National Unity Day is the full name of the holiday. What is National Unity Day? How the holiday appeared and why no one knows about it. National Unity Day in the new Russia

07.12.2023

At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, Russia was going through a difficult period in its history, which later became known as the Time of Troubles. The Time of Troubles is the period from the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1584 until 1613, when the first representative from the Romanov dynasty reigned on the Russian throne.

After the death of the heir of Ivan the Terrible and the last representative of the Rurik family, Dmitry Ivanovich, the struggle for the throne began. In 1604, Russia was invaded by the Polish troops of False Dmitry I, posing as the surviving Tsarevich Dmitry Ivanovich, but a year later he was killed during a conspiracy. Prince Vasily Shuisky was crowned king. But already in 1610, power in Moscow changed again and passed to the council of boyars led by Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky. His goal was to place the Catholic prince Vladislav on the Russian throne. Moscow was occupied by Polish invaders.

In 1611, Patriarch Hermogenes tried to create the first militia and called on the Russian people to defend Orthodoxy and expel the Polish invaders from Moscow. This militia was led by the Ryazan governor Prokopiy Lyapunov. However, on false accusations, Lyapunov was killed by Cossacks who were part of the militia. Strife began between the latter and the nobles and the militia disintegrated.

In September 1611, a second people's militia was created in Nizhny Novgorod, led by Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. On November 4 (October 22, old style), 1612, the Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo militia managed to storm Kitay-Gorod and expel the Poles from Moscow.

This victory served as a powerful impetus for the revival of the Russian state. After the expulsion of the Poles from Moscow, in November 1612, the leaders of the militia sent letters to the cities about the convening of the Zemsky Sobor. At the end of February 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected young Mikhail Romanov, the first Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty, as the new Tsar.

Later, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who ruled in 1645-1676, November 4 was proclaimed a day of gratitude to the Blessed Virgin Mary for her help in liberating Russia from the Poles in 1612. This day was included in the church calendar as the Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which was in the militia and became its main symbol. This date became an Orthodox state holiday in Moscow Rus' and was celebrated until 1917.

Day of National Unity in modern Russia

For a long time, at the very beginning of November, our country celebrated the anniversary of the October Revolution. After the collapse of the USSR, this holiday was replaced by the Day of Harmony and Reconciliation.

The idea of reviving in people's memory the celebration of the end of the Time of Troubles and the image of the Kazan Mother of God was expressed by the Interreligious Council of Russia in September 2004. After amendments were made to the Labor Code, the State Duma decided that November 4 would be recognized as National Unity Day.

Since 2005, all of Russia has been celebrating National Unity Day on November 4; this day is an official holiday and falls on schoolchildren. Traditionally, on this day in the Kremlin, the President of the Russian Federation presents state awards to outstanding figures of science and art, as well as foreign citizens for their great contribution to strengthening friendship and developing cultural ties with Russia. Rallies, marches and demonstrations are taking place in Russian cities.

Every year the Russian Federation celebrates National Unity Day, the date of which is November 4. This is a major public holiday for the whole country and is an official day off.

The holiday was approved by the Federal Law, signed in 2004 by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, and already in 2005 the whole country celebrated the national Russian holiday. And the initiative for approval was introduced by the Interreligious Council of Russia, whose leaders are representatives of the traditional faiths of the state.

The Interreligious Council's proposal to celebrate the holiday on November 4 was made for a reason. The date of the celebration is connected with the tragic events of 1612, when the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, was liberated from invaders from Poland.

Today, the Russian Federation is home to 195 nationalities and peoples that belong to various religious movements. Every person living in Russia can easily answer when is National Unity Day, and the goal of the holiday is to bring all people living in Russia to unity. During the celebration the people of Russia honor the liberators of Moscow, and express their civic position - the desire for peace in their own country and the prosperity of the state. The celebration is accompanied by political rallies and special events.

History of the National Unity Day holiday

At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries there was a series of tragic historical events that were called the Time of Troubles. Many historians note that the Troubles were caused by the end of the rule of the Rurik dynasty. Then economic situation became unfavorable and there was a foreign invasion. The people were forced to take up arms against the invasion of the Polish invaders. During the Time of Troubles, two attempts were made to create a militia.

