Victory Day speech template (Russia)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Victory Day, Den Pobedy, is marked in Russia on 9 May. It commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, which ended the war known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War, and remembers the immense losses suffered by the peoples of the Soviet Union. It is a public holiday. A military parade is held on Red Square in Moscow, flowers are laid at war memorials across the country, veterans are honoured, and fireworks light up many cities in the evening.
- Date
- May 9
- Next dates
- Sunday 9 May 2027
Tuesday 9 May 2028
Wednesday 9 May 2029 - Country
- Russia
- Tone
- Reflective
- Typical events
- Ceremonies at war memorials, school assemblies, Russian embassies and cultural centres abroad, veterans' gatherings and community commemorations on 9 May.
- Length
- 221 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 5 cue cards
The Victory Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 5 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- GOOD AFTERNOON1 / 5
Good afternoon. I'm {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation} thank you for joining us to mark Victory Day. Many of us are here because of family stories: a grandfather who served, a grandmother who worked through the war years, relatives who never came home. - WHY THIS DATE2 / 5
In 1945, the war in Europe ended with the defeat of Nazi Germany. The surrender came into force late on 8 May, when it was already 9 May in Moscow. The victory came at an enormous cost. Millions of soldiers and civilians from across the Soviet Union lost their lives. - A MINUTE OF SILENCE3 / 5
Let us now stand and remember all who died in the war: those who fought, those who worked behind the lines, and those who did not live to see the peace.
[ONE MINUTE OF SILENCE]
Thank you. Please remain standing for a moment longer. - FLOWERS OF MEMORY4 / 5
I invite {Guest of honour} to lay the first flowers at {Memorial or display}. Anyone who wishes may follow, and you are welcome to place a flower beside the family photographs on our memory table.
[LAYING OF FLOWERS]
Thank you. Please be seated. - CLOSING5 / 5
Thank you all for remembering with us. The best way to honour that generation is to keep their stories alive, and to value the peace they longed for. As we leave today, let us carry their memory with care, and wish one another a lasting peace.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- Much of Europe marks the end of the war on 8 May. Russia marks 9 May because the German surrender came into force after midnight Moscow time; explain this briefly at international events.
- Guests may come from many countries of the former Soviet Union, with different family histories. Keep the programme focused on remembrance and peace, and avoid political statements or references to current events.
- Red carnations are traditionally given to veterans and laid at memorials. In Russian custom, flowers laid in remembrance come in even numbers, so plan your bouquets accordingly.
- Invite guests in advance to bring a photograph of a relative from the war years for the memory table, and ask them to label it with a name.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Speaking at the Victory Day parade on Red Square, President Vladimir Putin called the Great Patriotic War a time of fearless courage, immortal acts, strength of spirit and triumph of honour. “To this day, it is in this victory that we draw our strength and find our spiritual support. And we strive to live and work in such a way as to ensure this terrible war never repeats itself,” Putin said • President of Russia. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More Russia speech templates
- Russia Day · June 12