Europe Day and Victory Day: the history of the holidays and the attitude of Ukrainians to them
On May 9, Ukraine celebrates Europe Day – a holiday that was introduced in 2023 by the Decree of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. This holiday is designed to symbolize the unity of EU countries. The day before, on May 8, the Day of Remembrance and Victory was celebrated in Ukraine.
“We are returning to our state an honest history without ideological influences. It is on May 8 that most peoples of the world remember the greatness of the victory over the fascists. Today I signed the corresponding decree, and every year from tomorrow, May 9, we will celebrate our historic unity – the unity of all Europeans who destroyed Nazism and will defeat racism.” – the President of Ukraine explained the postponement of the date of the Victory Day celebration.
History of the holiday
Europe Day, also known as Schuman Declaration Day, was started on May 9, 1950, when French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman called for the unification of post-war European states for their future development and prosperity. This politician’s speech was the first step on the way to a united Europe. Initially, the founding countries of the Union – France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg – planned to unite the coal and steel industries by abolishing taxes on imports and exports. This idea was rather economic – thanks to the unification of their economic efforts, the countries of the Union avoided enmity and the accumulation of military power, which later ensured peace in Europe.
On April 18, 1951, the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community was signed in Paris, which was first ratified by France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and later joined by other states. It is this Schumann declaration that is considered to have started the process of European integration.
In 1985, at a meeting of the European Community, the unified symbols of the Council of Europe were adopted and the official date of celebrating Europe Day for all EU member states was established – May 9.
Until 2023, Ukraine had previously celebrated Europe Day, this holiday was established by the decree of ex-president Leonid Kuchma in 2003 and fell on the third Saturday of May.
On May 29, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine canceled the celebration of Victory Day on May 9, making May 8 a public holiday – the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in the Second World War of 1939-1945.
Why was Victory Day not celebrated for 17 years
Historians still argue about the reasons why Victory Day was not celebrated in Soviet times for 17 years. Some believe that the Stalinist government decided not to celebrate it because of the beginning of the Cold War with the West, as well as because the economic situation in the country was sharply deteriorating and there was not enough money for the celebration, they tried to spend it on post-war recovery and restarting industry.
Others believe that after the war, the conflict between Joseph Stalin and Georgy Zhukov intensified. Stalin considered the authoritative military leader a direct threat to his power, so he canceled the holiday so as not to remind citizens once again of the merits of his competitor, who was popularly called the “Marshal of Victory.”
In 1965, the holiday date was restored by Leonid Brezhnev – in honor of the 20th anniversary of the victory over Germany, he returned the holiday to May 9, making this day off and holding a jubilee parade on Moscow’s Red Square.
In Ukraine, they began to gradually abandon the traditions of celebrating Victory Day on May 9, starting in 2015. Then, as part of the policy of decommunization, the Verkhovna Rada approved the change of the name of the holiday – instead of the Day of Victory over fascism in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the country began to celebrate the Day of Victory over Nazism in the Second World War. Then the red poppy became a symbol of victory for Ukrainians in the European style.
In 2017, ex-president Petro Poroshenko signed a law banning the wearing of St. George’s ribbons. A fine has been introduced for the public display of this symbol, and a 15-day arrest for repeated violations. In addition, it was forbidden to hold the “Immortal Regiment” campaign.
What the poll shows
Russia’s war against Ukraine affected the attitude of Ukrainian society to the memory of the Second World War. According to a survey conducted in January 2023 by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, the attitude towards the celebration of Victory Day on May 9 has undergone significant changes. Thus, in 2010, 58% of the population considered it one of the most important holidays, but in 2021, its popularity has almost halved and only 30% considered it the most important holiday. At the same time, in 2024, only 11% of Victory Day supporters will remain.
In general, according to the research data, the majority of the population of Ukraine marks Christmas and Easter as the most popular holidays, with a percentage of 70% and 68%, respectively. In third place is the Independence Day of Ukraine – 64%, while in 2013 only 12% of Ukrainians celebrated this holiday as their favorite or important.
