiency of coordinating the efforts of the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, calling it “an excellent example of the speed with which things could be done in the highest spheres of the allies.”

The victory over Nazi Germany was achieved through the joint efforts of the peoples of the anti-Hitler coalition. The peoples and armies of the USA, England and France made a great contribution to the overall victory over the enemy.

Today, when, according to the plans of certain forces, the world is being restructured, in the sphere ideological struggle There are also questions about the contribution of a particular country to the defeat of Nazi Germany, about the role of the second front, and others. Unfortunately, there is often a deliberate distortion of historical truth. But the facts speak for themselves.

Our Fatherland, having taken the main blow from Germany, for three years essentially alone resisted the Hitler bloc. Until the summer of 1944, when the second front was opened in Europe, from 70 to 75% of all enemy divisions operated on the Soviet-German front, the vast majority of all military equipment Germany and its allies. The Soviet Union played main role in their defeat. It was here that the outcome of World War II was decided. The Soviet Armed Forces defeated 507 Nazi divisions and 100 divisions of Germany's allies - almost 3.5 times more than on all other fronts of World War II. The German armed forces lost over 70 thousand aircraft on the Soviet-German front (about 70% of total number aircraft lost in the war), about 50 thousand tanks and assault guns (up to 75%), 167 thousand artillery pieces (74%), more than 2,500 various ships and auxiliary vessels.

What determined the victorious outcome of this war for the USSR?

Victory became possible thanks to the solidity of our multinational state. At a price own life Russian Yuri Smirnov, Ukrainian Viktor Ilchenko, Tatar Musa Jalil, Armenian Georgy Kolozyan, Said Aliyev from Dagestan and many others wrote their exploits into the history of the Fatherland.

Saving their comrades, more than 300 soldiers repeated the feat of Alexander Matrosov, covering the embrasures of enemy bunkers with their bodies. Truly indestructible fortitude motivated the consciously self-sacrificing pilots Nikolai Gastello, Viktor Talalikhin and their comrades.

Fighting in the forests of Belarus and in the steppes of Ukraine, in the snowy Arctic and on the banks of the Volga, each of them defended their land, their city and village, their village and village, their home and family.

In the fire of battles, the best commanders and military leaders of the Second World War grew up and became tempered, playing a huge role in the defeat of the enemy: Zhukov and

The act of surrender of Germany

On May 8, 1945, in the suburbs of Berlin, the Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command, Field Marshal W. Keitel from the Wehrmacht, Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the USSR Georgy Zhukov from the Red Army and British Air Marshal A. Tedder from the Allies, signed an act of unconditional and complete surrender of the Wehrmacht.

On May 9, 1945, a Li-2 plane with the crew of A.I. Semenkov landed at the Frunze Central Airfield. Semyonov delivered the act of surrender of Nazi Germany to Moscow. And on June 24, 1945, the Victory Parade took place on Red Square in Moscow. The parade was hosted by Zhukov, and Rokossovsky commanded the parade.

On May 9, 1945, at 2 a.m. Moscow time, Soviet radio announced the surrender of Germany.

“On the night of May 9, 1945, Muscovites did not sleep. At 2 a.m. the radio announced that it would be broadcast important message. At 2 hours 10 minutes, Dr. Yuri Levitan read the Act of Military Surrender of Nazi Germany and the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR declaring May 9 a Day of National Celebration - Victory Day.

Taking the camera, I went outside. People ran out of their houses. They joyfully congratulated each other on the long-awaited victory. Banners appeared. There were more and more people, and everyone moved to Red Square. A spontaneous demonstration began. Joyful faces, songs, dancing to the accordion. In the evening there was a fireworks display: thirty salvos from a thousand guns in honor great Victory" (Military correspondent A. Ustinov)

After the signing of the Act of Unconditional Surrender, the Nazi troops began to lay down their arms. In Courland, more than 189 thousand soldiers and officers and 42 generals surrendered, and in the area of the mouth of the Vistula River, northeast of Gdynia, about 75 thousand German soldiers and officers and 12 generals. In northern Norway, the Narvik task force laid down its arms. On this occasion, King Haakon VII of Norway and Norwegian Prime Minister I. Nygårdsvold sent messages to Soviet leaders on May 13 expressing gratitude to the Soviet people and their Armed Forces. In their response messages, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Soviet government wished the Norwegian people and their government a speedy elimination of the consequences of the Nazi occupation.

To commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR declared May 9 a day of national celebration - Victory Day and established medals “For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945.” and “For valiant labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945.”

Victory Parade 1945

In honor of the victory over Nazi Germany, on June 24, 1945, a parade of troops of the active army, the Navy and the Moscow garrison took place in Moscow - the Victory Parade. Ten fronts sent their best warriors to him. Among them were representatives Polish army. The combined regiments, consisting of heroes of the Patriotic War, led by their illustrious commanders under military banners, marched solemnly along Red Square. The workers warmly greeted the valiant warriors. To the beat of drums, 200 Soviet soldiers threw 200 banners of the defeated German army at the foot of the Mausoleum of V.I. Lenin. With this symbolic act, Soviet soldiers forever cemented in the memory of mankind the immortal feat of their people, their Armed Forces and the Leninist Party, which raised the entire country in the Great Patriotic War and led it to final victory.

“This hour is great not only for the victors, but also for Germany, the hour when the dragon is killed. The terrible and abnormal monster called National Socialism has given up its ghost, and Germany is at least freed from the curse of being called the country of Hitler,” said the German writer Thomas Mann in those memorable days.

“...For each combined regiment, military marches were specially selected, which were especially loved by them... Muscovites in high spirits walked with orchestras to the Red Square area to take part in the demonstration on that historic day. ...The moment when two hundred soldiers - war veterans - threw two hundred banners of the Nazi army at the foot of the Mausoleum to the foot of the Mausoleum" (Marshal G.K. Zhukov) was incomparable.

The memory of mankind will forever remain that spring day when the ominous Nazi aggression was put to an end. Assessing the significance of this event, the head of the Soviet government, I. V. Stalin, addressed the Soviet people and said: “The great day of victory over Germany has arrived. Nazi Germany, brought to its knees by the Red Army and the troops of our allies, admitted itself defeated and declared unconditional surrender... The great sacrifices we made in the name of the freedom and independence of our Motherland, the innumerable hardships and suffering experienced by our people during the war, the hard work in the rear and at the front, given to the altar of the Fatherland, were not in vain and were crowned with complete victory over the enemy.”

The collapse of Hitler's Germany will remain in world history as the greatest event that led to irreversible changes in the development of mankind. After the victory of the Great October Revolution, nothing had such a powerful impact on revolutionary activity masses like the defeat of fascism. In the memory of the Soviet people, who bore the brunt of the Second World War on their shoulders, this event occupies a special place. For present and future generations, it serves and will serve as an inspiring example of the majestic achievements of its people, the immortal feats of arms of the Armed Forces, and the wise policies of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Victory Day did not immediately become a holiday. This red day appeared twice on Soviet calendars. This was first announced by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in May 1945. However, two years later, in December 1947, the May decree was canceled. The exact motives why the top Soviet leadership decided to stop celebrating Victory Day are not known. Most likely, this was due to ideological reasons. For almost all Soviet residents, May 9 was truly a holiday “with tears in our eyes.” Many were living witnesses to the cost of victory over Germany. I.V. Stalin understood this very well, which is why, obviously, it was decided to make May 9 a day off instead of the politically charged one. New Year- January 1. The celebration of May 9 acquired a strictly defined framework. Every year on this day a special newspaper “Pravda” was published, on the front page of which an appeal from the military and naval ministers was published, as well as a lengthy article about the meaning of the victory for the Soviet people. On the same day, most often Bolshoi Theater The party and state elite of the USSR gathered for a ceremonial meeting, where one of the major military leaders made a report on the role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazi Germany. It all ended with an evening fireworks display. The situation did not change even after Stalin's death. Under N.S. Under Khrushchev, the celebration of May 9 retained its order (see document No. 1).

