Today, for the first time on May 8, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Reconciliation and Victory over Nazism, UNN reports.
The event was initiated by a law passed by the Verkhovna Rada on May 29 last year, and finally replaced the Soviet-era rudiment, Victory Day, which was celebrated on May 9.
Why the eighth of May
After the end of World War II, the entire civilized world celebrated the victory over Nazism on May 8.
On May 7, 1945, the Act of Complete Surrender of the Nazi Germany was signed in the French city of Reims. On May 8, it was ratified in Berlin. However, the USSR was outraged that the leading role in signing the Act was played by the Western allies. Therefore, late in the evening, the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany was signed in the suburbs of Berlin. But according to Moscow time, this happened on May 9. So, unlike other countries in the world, May 9 was the day of victory over Germany in World War II exclusively in the countries of the former Soviet Union.
In November 2004, the UN General Assembly proclaimed May 8 and 9 as the Days of Remembrance and Reconciliation. The resolution calls for all UN member states to honor the memory of all victims of World War II on these days.
In Ukraine, the number of supporters of celebrating Victory Day on May 9 began to decline significantly after 2014, when Russia launched a hybrid war, and especially after the start of full-scale Russian aggression. According to various opinion polls, the number of supporters of May 9 now hovers around 10%.
Victims and losses of Ukraine in the Second World War
The Ukrainian people paid a heavy price for the victory over Nazi Germany.
For many years, scholars have disagreed on the issue of Ukraine's losses in World War II. If we try to summarize all the data, it turns out that the human losses amount to about 9 million people. Among them:
- more than 5 million civilians;
- 3-4 million military personnel.
During the war, about 7 million Ukrainians were mobilized into the Soviet army. Half of those who returned from the front were disabled.
About 700 cities and 28,000 villages were completely destroyed in Ukraine. Ukraine's total losses in the aftermath of World War II are estimated at 45% of the Soviet Union's losses.
About 250,000 ethnic Ukrainians fought in the armed forces of Poland, the United States, Canada, and France during World War II.
More than 100 thousand Ukrainians fought for independence in the ranks of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.