Creation of a militia

The people were forced stand up for the defense of the homeland after the death of Patriarch Hermogenes. Prokopiy Lyapunov, a native of the Ryazan region, led the first militia, but there was discord between the Cossacks and nobles, and Lyapunov was killed on false charges, and the militia was dispersed.
Second wave of militia was raised in Nizhny Novgorod in 1611 under the leadership of the headman Kuzma Minin, who proposed to raise funds for the creation of defensive purposes, after which the townspeople, with their consent, were taxed to create a militia. The main commander of the second wave of the second wave of defense was Dmitry Pozharsky, whose candidacy was nominated by Minin himself. Minin immediately became Pozharsky's assistant.

A call was sent out from Nizhny Novgorod to all cities of the country to gather militia. Not only peasants and townspeople, but even nobles joined the ranks of defense. In counties and cities of the Volga region were formed main defensive forces. The main goals of the rebels were to liberate Moscow from invaders and prevent a foreign sovereign from being on the Russian throne. At the same time, the boyars, led by Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky, sought precisely to ensure that the prince Vladislav, invited from Poland, would come to reign. After the overthrow of foreign power, the militia sought to create a new Russian government.

In March 1612, under the banner of Minin and Pozharsky, the militia marched to Yaroslavl, where the “Council of the Whole Land” was created, which became a temporary government body. It is important that in the general liberation from foreign invaders Representatives of all classes and peoples who lived on the land that was part of the Russian state took part. By joint efforts, on November 4, 1612, the people took Kitay-Gorod by storm, and were able to defeat the Polish invaders and drive them out of Moscow.

The powerful impulse of victory in November 1612 served to revive the great Russian state. In 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected a new tsar, Mikhail Romanov. To honor the icon that protected the militia during their exploits, Prince Pozharsky built the Kazan Cathedral at his own expense.

In 1649, on November 4, a mandatory holiday was approved in the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in gratitude for her assistance in release great country from the Polish invaders, but during the Revolution in 1917 the holiday was cancelled. It is worth noting that the holiday was not new for the Russian Federation, but in 2004 new life was breathed into it.

Holiday traditions

Today, this holiday symbolizes the unity of the people, thanks to which it became possible to defeat the Polish invaders of Russian power. This the holiday gives an opportunity not only remember not only one of the great victories, but also reminds Russians that Russia is a multinational country and only through joint efforts can the enemy be defeated. To this day, lush and grandiose patriotic celebrations take place in all cities of the Russian Federation. Folk festivals include fun entertainment programs, concerts and fireworks.

The loudest celebrations

In 2005, Nizhny Novgorod became the central city in which a large-scale celebration took place. And also in November 2005, a monument to Dmitry Pozharsky and Kuzma Mitin was unveiled. The monument was erected on National Unity Square near the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist.
Since 2007, the holiday has gained enormous popularity, with 39 events taking place in Moscow alone. Every year, a ceremonial laying of flowers takes place at the monument to Mitin and Pozharsky with the participation of top government officials.
in 2013, according to information from the head of the nationalist movement “Russians”, he noted that more than 20 thousand people took part in the action called “Russian March”, held during the celebration of National Unity Day.

National Unity Day is a national holiday in Russia. Established on the initiative of the Interreligious Council of Russia, it is celebrated on November 4 every year since 2005.

On this day, in different cities of Russia, political parties and social movements organize rallies, processions and concerts, charity events and sporting events.

In South Ossetia, National Unity Day is included in the calendar of memorable dates and holidays, but is not a day off.

History of the holiday

The immediate reason for the introduction of the new holiday was the government's planned cancellation of the celebration of November 7, which in people's minds is associated with the anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917.

The idea to make November 4 a holiday as National Unity Day was expressed by the Interreligious Council of Russia in September 2004. The initiative was supported by the Duma Committee on Labor and Social Policy and, thus, acquired the status of a Duma initiative. Later, the initiative of the Duma to establish a celebration on November 4 was publicly supported by Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Rus'.