Only 20 years later, after the victorious May 1945, in April 1965, the decree on celebrating Victory Day was re-approved. The 20th anniversary of the victory was celebrated very widely. That year, a variety of public events were held, all former front-line soldiers received anniversary medal“Twenty years of victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945,” finally, for the first time since June 1945, a military parade was held on Red Square, commanded by the head of the Moscow garrison, Army General A.P. Beloborodov, and the parade was hosted by the Minister of Defense, Marshal R.Ya. Malinovsky. Such an exceptionally solemn celebration of Victory Day in 1965 was not accidental. Less than a year ago, L.I. became the head of the Soviet leadership. Brezhnev is himself a former front-line soldier, a participant in the battles for “Little Land”. But it was not the combat background of the new first secretary of the party that became decisive in the return of Victory Day. New management first right hand Brezhneva M.A. Suslov was aware that Soviet society needed new ideological guidelines. Without denying the significance of the October Revolution of 1917 (it remained a “sacred cow” for the top party leadership), it was decided to supplement Soviet ideology with mythologized ideas about the war, as a symbol not of the victory of the common people, but of the triumph of socialism and the indestructibility of the Communist Party. These kinds of ideological attitudes actually lasted until the collapse of the CPSU and the USSR.

Document No. 1

Click on the document to enlarge it

Victory Day in 1955

Extract from minutes No. 118 of the meeting (P118/III)

On the procedure for celebrating Victory Day in 1955.

1. To hold a ceremonial meeting on May 8 of this year in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theater dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the victorious end of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany.

To entrust the opening of the ceremonial meeting to Comrade N.A. Bulganin.

Comrade I.S. Koneva should be approved as the speaker at the ceremonial meeting.

Instruct t.t. Suslov, Pospelov, Zheltov and Konev to finalize the remaining issues related to the celebration of Victory Day in 1955, and on May 6 to submit their proposals to the CPSU Central Committee.

RGANI. F. 3. Op. 8. D. 232. L. 31. Typescript. Copy. The extract was sent to Bulganin, Zhukov, Konev, Suslov, Pospelov, Zheltov.

Document No. 2

Resolution of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee on the celebration
Victory Day in 1965

Extract from minutes No. 197 of the meeting (P 197/104)

On the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the victory
Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War
Soviet Union 1941 – 1945

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the defeat of fascist Germany and militaristic Japan by the Soviet Union and the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, and the victorious end of the Great Patriotic War.

Great Patriotic War Soviet Union 1941–1945 against Nazi Germany and its allies in Europe and Asia was one of the most difficult and bloody wars in the history of our Motherland. Despite temporary setbacks in the first period of the war, the heroic Soviet people and their valiant Armed Forces achieved a radical turning point in the course of the war and won a world-historical victory over the fascist aggressor.

The Soviet people courageously defended the gains of socialism and defended the freedom and independence of their Motherland. Soldiers of the army, air force and navy, Soviet partisans showed unparalleled courage, resilience, military skill and courage in battle. Thanks to the selfless labor of the Soviet working class and collective farm peasantry, the Soviet intelligentsia, our youth, and Soviet women, the front and rear received everything they needed to defeat the enemy. Thus, the viability and indestructibility of the socialist system were once again practically proven.

History does not know such examples of moral and political unity, mass heroism and selflessness, perseverance and organization as were shown in this war by the peoples of the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union and its Armed Forces inflicted a crushing defeat on the most reactionary imperialist force of that time—fascist Germany—in a just war of liberation. The peoples of the Soviet Union highly value the contribution made by the people of the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, the fighters of the anti-fascist resistance movement in the countries of Europe and Asia in the fight against fascism and militarism. The victory over German fascism and Japanese militarism raised the international authority of the Soviet Union even higher and strengthened the influence of socialism on the course of world events.

The inspirer and organizer of victory in the Great Patriotic War was the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. She mobilized all the material and spiritual forces of Soviet society to defeat the enemy. Communists and Komsomol members were in the forefront at the front and in the rear, inspiring the masses with their personal example. The difficult trials of the war further strengthened the ranks of the party, increasing its combat effectiveness and leadership role.

