Victory Day, which commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, is one of the most important celebrations in the former Soviet Union. Russian President Vladimir Putin has built a secular religion around Victory Day, which has served as the cornerstone of his propaganda and legitimacy for 23 years. However, two factors threaten Putin’s cult of Victory Day: firstly, his war on Ukraine, which he has portrayed as a continuation of the fight against Nazism, has been unsuccessful; secondly, his unjust and bloody war is enabling Ukraine and other Eastern European countries to reclaim the narrative of World War II victory.
The cult of Victory Day has been central to Putin’s propaganda and legitimacy. Since Putin came to power, the Victory Day parade has become increasingly grandiose and includes displays of military hardware, mass processions with portraits of ancestors who fought in World War II, and the blending of public memorialization with propaganda casting Ukraine as the inheritors of the Nazi regime.
Despite Putin’s efforts to promote this narrative, his war on Ukraine has undermined it. Many Russians have left the country rather than fight against “the Nazis” in Ukraine. Moreover, Putin’s lack of success in the war has forced him to rely on mercenaries, and he has had to cancel some Victory Day celebrations due to the risk of Ukrainian attacks.
As other countries in the post-Soviet space mark Victory Day on May 8, Putin’s narrative is being challenged. Ukraine, in particular, has the right to claim the legacy of fighting fascism and resisting Putin’s invasion. Other Eastern European countries are also rejecting Soviet-era narratives about the war and challenging Putin’s legitimacy.
Putin has claimed that the West has turned Ukraine into an “anti-Russia” and alleged that Ukrainian forces are seeking to eradicate the Russian language, culture, and history. However, his claims of ethnic cleansing are baseless. By launching his war on Ukraine, Putin has turned Ukraine into an “anti-Putinist” Russia, laying the groundwork for his own downfall.