Vicky Davis on Remembering World War II in Central Asia
“As the importance of Victory Day in Central Asia decreases, it is needed even more in Moscow to promote and validate the war in Ukraine.”
On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany formally surrendered, ending World War II in Europe. It was already May 9 in Moscow. Victory Day, as the holiday came to be called across the former Soviet Union, received increasing attention under Russian President Vladimir Putin who tapped into, and twisted at times, history to suit his contemporary needs.
Around 10 percent of the Soviet Red Army came from Central Asia, and memory of the war is evidenced by monuments across the region and, often, parades to mark May 9.
Over the years, the observance of May 9 has ebbed and flowed with the forces of geopolitical and domestic concerns alike. Even as parades are canceled or shifted in Central Asia, Moscow’s May 9 parade grandstand is watched closely each year for who will appear alongside Putin. Although all five Central Asian presidents skipped the celebration in 2022, in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they showed up in 2023 and 2024. All five are expected to appear for the 80th anniversary event this year, along with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In the following interview, The Diplomat’s Managing Editor Catherine Putz talks with Vicky Davis, the author of “Central Asia in World War Two: The Impact and Legacy of Fighting for the Soviet Union” (Bloomsbury, 2024) and “Myth Making in the Soviet Union and Modern Russia: Remembering World War II in Brezhnev’s Hero City” (Bloomsbury, 2017), about Victory Day and the power of historical memory.