May 8 - Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, dedicated to the memory of the victims of World War II

On Saturday, May 8, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Second World War.

World War II became the bloodiest and most brutal in human history. This day is dedicated to the memory of the more than 80 million people whose lives were cut short by global violence, people of all races and nations. Those who died on the fronts, in the trenches, and those who died during the bombing, visited captivity, concentration camps, or simply disappeared in the whirlwind of war.

On May 8, hostilities for our compatriots did not cease, but continued at least until September 2, 1945, when the American battleship Missouri signed the Act of Surrender of Japan by representatives of this country, the United States, China, Great Britain and the USSR. On the Soviet side, it was signed by a Ukrainian from the Uman region, Lieutenant General Kuzma Derevyanko.

Thus, the story of each of the Ukrainians who fought in the Red Army, UPA, Polish Army, French, British, Canadian Armed Forces and the US Army is a story of courage and dedication in the name of a common victory over the aggressor.

In Ukraine, the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation is established in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On Perpetuation of the Victory over Nazism in the Second World War of 1939-1945". This day is set to "honor the heroism of the Ukrainian people, their outstanding contribution to the victory of the Anti-Hitler Coalition in World War II, to pay tribute to all fighters against Nazism, to perpetuate the memory of the dead."

Remembrance and Reconciliation Day and Victory Day over Nazism in World War II do not symbolize the triumph of the victors over the vanquished, but should be a reminder of a terrible catastrophe and a warning that difficult international problems cannot be solved by force, ultimatums, aggression, annexation. The most important result of the war should not be the cult of victory, but the ability to value peace, to defend it categorically and uncompromisingly by all reasonable means. Our memory is a safeguard against such disasters never happening again.

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