Day of Victory over militaristic Japan and the end of World War II
On September 3, Russia celebrates Military Glory Day—the Day of Victory over militarist Japan and the end of World War II. In 2026, commemorative events will be held for the first time not only in the Far East but throughout the country: this is the goal set by the National Center. historical memory under the President of the Russian Federation.
Eighty-one years ago, on September 2, 1945, the Japanese Instrument of Unconditional Surrender was signed aboard the American battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay. This document brought the bloodiest armed conflict in human history to a close. The following day, September 3, was declared Victory Day over Japan by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In modern Russia, this date is recognized as Military Glory Day by Federal Law No. 32-FZ "On Days of Military Glory and Memorable Dates in Russia."
The path to victory in the Far East was paved by a swift and powerful military operation. On August 8, 1945, the Soviet government declared war on Japan, and by August 9, troops from three fronts had launched an offensive against the Kwantung Army, one of the largest Japanese armed forces. In a matter of weeks, Soviet soldiers had marched hundreds of kilometers across the difficult terrain of Manchuria, North Korea, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. On August 16, 1945, the commander of the Kwantung Army ordered its surrender. The brilliant Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation ended the military standoff in the Pacific Theater of Operations and deprived Japan of its last hope of continuing the war.
Victory in the Far East became a shared cause for all the peoples of the Soviet Union. The operation involved soldiers and commanders redeployed from across the country after the defeat of Nazi Germany—veterans of Stalingrad, Kursk, and Berlin. This fact underlies the decision, for the first time in 2026, to encompass commemorative events across all regions of Russia, not just the Far East.
"For the first time, in 2026, commemorative events dedicated to the Day of Military Glory, 'September 3 – Victory Day over militarist Japan and the end of World War II (1945),' will be held throughout the Russian Federation," said Dmitry Kuznetsov, coordinator of the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District, at a press conference at the TASS Far East press center.
According to him, such events had previously been sporadic outside the Far Eastern Federal District. Now, the National Center for Historical Memory has been tasked with holding a national-scale commemorative day, as it celebrates the contribution of all the peoples of the USSR to the common Victory.
The celebrations include memorial events, the renovation of military graves, and the opening of exhibitions and displays. In particular, the traveling exhibition "Victory in the Far East," first presented in Vladivostok in September 2025, will be shown in other regions of the country in 2026. The "Far Eastern Victory" campaign will also expand to European Russia for the first time, with the distribution of the moiré ribbon of the "For Victory over Japan" medal—a popular symbol of the Far Eastern victory. The ribbon's three colors each carry special meaning: yellow—sun and warmth; red—the color of Victory; and white—the color of the flag of Japan after its surrender.
September 3rd is more than just a page in the military chronicle. It is a reminder that Soviet soldiers fought in every theater of World War II and emerged victorious everywhere. Nationwide commemorative events in 2026 aim to restore this date to the place in the country's historical memory it rightfully deserves.
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