Unity Day
Unity Day
calls for tolerance between various ethnic and religious groups in
the Russian Federation. However, the holiday’s purpose can at times
be misunderstood. Ultranationalists may organize demonstrations on
this day, and many others see it as a day off.
Background
Unity Day
commemorates a Russian popular uprising that freed Moscow from
Polish-Lithuanian occupation forces on November 4, 1612. Leaders of
the uprising, Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, became national
heroes. In 1649, Russian Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich made November 4
(October 22 of the then used Julian calendar) a public holiday. Many
Russians celebrated this day until 1917. In 1918, the Bolsheviks
replaced it with a new holiday, November 7, to commemorate the
Revolution of 1917. November 4 once again became a public holiday in
2005, when the Russian Parliament removed November 7 from the list of
official public holidays and introduced Unity Day.
What do people do?
Russians
may celebrate Unity Day in many ways. Some may lay flowers to the
monuments of national heroes, Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, who
led a popular uprising that freed Moscow from occupation forces on
November 4, 1612.
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ReplyDeleteRussian Orthodox Christians may attend a church service to honor Our Lady of Kazan, one of the most important Russian Orthodox icons. November 4 is this icon’s feast day. The church service usually ends with a procession. Many politicians, public and religious figures stress in televised addresses the need for unity of all ethnic and religious groups in the Russian Federation. Concerts and exhibitions take place on this day.
However, for many Russians, November 4 is just another day off or a substitute for a holiday that was held on November 7 in the Soviet times. Yet others may see it as a call for unity of ethnic Russians against non-Russians. Some ultranationalists and neo-Nazis may have demonstrations on this day.
Unity Day was first celebrated on November 4, 2005, commemorates the popular uprising led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky which ejected the Polish invaders from Moscow in November 1612, and more generally the end of the Time of Troubles and foreign intervention in Russia. The event was marked by a public holiday which was held in Russia on October 22 (Old Style) from 1649 till 1917. Its name alludes to the idea that all the classes of Russian society willingly united to preserve Russian statehood when its demise seemed inevitable, even though there was neither Tsar nor Patriarch to guide them. Most observers view this as an attempted replacement to counter Communist demonstrations on November 7 holiday, which marked the anniversary of the October Revolution. Recently a film 1612 was made to explain to the Russian audiences the history behind the new holiday. National Unity Day is also known as Consolidation Day (as an alternative translation), which people in Russia celebrate on November 3 - November 4.
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