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Why Ukraine needs to abandon the celebration of Victory Day on May 9 and start instead honouring the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism on May 8 – explains Volodymyr Vyatrovych, Ukrainian historian, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory (2014-2019) and MP who patrolled Kyiv during the Russian efforts to conquer the city.

A bill to postpone Victory Day celebrations from May 9 to May 8 was recently proposed to parliament. Deputies from the «Servant of the People» have not yet considered it at the previous meeting of the Verkhovna Rada. We will press for it to be considered next. We have every chance to do it by May 9.

This is important, first of all, because there is a historical reason. It is that Nazi Germany signed the Act of Surrender on May 8. There is also a political reason: May 9 is the so-called «pobiedobiesie» [victory obsession] of the «russian world» myth. Russia is trying to export it to the whole world, including Ukraine.

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A whole generation of murderers, Russian servicemen, who are now killing Ukrainians, was brought up on the basis of this myth. In particular, a loud celebration of Victory Day in Mariupol is scheduled for May 9, literally on our ruins and bones.

I am convinced that it’s absolutely impermissible for Ukrainians to celebrate this day simultaneously with the aggressor. Instead, the proposed bill envisages that we celebrate this day with the whole of Europe on May 8. I propose to leave Victory Day vacant until the capitulation of Nazi Russia.

Let me remind you that the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy supported the bill, which provides for the celebration of May 8, the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism, while May 9, along with all of Europe – Europe Day.

By Volodymyr Vyatrovych, translated by Vitalii Holich

The author’s column is a reflection of the author’s subjective position. The editors of Lviv Now do not always share the views expressed in the columns, and are ready to give dissenters the opportunity for a reasoned answer.

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