How Victory Day has been celebrated since 1945.

Victory Day, observed on May 9, commemorates the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945. The holiday was first celebrated in the Soviet Union on that day, following the signing of the German Instrument of Surrender in Berlin. Initially a non‑working day, Victory Day was later suspended in 1947 and reinstated in 1965 under Brezhnev, who also introduced a military parade on Red Square and a reception at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The first parade took place on June 24, 1945, and subsequent celebrations grew in scale, with parades, concerts, and artillery salutes in major cities. By the 20th anniversary in 1965, Victory Day had become the second most important national holiday after the October Revolution.