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On May 8th, 1945 Nazi Germany surrendered its armed forces, officially marking the end of WWII. The date would later be known as Victory Day in Europe. However, seeing as how the surrender came into effect late in the night, in Moscow it was already the next day, May 9th. To this day, Russia and many former Soviet republics celebrate Victory Day a day later. For the second year now, Ukraine will hold two different commemorations of the end of the WWII. In 2015, the Ukrainian Government adopted the May 8th holiday, also known as a day of remembrance and reconciliation; celebrated in many European countries. The did not, however, eliminate the celebrations of May 9th, a holiday also known as Victory Day in countries in the former Soviet Union.