With their heroic struggle, the Soviet people not only defended the socialist Motherland, but also helped the peoples of Europe free themselves from fascist slavery, provided great assistance to the peoples of China and other Asian countries in their struggle against Japanese imperialism, and contributed to the liberation of the peoples of the whole world from the threat of enslavement by fascism.

The defeat of German fascism and Japanese militarism in World War II created favorable conditions for the victory of the socialist revolution in a number of countries in Europe and Asia, and for the rise of the national liberation movement in the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The victory over fascism demonstrated to the whole world the advantages of the socialist social system over the capitalist one, contributed to the formation of the world socialist system, its outstanding successes in one third globe. Over the past twenty years, the Soviet people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, have not only restored cities and villages, industrial and agricultural enterprises destroyed by the Nazi invaders, but also taken a decisive step forward in social development along the path to communism.

The Party and government, consistently and unswervingly implementing the policy of peace, are seeking the most favorable external conditions for communist construction in our country and contributing to the successful struggle of all peoples for social and national liberation.

The CPSU Central Committee decides:

Celebrate May 9, 1965 - the twentieth anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people and their Armed Forces in the Great Patriotic War against the Nazi invaders as a national holiday of the working people of the Soviet Union, the countries of the socialist commonwealth and all fighters for the preservation of peace.

Party and Komsomol organizations carry out broad mass political work among workers, soldiers of the Soviet Army and Navy and youth: to explain the world-historical significance of the victory of the Soviet people over the forces of reaction and fascism, won under the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; showing the sources of strength and power of the USSR, the advantages of the socialist social system, the mass heroism of Soviet soldiers and partisans, the unprecedented feat of the working class, the collective farm peasantry and intelligentsia in the rear, the decisive role of the Soviet Union in the defeat of Nazi Germany, the importance of strengthening the unity of the socialist community and the communist movement on the unshakable Marxist-Leninist principles in the struggle for peace , democracy, national independence and socialism; to mobilize public opinion at home and abroad against the imperialists’ preparations for a new world war, against the revival of fascism and West German militarism; on propaganda of peace-loving foreign policy The Soviet government, aimed at preventing a world thermonuclear war and ensuring the peaceful labor of Soviet people, peace and security of peoples. Pay special attention in mass political work to educating Soviet people in the spirit of the heroic traditions of our Armed Forces, socialist patriotism, vigilance, love and respect for the Soviet Army, proletarian internationalism, brotherhood and friendship between peoples.

All propaganda and agitation-mass work of party and Komsomol organizations in connection with the 20th anniversary of the victorious end of the Great Patriotic War should take place under the sign of mobilizing Soviet people for the successful implementation of the decisions of the XX - XXII Party Congresses, the CPSU Program, for the further increase of economic and defense the power of our country, further strengthening the unity of the army and the people, uniting them around the Communist Party and the Soviet Union.

To hold ceremonial meetings in the capitals of the union republics, regional, regional, district and regional centers, cities, industrial enterprises, state and collective farms, institutions, military units, ships, and military educational institutions from May 3 to May 9, 1965 , rallies, mass festivities, meetings of war participants and partisan movements dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the victory over the Nazi invaders.
The Ministry of Defense of the USSR, the Central Committee of the Communist Parties of the Union Republics, regional committees and regional committees of the CPSU are invited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Victory in the capitals of the republics, as well as regional and regional centers of the RSFSR, Heroes of the Soviet Union living in a given republic, region or region of the RSFSR.

Provide for the participation of Heroes of the Soviet Union living in the union republics in the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the victory in Moscow. Instruct the Department of Administrative Bodies of the CPSU Central Committee to consider the proposal of the USSR Ministry of Defense on the number and personnel of representatives of Heroes of the Soviet Union from each union republic. Expenses associated with the stay of these persons in Moscow shall be included in the budget of the Ministry of Defense.

