February 23 - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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February 23
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Posted by: Carraway

Hi hi!

'Mrs Carraway' has suggested my next visit (and my first to the Vladivostok area) should be around this time since it's 'The Day of The Win'

...

Anyone have any experience of this celebration? What might I expect to be roped into (I'm hoping cute russki chicks in national costume and lashings of vodka, natch...).

Cheers (and season's greetings!).

Posted by: Jill

Well, it's not the "day of the win." It's the day of the defenders of the fatherland. Technically, it's a holiday for those who haver served in the military, but since Russian has a mandatory draft, it has mutated into a general "Men's Day."

What to expect? Lots of vodka.

Posted by: wavetossed

Bad translation for "Den Pobeda". It means "Victory Day" and it celebrates victory over Nazi Germany at the end of the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45. The war ended on May 9th, 1945 so that is when Victory Day is celebrated.

In Moscow there are military parades and the like but it may be more toned down in Vladivostok because they were never invaded and they were never under threat from Nazi Germany. In some of the western parts of Russia, and the Ukraine, this holiday is a bigger deal because these areas were invaded by Nazis and most people have relatives who died in the war.

Posted by: compucowboy

Actually, in the Far East, the russian forces were at war with the Japanese in Manchuria.

Posted by: disculmawsu

Quote:

Originally Posted by compucowboy

Actually, in the Far East, the russian forces were at war with the Japanese in Manchuria.

On February 23 the Soviets were not at war with Japan (there several border clashes in 1938-39). They did not declare war until August 8, 1945 (The Soviets and Japanese honored their non-agression treaty brokered by Nazis - Soviet - Japanse Neutrality Treaty signed in April 1941)The decision by the Soviets to wait until August 8th is a controversial move (it at least in America) because this occurred after the United States dropped the "Little Boy" atomic bomb on August 6, 1945 and a day before the "Fat Man" atomic bomb).
Many Cold War warriors saw the Soviet's actions as opportunistic ploy to seize control of Kurtile islands and Sakhalin (and let "bourgoise capitalistic" American expend its blood and money thus weaken it and perhaps leading to revoltion - because the Soviets viewed WWII reaaly as war between capitalistists for markets and the ability to exploit workers). However, the Soviets acted within the time limit placed upon them by the Yalta agreements (which controversial as well because many Cold War warriors argue that FDR was too sick and advised by Communist/pro-Soviet sympathizers including Alger Hiss - the opening of the Soviet archives seem to confirm that Soviets had comprised Hiss)
An interesting piece of trivia is Russia is still technically at war with Japan as neither has signed a peace treaty to end it
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