Order of the Day of the Minister of the Armed Forces of the U.S.S.R. No. 11

May 9, 1946

Comrades soldiers and sailors of the Red Army and Red Navy! Comrades officers, generals and admirals! Workers of the Soviet Union!

Today we celebrate the first anniversary of the great victory won by our people over fascist Germany, Which attacked the liberty and independence of our Motherland.

In the name of the Soviet government and of our Communist Party, I salute and congratulate you on the occasion of the national celebration, the day of victory over the German fascists.

To celebrate the victory feast, I order: today, 9 May, a salute of thirty artillery salvoes in the capital of our Motherland, Moscow and in the capitals of the federal republics, Lvov, Konigsberg, and in the heroic cities of Leningrad, Stalingrad, Sebastopol and Odessa.

Glory to our armed forces who kept the honour and independence of our Motherland and who won victory over Hitler Germany!

Glory to the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, inspirer and organizer of our victory!

Glory to our great people, the victorious-people!

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the fight for the freedom and independence of our Motherland! J. Stalin

("Pravda," 9 May, 1946)