Russia Day (russian: links=no, День России, ) called Day of adoption of the declaration of state sovereignty of
RSFSR (russian: links=no, День принятия Декларации о государственном суверенитете РСФСР, ) before 2002, is the national holiday of the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
. It has been celebrated annually on 12 June since 1992.
The day commemorates the adoption of the
(RSFSR) on 12 June 1990. The passage of this Declaration by the First Congress of People's Deputies marked the beginning of constitutional reform in the Russian Soviet state.
History
With the creation of the post of the
President of the Russian Federation
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
and the adoption of the new
Russian Constitution
The Constitution of the Russian Federation () was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993. Russia's constitution came into force on 25 December 1993, at the moment of its official publication, and abolished the Soviet system of gov ...
to reflect the new political reality, the national flag, anthem, and emblem of the Russian Federation were major landmarks in the consolidation of Russian statehood. The country's new name, the Russian Federation, was adopted on December 25, 1991. In 1992, the
Supreme Soviet of Russia
The Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR (russian: Верховный Совет РСФСР, ''Verkhovny Sovet RSFSR''), later Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation (russian: Верховный Совет Российской Федерации, ...
proclaimed June 12 as a national holiday.
By presidential decree on June 2, 1994, the date was again proclaimed Russia's national holiday. Under a subsequent presidential decree on June 16, 1998, the holiday was officially named "Russia Day". In 2002, the new Labour Code gave its official seal to this title.
![Russia day 2009 at St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Russia_day_2009_at_St._Petersburg.jpg)
Russian attitudes towards this holiday are ambivalent. According to the Fund "Public Opinion", June 12 is considered a holiday by 45% of Russians. It is noteworthy that the number of citizens who perceive this day as a holiday increased substantially over time. For example, in 2005 only 15% of Russians called it a holiday, and 29% did in 2014. At the same time, the number of people who receive the day off from work has declined: In 2005 the figure was 73%, in 2014 it was 60%, and by 2015 it had fallen to 42%.
In 2019 the self-proclaimed
Donetsk People's Republic proclaimed Russia Day a "state holiday".
For the 2020 celebrations in the city of Kirov, from June 1, 2020 a flash mob #WeRussia (russian: links=no, #МыРоссия) was launched, in which people can also take part. It is necessary to sing the anthem of the Russian Federation, having recorded this performance on video, and put it on social networks. From the first day of summer, you can participate in the Challenge #RussianRhymes: read video poems of Russian classics and publish on social networks. From June 5 to 12 the action “Windows of Russia” was taking place: decoration of windows, balconies and facades of residential buildings with symbols of our country. From June 8 to June 12, Kirov residents could join the “Welcome to Russia” and “Russia in the lens” promotions on the official pages of clubs in the community and centers of local activity. Challenges were held on the same dates: # Russian word - reading poems and excerpts from works of domestic writers and "I love you, Russia, I love you, Kirov", reading poems dedicated to the country and the city. On the same dates one could participate in the # Chitricolor Challenge.
Customs
People may attend concerts and fireworks that take place in many cities throughout the country. Prominent Russian writers, scientists and humanitarian workers receive
State Awards from the
President of Russia
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
on this day. Most public offices and schools are closed on June 12. If the day falls on a weekend, the public holiday shifts to the following Monday.
However, many Russians see Russia Day only as a day off. As it commemorates the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
's dissolution, it brings back bitter memories for some. This is because the dissolution led to severe unemployment, high crime and poverty within Russia and other former Soviet republics.
In 2002, about 5000 representatives from across the country took part in the pageantry from Tverskaya Zastava to Manezh Square. The highlight of the Day of Russia-2003 was the air show, which included
aerobatic teams "Russian Knights" and "Swifts".
Sukhoi
The JSC Sukhoi Company (russian: ПАО «Компания „Сухой“», ) is a Russian aircraft manufacturer (formerly Soviet), headquartered in Begovoy District, Northern Administrative Okrug, Moscow, that designs both civilian and mili ...
and
MiG
Russian Aircraft Corporation "MiG" (russian: Российская самолётостроительная корпорация „МиГ“, Rossiyskaya samolyotostroitel'naya korporatsiya "MiG"), commonly known as Mikoyan and MiG, was a Russi ...
planes left a trail forming the Russian flag. On June 12, 2004 at
Red Square
Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːətʲ) is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Owing to its historical significance and the adjacent historical build ...
a historical military parade was held. Its members, soldiers of the Russian army and representatives of 89 regions, dressed in national costumes, presented the audience the most significant milestones of
Russian history
The history of Russia begins with the histories of the East Slavs. The traditional start-date of specifically Russian history is the establishment of the Rus' state in the north in 862, ruled by Varangians. Staraya Ladoga and Novgorod became ...
. In 2007 celebrations occurred in a hundreds of cities. For example, in Krasnoyarsk action thousands of people in white, blue and red robes formed more than a kilometer long
tricolor.
Russia Day in 2008 was celebrated for three days from 11 to 14 June. In
Tomsk
Tomsk ( rus, Томск, p=tomsk, sty, Түң-тора) is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast in Russia, located on the Tom River. Population:
Founded in 1604, Tomsk is one of the oldest cities in Siberia. The city is a n ...
a "Wooden Carnival" displayed a huge wooden
Russian ruble
''hum''; cv, тенкĕ ''tenke''; kv, шайт ''shayt''; Lak: къуруш ''k'urush''; Mari: теҥге ''tenge''; os, сом ''som''; tt-Cyrl, сум ''sum''; udm, манет ''manet''; sah, солкуобай ''solkuobay''
, name_ab ...
, one hundred times the size of the
coin
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
. In
Samara enthusiasts reconstructed forces of
Minin and
Pozharsky in 1612 with
Polish–Muscovite War.
[ In Moscow, the holiday included a three-hour concert and concluded a six-month contest over the "Seven Wonders of Russia". In Red Square 20 lines of stage pyrotechnics, confetti cannon in the colors of the Russian flag and 100 guns.
In 2009 residents of ]Volgograd
Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stalingrád, label=none; ) ...
formed a map of the country covering 127 square meters. In Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
, youths passed through the city center carrying a 30-meter flag of Russia
The national flag of Russia (russian: Флаг России, Flag Rossii), also known as the ''State Flag of the Russian Federation'' (russian: Государственный флаг Российской Федерации, Gosudarstvenny fla ...
. In Moscow, at Revolution Square that day a two-meter Khokhloma doll was painted. For the first time at the Ostankino Tower the state flag was displayed.[
]
Name
According to some surveys, many Russians think that this holiday is Russia's Independence Day, but the holiday has never had such a name in official documents. According to the survey of Levada Center
The Levada Center is a Russian independent, nongovernmental polling and sociological research organization. It is named after its founder, the first Russian professor of sociology Yuri Levada (1930–2006). The center traces back its history to 1 ...
in May 2003, 65 percent of the respondents named the holiday as the Independence Day of Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
.
References
External links
{{Russia Holidays
June observances
Public holidays in Russia
Public holidays in South Ossetia
National days
Summer events in Russia
1992 establishments in Russia
Annual events in Russia