Belgrade Liberation Day is a — national holiday in Serbia, celebrated annually on October 20.
Belgrade was liberated by Soviet troops together with units of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia during the general offensive operation of Soviet troops to liberate the territory of this state from the Nazi invaders and their allies during the Second World War.
Air-supported ground forces, the Danube Military Flotilla and Yugoslav partisans participated in the liberation of Belgrade. The fighting for Belgrade lasted from September 28 to October 22, 1944. The city was actually liberated on October 20.
At the request of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the « medal for the liberation of Belgrade» to reward all direct participants in the heroic assault and liberation of this city. In total, about 70 thousand people were awarded it.
Since 1944, Belgrade Liberation Day has been one of the main holidays in Serbia, although it has never been declared a national holiday. On this day, Serbs remember those killed for the liberation of their country and celebrate one of the most important dates of the people's liberation struggle.
This important date in the history of the Great Patriotic War is also celebrated in Russia. Thus, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade from the Nazi invaders, volleys rang out on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow as part of the large-scale project of the Ministry of Defense «Victory Salute». And on the eve of the holiday, the Russian military department declassified unique archival documents about the liberation of Belgrade.