Victory Day

May 9th is Victory Day in the former Soviet Union. It is greatly celebrated in Ukraine, which suffered incalculable tragedy and loss. The country is still grasping with the enormous burden the Great Patriotic War left. There was a great story on NPR about it on May 8th. You can listen to it HERE.

I haven't been to a city, town, village, or 4 house settlement that doesn't have a Second World War memorial. On Victory Day, people gather to thank living veterans and remember the victims. In my village, what I call the "soundtrack" to the war is played. The Soviet Union had a number of songs meant to empower the front line and to celebrate the war's end. These songs, sung by a mens' choir, are bone chilling.

I was traveling through Odessa on Victory Day. I made sure to get there in time to watch the military parade and meet some of the veterans. Odessa's story is recapped HERE. Thanking the veterans and observing the customs of this holiday is one of my favorite experiences I've had so far in Ukraine.


Last Friday, my school had a memorial service in the afternoon. It was quite emotional, even for me. The students sang songs and recited poems to the veterans. Six veterans attended (shown above). These men are truly Ukrainian heroes and it's sad to see how their numbers diminish year after year. The New York Times has an interesting photo essay about Russian veterans that you can see HERE.