How the Victory Day is celebrated around the world

May 9, 2024 marks the 79th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

In Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, China, Tajikistan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Serbia, festive events were held to commemorate the exploits of the liberators and to preserve the memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War.

The countries held memorial evenings at the Russian Houses, organized “Immortal Regiment” processions, “Victory Dictation” and thematic exhibitions.

Thus, the IV World Video Conference of veterans of the Great Patriotic War, residents of besieged Leningrad, participants of the anti-Hitler coalition “Memory Saving the World” was held in Azerbaijan, in which the acting head of the Russian Youth Association of Azerbaijan Shamir Danilov took part. During the meeting they discussed issues of support for veterans, patriotic education of youth.

Bulat Okudzhava, who went through the Great Patriotic War and was awarded medals: “For the Defense of the Caucasus” and “For Victory over Germany,” celebrates 100th anniversary of his birth on May 9. He finished his service with the rank of Red Army Guards. Bulat Okudzhava's songs can be heard in more than 80 Soviet movies, but the universal national fame came to him after Andrei Smirnov's movie “Belorussky Vokzal,” where the song “We Need One Victory” was heard.

In the People's Republic of China, the International historical test “Victory Dictation” was held for the sixth time on 9 sites of the country. The test questions were translated into Chinese, which attracted great attention of Chinese citizens interested in the Russian language, history and culture of Russia. Compatriots, Chinese students from Xi'an, Hebei, Sichuan, Ningxia University and the Second Beijing University of Foreign Languages joined the event. In total, more than 450 people took part in the action at all sites.

The residents also visited the exhibition “Dialogue of Generations” of the art project “Vernisage of the Victory Museum.” The exposition presents the facets of the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945, including battle scenes, women's labor, blockade days and the triumph of Victory, post-war life. The exhibition aroused special interest among fans of Soviet history and culture “Young Guard.”

The youth of the Republic of Belarus also took part in the International Action “Victory Dictation”. Yuri Makushin, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office in the Republic of Belarus, met with the children and assessed the high level of knowledge demonstrated during the dictation.

The streets of Mogilev, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno were marched in the course of the “Immortal Regiment” action. Minsk residents took part in laying flowers at the Victory Monument. On Victory Day the staff of the Russian House in Minsk honored the memory of the fallen soldiers of the Great Patriotic War at the Obelisk “Hero-City Minsk.”

Solemn events dedicated to the Victory Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from Nazi invaders were held on the site of the Russian House. The Russian House in Minsk organized a concert program for the airport staff with the participation of Honored Artist of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Avramenko. In his speech the deputy head of the Rossotrudnichestvo representative office in the Republic of Belarus emphasized the importance of preserving the historical memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War and the joint history of the peoples of Belarus and Russia, and also congratulated the staff and partners of the Minsk National Airport on the Great Victory Day.

Additionally, at the National Airport the Russian House in Minsk presented a photo exhibition of the Russian Military Historical Society “Women at War 1941-1945.”

The residents of Armenia joined the International Action “Immortal Regiment,” more than two thousand people took part. The residents laid flowers at the Eternal Flame at the “Mother Armenia” Memorial Complex. Representatives of the Russian Embassy in Armenia, the Association of Veterans after Marshal Baghramyan, the Russian House in Yerevan, public figures in the field of culture, education, science, youth took part in the patriotic procession.

On May 9 in Astana the leadership of the Embassy of Russia in the Republic of Kazakhstan took part in the ceremonies of laying wreaths to the capital monument “Otan korgaushylar” (“Defenders of the Fatherland”), to the monument to General I.V.Panfilov and 28 heroes-Panfilov. The Russian Cultural Center of Astana with the support of the Coordination Council of Russian Compatriots organized a festive concert and held a patriotic action “We Remember, We Are Proud!”

Solemn events were also held in Moldova, attended by Oleg Vasnetsov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Moldova, with veterans of the Great Patriotic War, representatives of the Russian Center for Science and Culture, social and political circles and compatriots living in Moldova.

Moldovan residents took part in the Victory March, the procession of the “Immortal Regiment” to the main city memorial “Eternity.” In Chisinau, a motor rally with rare cars took place in support of the international project of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Ugra: media expedition “Victory in our hearts.”

In Tajikistan, symbols of the Great Victory Day appeared on the windows of schools and universities in Dushanbe, Khodjent, Sughd, Tursunzad, Bokhtar, Kulyab, Penjikent and Isfara. The events were held during the “Windows of Victory” campaign.

The opening of the exhibition “Crimea: the 80th anniversary of the feat” dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the completion of the Crimean offensive operation, as a result of which the Soviet army liberated the territory of the peninsula from the German-Romanian invaders was held. Acting Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Representative Office Tatiana Mudrova emphasized the importance of preserving historical memory and the need to convey the historical truth to the younger generation in order to prevent falsification of history.

The Russian House in Dushanbe organized musical and poetic evenings “We Wholeheartedly Remember,” “Clean-up Saturdays” in the Victory Park as a symbol of solidarity and respect for the memory of fallen soldiers.

On May 9, a flower-laying ceremony was held in the Alley of Glory of the Russian City Cemetery of Dushanbe with the participation of the Embassy and Rossotrudnichestvo staff. In Sughd Region, the Consul General of Russia in Khojent, Sergey Lankin, noted the importance of preserving historical memory and patriotic education of the younger generation.

The Russian House in Belgrade of the Republic of Serbia hosted the Victory Dictation. Representatives of the veterans' organization “Combat Brotherhood” in Serbia took part in the action, and senior students of the general education school at the Russian Embassy in Serbia came to test their knowledge of history. “Victory Dictation” is held annually since 2019 on the initiative of the Organizing Committee “Our Victory,” so that everyone could test their knowledge of the events of 1941-1945. The patriotic action is organized by “United Russia” together with the Russian Historical Society, the Russian Military Historical Society, and the All-Russian public movement “Victory Volunteers” with the support of Rosobrnadzor, Rossotrudnichestvo and the Ministry of Education. The Victory Dictation in Serbia is held in Russian and Serbian languages.