Historian: May 8-9 and how and why we remember the end of WWII in Europe

May 8 marks the anniversary of the German surrender to allied forces in 1945, which brought an end to World War II in Europe. Some former Eastern Bloc states, including Russia, mark this anniversary instead on May 9, partly accounting for the difference in time zones between Eastern and Western Europe. For many, May 9 has become a day of celebration, honoring the triumph over the Axis powers. However, writes Estonian historian David Vseviov, it would be more constructive, and more pertinent, to learn from the past rather than venerate it.