September 3rd - Day of the End Second World War

Japan’s official surrender took place aboard the US battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 3. On the same day the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR accepted the decree «On declaring September 3 a holiday of victory over Japan».

Little by little this data, 3rd September, was prone to be forgotten, and the end of the Second World War was celebrated on 2rd September. In 2020 the State Duma made a decision to resurrect the celebration on 3rd September. This decree was signed into law by the Russian’s president in 2020 in April.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany, the interests of restoring the world demanded the quickest possible liquidation of war hotbeds in the Far East. USSR couldn’t keep its distance from a solution of this situation due to the commitments which existed between it and its allies. Therefore, the government of the USSR declared war between that country and Japan on 8th August in 1945.

Our forces carried out three operations: Manchurian strategic, Yuzhno-Sakhalin offensive and Kuril landing operations. In a few weeks our troops defeated the largest Japanese grouping. The Kwantung Army numbered more than 1.3 million men, had more than 1,200 tanks, 6,300 artillery pieces and 1,900 airplanes.

More than 300 thousand soldiers and officers were given medals for intense battles.

The second World War was ended by the unconditional surrender of Japan. The large-scale military clash of countries in terms of people and materials loses has no equals for all history of humankind. Sixty-one countries, more than 80 per cent of the world's population, were drawn into the flywheel of war. The war was fought on the territory of 40 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Arctic Oceans.