The Institute of Marxism-Leninism under the CPSU Central Committee, the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, the Institute of History of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the USSR Ministry of Defense and the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy to prepare and submit theses for approval by the CPSU Central Committee in March 1965 about the 20th anniversary of the victorious end of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union and the defeat of fascism.
Publish articles, essays, documents and memoirs, stories, photo illustrations and other materials dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the defeat of the fascist invaders in the central press, magazine, republican, regional and regional newspapers.
The Central Committee of the Communist Parties of the Union Republics, regional committees, regional committees, city and district party committees, Soviet, trade union and Komsomol bodies take measures to restore in exemplary order the graves of Soviet soldiers and partisans, as well as historical monuments Great Patriotic War.

On Victory Day, May 9, organize the laying of wreaths on the graves of soldiers of the Soviet Armed Forces and partisans who died in battles with the Nazi invaders and Japanese militarists. Organize excursions for the population, schoolchildren and soldiers to memorable places battles and exploits.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR, together with the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, organize with the help Soviet ambassadors and military attaches laying wreaths on the graves of Soviet soldiers buried on the territory of foreign states.

On May 9, 1965, publish the holiday order of the USSR Minister of Defense in newspapers.
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, hold a solemn meeting of the working people of Moscow together with representatives of the Soviet Army and Navy on May 8, 1965 in Moscow, at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses. Confirm comrade as speaker. Malinovsky R.Ya.
Allow the USSR Ministry of Defense to invite to the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Victory Day representatives of the armed forces of fraternal socialist countries and the armies of friendly countries, as well as prominent foreign public figures, military leaders and soldiers who distinguished themselves in the fight against fascism during the Second World War.

Instruct the Department of Administrative Bodies of the CPSU Central Committee, the International Department of the CPSU Central Committee and the Department of the CPSU Central Committee to consider proposals from the Ministry of Defense on the number and personnel of invited foreigners.

Expenses associated with the stay of these persons in the USSR shall be attributed to the budget of the USSR Ministry of Defense.

Approve events in connection with the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War (attached).

RGANI. F. 4. Op. 18. D. 780. L. 34–39. Typescript. Copy. On the last page at the bottom there is an inscription: “p. 1 (2nd paragraph) Decree published on April 28, 1965.”

[Appendix 1]

List of events in connection with the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.

To paragraph 104 prot. No. 197

The Central Committee of the Communist Parties of the Union Republics, the regional and regional party committees, the Central Committee of the Komsomol, the Ministry of Defense of the USSR and the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy, DOSAAF, the All-Union Society "Knowledge" and the Soviet Committee of War Veterans to carry out at industrial enterprises, on collective farms and state farms, in institutions and educational institutions, in military units and on ships, lectures, reports, conversations, theme evenings. Organize receptions and meetings of workers and military personnel dedicated to Victory Day with participants of the Great Patriotic War, Heroes of the Soviet Union.

Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Academy of Social Sciences under the Central Committee of the CPSU, Academies of Sciences of the Union Republics, Institute of Marxism-Leninism under the Central Committee of the CPSU, Higher Professional School under the Central Committee of the CPSU, Institutes of Party History under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Union Republics, party schools, and such higher educational institutions to hold scientific conference sessions or meetings of academic councils in April–May 1965 dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people over the Nazi invaders.
The military publishing house will prepare and publish books and brochures with the memoirs of war participants, essays and documents about the feat of the Soviet people in the Patriotic War, the collection “Grateful Nations to the Soldiers-Liberators” and the album “Great Victory”, as well as materials exposing fascism.
Socio-political and scientific-historical journals should publish in special (May) issues a series of articles, historiographical reviews and reviews devoted to the problems of the history of the Great Patriotic War.
To the Mysl publishing house to release the 10th volume by May 1965. World history", which outlines the history of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War in general.
The Novosti Press Agency is to prepare a series of exhibitions about the history of the Great Patriotic War to be shown in foreign countries, as well as organize the publication of special issues of foreign Soviet publications on this topic
The State Committee of the USSR Council of Ministers for Cinematography, together with the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy, will release a full-length film for Victory Day feature film“The Tale of a Great Feat” (Episode 1) and the short film “Relics of Battle Glory.”
The Central Committee of the Komsomol together with the USSR Ministry of Defense held on May 9, 1985 in Central Park culture and recreation, a festive evening for the youth of Moscow and parts of the capital's garrison, dedicated to the Day victory.
The State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for Cinematography, the Ministry of Culture of the USSR, the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions and the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy to hold a film festival in April 1965 in all cinemas and clubs in the country showing the best artistic and documentaries about the Great Patriotic War and modern life Army and Navy.
In 1965, the Ministry of Culture of the USSR, the Union of Artists and the Academy of Arts held the All-Union and Republican art exhibitions “Guardian of the World”.
The Central Committee of the Trade Union of Cultural Workers and the Central Commission for Cultural Patronage of the Armed Forces, together with the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy, will hold in April-May 1965 an All-Union month of cultural patronage events for the troops, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the victory.
The State Committee of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on Radio Broadcasting and Television will organize radio and television broadcasts for the population of the USSR and foreign countries, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War.
The USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs will prepare for publication in the journal “International Life”, as well as in separate publications, archival documents from the period of the Second World War: notes of diplomatic negotiations between the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition on various issues, including the opening of a second front, unpublished documents of political negotiations of the three powers the day before World War II (in 1939), which show the USSR’s struggle to create collective security in Europe and prevent fascist aggression, as well as recordings of conversations at the Yalta and Potsdam conferences.

Materials prepared for publication should be submitted for approval to the Ideological Department of the CPSU Central Committee.

The State Committees of the Council of Ministers of the USSR for cultural relations with foreign countries, for the press, for radio broadcasting and television, cinematography, TASS, APN, the Union of Soviet Societies for Friendship and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, prepare and send abroad documentaries, film magazines, books, brochures, photo exhibitions, articles, interviews with Soviet military leaders, essays, reports about the historical victories of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Great Patriotic War. Organize radio and television broadcasts to foreign countries about the heroic exploits of the soldiers of our Army and Navy in battles against the Nazis.
The Ministry of Defense of the USSR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR and the Union of Soviet Journalists will hold a press conference in Moscow in April 1965 for Soviet and foreign correspondents on the role of the Soviet people and their Armed Forces in the defeat of Nazi Germany and the lessons of World War II.
On May 9, 1965, the Ministry of Defense of the USSR and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR will hold a reception for military attaches of foreign states accredited in the Soviet Union, as well as receptions for USSR ambassadors in foreign countries on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people over the Nazi invaders.
All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, Central Council of the Komsomol, the Central Council of the Union of Sports Societies and Organizations of the USSR, the Central Committee of DOSAAF and the Soviet Committee of War Veterans to hold a combined away relay race with the participation of warrior-athletes from the hero cities of Leningrad, Volgograd, Sevastopol, Odessa and Kyiv with the finish in Moscow on May 9, 1965 year, as well as hikes, expeditions, car, motorcycle and bicycle rides for young people to the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War.
The Ministry of Defense of the USSR and the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy to complete the preparation of exhibitions Central Museum of the USSR Armed Forces in the new building and organize its opening on Victory Day with the participation of representatives of the Soviet public and military-historical museums of socialist fear.
The Ministry of Culture of the USSR, the Ministry of Defense of the USSR and the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy, together with local party, Soviet, trade union and Komsomol bodies, organize traveling exhibitions of exhibits from museums of the Soviet Army related to the victory of the Soviet people over the Nazi invaders.
The USSR Ministry of Communications to release a series postage stamps, envelopes and postcards dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany and imperialist Japan.

RGANI. F. 4. Op. 18. D. 780. L. 40–43. Typescript. Copy.

[Appendix 2.1]

Draft resolution of the CPSU Central Committee on the celebration of Victory Day in 1965.

TO THE SECRETARIAT OF THE CPSU Central Committee

In accordance with the instructions, we present a draft resolution of the CPSU Central Committee on the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, edited taking into account the exchange of views at the meeting of the Secretariat of the Central Committee.

