On Sunday, May 8, in Ukraine, the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, dedicated to the memory of the victims of World War II.

The Second World War was the bloodiest and cruelest in the history of mankind. This day is dedicated to the memory of more than 80 million people of all races and nations whose lives were cut short due to global violence.. Those who died at the fronts, in the trenches, and those who died during the bombing, were captured, concentration camps, or simply went missing in the whirlwind of military hard times.

The Act of Military Surrender of Germany As is known, on May 7, 1945, the Act of Military Surrender of Germany was signed, which entered into force on May 8 at 23:01 CET. On this occasion, on this day, crowded festivities were held in many cities of Europe and the USA.. However, at the request of the Kremlin, on May 8, 1945, at 22:43 CET (00:43 on May 9 Moscow time), another "

In November 2004, by decision of the 59th session of the UN General Assembly, May 8 and 9 were declared Days of Remembrance and Reconciliation. The UN resolution invites UN member states, non-governmental organizations and individuals to mark one or both of these days - May 8 and 9 - as the Day of Remembrance for All Victims of World War II.

The Assembly also emphasized that this historic event prepared the conditions for the creation of the United Nations, designed to save future generations from the scourge of war, and called on UN member states to join their efforts in the fight against new challenges and threats, to do everything possible to resolve all disputes by peaceful means.

In Ukraine, the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation is established in accordance with the Law of Ukraine " Thus, Ukraine started a new tradition on May 8 and 9 in the European spirit of memory and reconciliation.

This day is set to "

The official slogan of the commemorative events is " Remember. We win" The poppy flower has been the symbol of the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation since 2014.. Its graphic image is a kind of allusion, on the one hand personifying a poppy flower, on the other hand, a bloody trace from a bullet..

The history of the symbol The world honors the memory of the victims of the war with a poppy flower after the First World War. Her appearance is associated with the names of the Canadian military doctor John McCray and the representative of the Christian Young Women's Association Moyne Michael.

After an armed confrontation in Belgium in 1915, McCray wrote a poem in which he mentioned the poppy..

In turn, Michael wrote her own poem in response to this, in which she vowed to always wear a red poppy in memory of the dead..

In 1920, the National American Legion recognized the red poppy as the official symbol of the memory of American soldiers, and in 1921, red poppies became the emblem of the Royal British Legion..

Following this, the symbol spread to Western Europe, North America and Australia..

In Ukraine, it has long been believed that poppies bloom where Cossack blood was shed.. Thus, the red poppy is not only a European, but also a Ukrainian symbol of mourning for heroes..

The red poppy in our country is a powerful talisman of the Ukrainian family, as it means beauty, youth and their transience..

In 2014, Ukrainian designer Sergey Mishakin developed a symbolic image of a poppy in the form of four circles that overlap each other..