George’s ribbon, which began to symbolize this holiday around five years ago. On May 9, almost half of the population wear a St. And nearly every viewer questioned said that they “liked the parade very much.” Moreover, in 2016, Victory Day and the Immortal Regiment march, as well as the May 9 military parade on Moscow’s Red Square, were listed as three major May events (mentioned by 48 percent, 28 percent and 26 percent of respondents, respectively, in response to an open-ended question).īut what does it mean to ”celebrate” Victory Day? The majority of the population routinely watch television coverage of the military parade, which takes place on Red Square in Moscow, reminiscent of the 1945 Victory Parade.īetween 65 and 67 percent of Russians glare at television screens for an hour on this day every year, no matter where they are (at home or at their dacha). Of public holidays, only New Year’s Eve is celebrated by a larger proportion of Russian citizens - 95-96 percent. In comparison, Unity Day is celebrated by approximately 20 percent of Russians and the anniversary of the October Revolution, by 12 percent. This figure has been consistently high over the years: 63 percent of Russian citizens celebrated Victory Day last year, 75 percent in 20 and as many as 80 percent in 1995. In advance of the holiday, 76 percent of the population planned to celebrate it this year. Victory Day is one of the most widely celebrated national holidays. Other public holidays are regarded as “the most important” far less frequently: May 1 (6 percent), Russia Day of June 12 and Unity Day of November 4 (just 1 percent). (It is noteworthy that the May 9 celebration is a celebration of the victory over fascism and not victory over Germany per se.) Only New Year’s Eve and birthdays of loved ones are seen as the most important by a larger proportion of respondents. The war affected virtually everyone and it is not surprising that this event still strikes a chord with people: one-third of the population believe that Victory Day, is “the most important” holiday. According to our polls, 85 percent of respondents have war veterans in their families and 68 percent are related to someone who died in the war. suffered nearly 42 million fatalities from 19.
According to the latest estimates presented during parliamentary hearings this February, the U.S.S.R. The estimated number of lives lost by the U.S.S.R. There is still no consensus about how great the price of victory was.
The importance attached to this day is indicative of the scale of the tragedy and the fact that the Russian state pays special attention to celebrating the victory of the Soviet Union in World War II.
A similar ranking was registered in 2012, and this order of merit has remained unchanged in subsequent years. The second most significant event is Yuri Gagarin’s space flight (58 percent) and the collapse of the U.S.S.R.
Eighty percent of respondents surveyed in January 2017 confirmed that they celebrated the May 9. The Soviet Union’s struggle and ultimate victory in World War II is still perceived by Russian citizens as the most important event of the 20th century.