RGANI. F. 4. Op. 18. D. 780. L. 32. Typescript. Script. Below are the signatures of the secretaries of the CPSU Central Committee M.A. Suslova, L.F. Ilyicheva, B.N. Ponomarev and P.N. Demicheva.

[Appendix 2.3]

Resolution of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee on the celebration
Victory Day in 1965

Extract from minutes No. 196 of the meeting

On the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people in

Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union 1941 – 1945.

Instruct the Secretariat of the Central Committee, taking into account the exchange of views at the meeting of the Presidium of the Central Committee, to present a final draft resolution on this issue.

Duration 5 days.

RGANI. F. 4. Op. 18. D. 780. L. 33. Typescript. Copy. The extracts were sent to L.I. Brezhnev and N.V. Podgorny.

Notes

Is it true. 1945 May 9. The text of the decree read: “In commemoration of the victorious completion of the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union against the Nazi invaders and the historical victories of the Red Army, culminating in the complete defeat of Nazi Germany, which declared unconditional surrender, to establish that May 9 is a day of national celebration - Victory Day. May 9 is considered a non-working day.”
Is it true. 1947. December 24. The decree declared: “1. In amendment to the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 8, 1945, May 9, the holiday of victory over Germany, is considered a working day. 2. Day January 1 - New Year's holiday- considered a non-working day.”
Pravda 1965. April 28. The Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR stated that “May 9 is the holiday of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945.” - will henceforth be considered a non-working day.”
Bulganin N.A.(1895 - 1975) - statesman and party leader. In 1955, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, member of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee, member of the Central Committee.
Konev I.S.(1897 - 1973) - Soviet military leader, marshal. In 1955, 1st Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR and Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces.
Suslov M.A.(1902 - 1982) - party leader. In 1955, Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee.
Pospelov P.N.. (1898 - 1979) - party leader. In 1955, Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee.
Zheltov A.S.(1904 - 1991) - Soviet military leader, colonel general. In 1955, head of the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy.
Malinovsky R.Ya.(1898 - 1967) - Soviet military leader, marshal. In 1965, Minister of Defense of the USSR.
Higher Party School.
News Press Agency.

The study was prepared by the chief specialist
Russian State Archive of Contemporary History,
Ph.D. history Sciences Nikita Pivovarov
For

“People are singing on the street,
He makes noise and carries on conversations.
So here it is - the hour, and the day, and the year
Achieved victory!

S. Ya. Marshak

8 May 1945 at 22:43 Central European Time (9May at 00:43 Moscow time) in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst the Act of Military Surrender of the Germans was signed armed forces. On behalf of the German Supreme High Command, the act was signed by the Chief of Staff of the Supreme High Command of the Wehrmacht, Field Marshal W. Keitel, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral of the Fleet von Friedeburg, and Colonel General of Aviation G. Yu.Stumpf. The Soviet Union was represented by the Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the Soviet Union G. K. Zhukov , Allies - British Air Chief Marshal A. Tedder. The commander of the US Strategic Air Forces, General K. Spaats, and the Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, General J. M. Delattre de Tassigny, were present as witnesses.

8 May 1945 even before the signing of the act of surrender I.V. Stalinsigned a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the proclamation of 9 May Victory Day.

"On the night of 9 May 1945 Muscovites did not sleep. B 2At one o'clock in the morning the radio announced that an important message would be broadcast. At 2:10 a.m. Dr. Yuri Levitan read the Act of Military Surrender of Nazi Germany and the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the announcement of 9May Day of national celebration - Victory Day. People ran out of their houses... joyfully congratulating each other on the long-awaited victory. Banners appeared. There were more and more people, and everyone moved to Red Square. A spontaneous demonstration began. Joyful faces, songs, dancing to the accordion. In the evening there was a fireworks display: thirty salvos from a thousand guns in honor of the great Victory” (war correspondent Alexander Ustinov).

