Shymkent city authorities decided to remove St.George ribbon, which is highly respected by many Russians, from the Obelisk of Glory three days prior to the Victory Day celebration.
The ribbon was replaced by Kazakhstan’s Victory Day symbol, a blue ribbon with Kazakh national ornament and a picture of the Order of the Great Patriotic War. The country introduced a new symbol in 2015, a year after Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the military conflict, St. George ribbon has been the symbol of the occupation of Crimea, as well as pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas. Until recently, it was used in Belarus at the official level during the celebration of Victory Day, but later it was replaced with a ribbon in the national flag colours.
- Symbol of separatism: Belarusians forced to strip St. George ribbons off car in Ukraine
- Strict rules for wearing St. George ribbon in Russia
- Lukashenka on Victory Day: World on brink of war, Belarus’ fifth column sleeping with enemy
Most European countries celebrate the victory on May 8 remembering the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces. Russia, Belarus and many other former Soviet republics commemorate Victory Day on May 9.
