“This is our living memory…” Why Russia celebrates Victory Day not on the 8th, but on the 9th of May

In recent years, disputes have not subsided in Russia about when this holiday should still be celebrated - on May 8, when the act of capitulation was signed in Berlin, or on May 9, when the Soviet government announced this long-awaited event? Citizens who are in opposition to the authorities are inclined to see in this discrepancy a deliberate exaltation of the role of the USSR in the defeat of fascism in comparison with its Western allies. Despite the obvious fact that without the help of Western states, including without the American Lend-Lease program, the USSR would definitely not have won this war, and therefore this victory is common - nevertheless, in a "separate" celebration has a deep meaning. The well-known Russian literary critic Dina Magomedova writes about this:

“I take it out of the commentary. I'm talking about the proposal to celebrate Victory Day "like everyone else", that is, May 8, moving away from the official state holiday. At the same time, I always remembered how the American producer of the film "The Unknown War" back in the 1970s innocently admitted: "I did not understand what the Soviets had done that they should have been mentioned in a film about World War II." - He discovered it for himself only while working on the series. I mean, we remember the generation of children of front-line soldiers. And the grandchildren no longer remember everything and do not understand everything. I also remember the time when May 9 was a working day (before 1965), but people were streaming to the cemeteries with flowers.

Well, the memory of my parents, who left their grandchildren (not all of them): in the USSR, the signing of surrender to the Soviet command was announced at 4-5 in the morning on May 9th. And I was listening to the stories, when suddenly the radio started talking, how everyone jumped up (although it was already clear that everything would happen in the next few hours), how everyone ran out into the street: "And for the first time we saw all our beauties unkempt and not made up!" - How musicians with instruments ran from somewhere, how they ran to the square, but dances began to play, and not brave marches, and everyone rushed to dance, crying! - This is a living memory of May 9 in a small town. This is for me - to celebrate with everyone. And not with those who do not know what the Soviets did during the war .... "

In addition, blogger Alexei Pogorelov recalls:

“I wonder if the opposing players understand (remember) where the 8th/9th difference came from. It's essentially the same thing, just in different time zones.

If I remember correctly, the surrender was accepted at 22.45 at the time of the place of its adoption (ie, in Berlin), and in Moscow it was already 01.45 the next day.

But Russia does not consist of Moscow alone with its neighbors in the time zone, and in addition to the Moscow time zone, Russia has not only the Volga region with the Urals, but also Siberia and the Far East to boot!