That day the newspaper"Is it true" wrote: “The ninth of May! Will never forget this day soviet man. How will he not forget June 22, 1941 A century passed between these dates. And as happens in folk epics, during this time the Soviet man grew fabulously. He grew up so that a Red Army soldier standing by a waving banner in Berlin is visible to the whole world. We didn't wait for June twenty-second. But we longed for the day to come when the final blow would knock down the black monster that had insulted life. And we dealt this blow... My soul is incredibly joyful today. And the night sky over Moscow seems to radiate a reflection of the joy that the Soviet land is full of. We witnessed events about which volumes could be written. But today we fit them all into one word: victory!..”

June 24, 1945 The first Victory Parade took place on Red Square in Moscow. The parade was hosted by Marshal G.K. Zhukov, the parade was commanded by MarshalK. K. Rokossovsky. Regiments of the Belarusian, Leningrad, Karelian, and Ukrainian fronts, as well as a combined regiment of the Navy, marched along Red Square. The columns were headed by the commanders of these regiments. Heroes of the Soviet Union carried flags and banners of units that distinguished themselves in the war. At the end of the parade, 200 soldiers carried fascist banners bowed to the ground and threw them onto a special platform at the foot of the Lenin Mausoleum.

From 1948 to 1964 9 May was a normal working day. In the year of the 20th anniversary of the Victory, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree declaring 9May is a non-working holiday; On Red Square in Moscow, for the first time since the end of the war, a parade of troops and military equipment of the Moscow garrison was held

Until 1995, parades on Red Square on Victory Day were held only in anniversary years- in 1965, 1985 and 1990. Then they began to be held annually; Since 2008, military equipment has again begun to participate in parades.

Lit.: Zhukov G.K. Memories and reflections. M.,2002; The same [Electronic resource] URL:http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/zhukov1/index.html ; Our Victory. Day after day[Electronic resource] // RIA Novosti. 2005. URL: http://9may.ru/.

See also in the Presidential Library:

During the Great Patriotic War, a parade took place on Red Square in Moscow // On this day. November 7, 1941 ;

Victory Day. Victory Parade // Combat operations (TASS photo chronicle);

Memory of the Great Victory: collection.

May 9, 2018 marks the 73rd anniversary of the victory over the Nazi invaders. The Great Patriotic War began on June 22, 1941, as a result of a surprise attack on the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany. The war ended on May 9, 1945 with the surrender of the Germans.

Victory Day celebrations are held annually, especially widely in the capital. Moscow traditionally hosts a grand parade, an organized procession, the laying of wreaths, and festive fireworks. But the celebration is held not only in the capital. Although not on such a large scale, events are organized in every city. The memorable date is a non-working day.

May 9, 2018, how old: Germany surrendered unconditionally

Already in April 1945 Soviet troops approached Berlin. The German army defended itself near the banks of the Neisse and Oder rivers. In the fight for the capital of Germany, more than 78 thousand Soviet soldiers died, more than 274 thousand were wounded. But despite the huge losses and brutal resistance of the German army, already on May 1 the Soviet flag fluttered over the Reichstag.

Infantry General Quebes said he was authorized to conduct peace negotiations. This meant that the Nazis agreed to a truce. However, the truce did not take place because the Soviet leadership needed the German troops to surrender. This is exactly what happened in the end - Germany unconditionally surrendered. More than 134 thousand German soldiers surrendered. The confirmation document was signed on May 7th. The USSR accepted the surrender of the German army, but peace was never signed. The Soviet Union continued to be at war with Germany. Legally, the war ended only ten years later.

The Nuremberg trials continued for another year after the victory over Germany. During the military tribunal, terrible crimes against humanity were announced. At the trial, the top of the Third Reich was tried for their actions. The German leadership believed that they could defeat the Soviet Union very quickly. In case of victory, the Nazis wanted to destroy the USSR, appropriate land and natural resources, practically destroy Soviet citizens, and turn those who remained alive into slaves.

Unlike Nazi Germany, Soviet Union waged a war of liberation. As a result, not only the territory of the USSR, but also other countries captured by the Nazis were liberated. Historians estimate that approximately twenty-seven million people died during the war in the Soviet Union, twelve million military personnel, and more than four million people were captured or disappeared. On the German side, losses were significantly less. About four million military personnel died, approximately three million were captured.