The long-awaited news finally came a little past 1 a.m. on May 9, 1945, via Radio Moscow. Announcer Yuri Levitan told listeners that Nazi Germany had surrendered two days earlier (the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin delayed releasing the news until satisfied the surrender had been ratified). Moscow's residents instantly burst into celebration, whether clothed or in pajamas, and the vodka began to flow. And flow. And flow. It was a celebration like no other across Russia.

The Soviets had suffered immensely at the hands of the Nazis. Among these tribulations was the years-long siege of Leningrad, one of the most important battles of World War II , that resulted in the death of at least 800,000 civilians. In total, the Soviet Union lost 27 million people, including 19 million civilians. The ou

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