Ukrainians’ point of view on the May 9 celebration of Europe Day and Victory Day
IA “FAKT” decided to find out how people now feel about the celebration of Europe Day and Victory Day on May 9. Typical answers:
Sergey, student:
“We are going to Europe, so I am positive about the cancellation of the Victory Day celebration on May 9 and the current celebration of Europe Day. I have nothing against it, I am very glad that we are moving away from Russia and getting closer to Europe.”
Elena, teacher:
“We moved to live from Avdiivka, that is, we are temporary immigrants. Of course, nothing should connect us since May 9. The victory was on May 8 and peace was concluded on May 8. This is a day of remembrance for the fallen, not a celebration. And on May 9, we celebrate Europe Day, and I don’t want to celebrate the same holidays with Russia!”.
Peter, pensioner:
“It was so long ago, I was born after the war. I had a dad who fought, but who needs it now, it’s May 9th? That’s what they do there with these tapes – it’s crazy, we don’t need it! We must live in peace and harmony, but we must not forget history and betray the memory of our parents! My family and I celebrate Victory Day on May 9, not Europe Day.”
Svetlana, pensioner:
“I am a person of the old generation and traditions. Why should we change everything? We change street names, change dates, change history. If a person wants to celebrate Victory Day on May 9, let him celebrate. If he wants to celebrate Europe Day, let him celebrate too. But you can’t beat people, condemn them, take away their orders. People died for these orders, they performed feats. For me personally, Europe Day is not a holiday, it is something foreign to me and to all my acquaintances.”
Anatoly, programmer:
“I remember how in my childhood I always ran to the TV to watch the Victory Parade. At the same time, it was always painful to look at how our veterans live and how indifferent they are to the state. Politicians mention them only on May 9 to promote themselves. There are not so many of them left alive, and every year fewer and fewer. Is it not possible to make a decent life for them? I also realized how the government uses these dates for its own purposes, so I will not mark any of them.”
Diana, teacher:
“My attitude towards the Victory Day celebration on May 9 has not changed over the years, only my attitude towards the authorities has changed. They clumsily try to manipulate all our people, impose their ideas on us and punish dissent. Why are we here for Europe Day? Who is waiting for us there, despite the fact that we are so eager to get there?”.
Yuriy, lawyer:
“My family and friends and I have celebrated Victory Day on May 9 all our lives and we are not going to give it up ever! This is the memory of the feat of our grandfathers, we do not want to betray it! We remember them, we are proud of them! As usual, we will go to the monuments of the dead to lay flowers and no one will stop us! Europe Day is not our day!”
Oleksandr, manager:
“I don’t care about these two holidays! I believe that it is necessary to live in the present, and not to return to the history of past years. We must now think about this war, not the past. It is necessary to stop the war and live in peace as soon as possible!”.
Dmytro, entrepreneur:
“Victory Day on May 9 is no longer our holiday. We no longer have any victory, it ended on February 24. Let Russia celebrate this day, and we will celebrate the Day of Europe and forget the Soviet holidays. We long for a European future and will definitely be there!”.
As you can see, the reaction in society to the celebration of Europe Day and Victory Day on May 9 is contradictory: one part of Ukrainians believes that the government’s initiative turned out to be another attempt to rewrite history, a rejection of the past, a betrayal of the memory of parents and grandfathers who fought during the Second World War . At the same time, the celebration of Europe Day is perceived as flirting with it, and it does not bring Ukraine closer to EU membership.
At the same time, others support the government’s initiative, believing that Europe Day is a completely logical and correct holiday, because European values are important to them. They do not want to celebrate Victory Day together with Russia on the same day, identifying this holiday with the current enemy. Also, people believe that it is necessary to think now not about the past, but about this war and stop it as soon as possible.
In which countries now celebrate Victory Day on May 9
Victory Day is celebrated on May 9 in: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Montenegro, the Republic of Abkhazia, Transnistria, South Ossetia.
It should never be forgotten that more than eight million Ukrainians died in the Second World War, and every fifth Ukrainian did not return home. In total, this war took more than 50 million human lives.
Despite the cancellation of the Victory Day celebration on May 9, some Ukrainians in various cities still honor the fallen soldiers on this day, placing flowers on memorials to the Eternal Flame, monuments and obelisks. Veterans are also honored on this day, which, unfortunately, is becoming less and less every year. At the same time, all Ukrainians are united in one thing – they dream of the end of the war as soon as possible and a peaceful future.