In November of the same year, a bill was submitted to the Duma for consideration of amendments to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation: the abolition of the celebration of November 7 - the anniversary of the October coup and December 12 - Constitution Day, the increase in the New Year holidays from 2 to 5 days, as well as the introduction of a new holiday 4 November.

On the same day, members of the Presidium of the Interreligious Council of Russia appealed to the Chairman of the State Duma, Boris Gryzlov, with a request to consider the Council’s statement on establishing the date November 4 as a holiday. The Council supported the initiative to introduce a new holiday. The corresponding appeal, along with the text of the statement, was distributed in the Duma in connection with the consideration in the first reading of amendments to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation related to the revision of holiday dates.

At the Duma meeting, the bill was adopted in the first reading. The communists opposed it.

On December 27, 2004, the draft was adopted in the third reading and became law. 327 deputies voted in favor, 104 (all communists) voted against, two abstained.

In memory of the Time of Troubles

National Unity Day was established in memory of the events of 1612, when the people's militia led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky liberated Moscow from Polish invaders.

Historically, this holiday is associated with the end of the Time of Troubles in Russia in the 17th century. The Time of Troubles - the period from the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1584 until 1613, when the first of the Romanov dynasty reigned on the Russian throne - was an era of deep crisis in the Moscow state caused by the suppression of the royal Rurik dynasty.

The dynastic crisis soon developed into a national-state crisis. The united Russian state collapsed, and numerous impostors appeared. Widespread robberies, robbery, theft, bribery, and widespread drunkenness struck the country.

Power in Moscow was usurped by the “Seven Boyars” led by Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky, who sent Polish troops into the Kremlin with the intention of placing the Catholic prince Vladislav on the Russian throne.

In this difficult time for Russia, Patriarch Hermogenes called on the Russian people to defend Orthodoxy and expel the Polish invaders from Moscow. The first people's (zemstvo) militia was headed by the Ryazan governor Prokopiy Lyapunov. But due to infighting between the nobles and the Cossacks, who killed the governor on false charges, the militia disintegrated. The anti-Polish uprising that began prematurely in Moscow on March 19, 1611 was defeated.

Minin-Pozharsky's militia

In September 1611, the “trading man”, Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin, appealed to the townspeople to create a people’s militia.

At Minin’s suggestion, the 30-year-old Novgorod prince Dmitry Pozharsky was invited to the post of chief governor. Pozharsky did not immediately accept the offer; he agreed to be a governor on the condition that the townspeople themselves would choose an assistant for him who would be in charge of the treasury of the militia. And Minin became “the elected man of the whole earth.” So at the head of the second zemstvo militia were two people elected by the people and invested with their complete trust.

Under the banners of Pozharsky and Minin, a huge army for that time gathered - more than 10 thousand serving local people, up to three thousand Cossacks, more than a thousand archers and many “dacha people” from the peasants.

Liberation of Moscow and the first Romanov

With the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God, revealed in 1579, the Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo militia managed to storm Kitay-Gorod on November 4, 1612 and expel the Poles from Moscow. This victory served as a powerful impetus for the revival of the Russian state. And the icon became the subject of special veneration.

The liberation of Moscow created the conditions for the restoration of state power and the election of a new tsar - in November 1612, the leaders of the militia sent letters to the cities convening the Zemsky Sobor. At the end of February 1613, the Zemsky Sobor, which included representatives of various strata of the country's population (clergy, boyars, nobility, Cossacks, black-growing peasants, etc.), elected young Mikhail Romanov (son of Metropolitan Philaret), the first Russian Tsar from the Romanov dynasty, as the new Tsar .

After the expulsion of the Poles from Moscow, Prince Dimitry Pozharsky, according to the Nikon Chronicle, placed the holy Kazan icon in his parish church of the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Lubyanka in Moscow. Later, with the money of Prince Pozharsky, the Kazan Cathedral was erected on Red Square. The holy icon, which was in Pozharsky’s troops during the liberation of Moscow, was transferred to a newly built church in 1636, where it was kept for almost 300 years.

Now this holy image is in the Epiphany Cathedral in Moscow.

Old new holiday

In memory of the liberation of Moscow from foreign invaders, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who ruled in 1645-1676, a holiday was established - the Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, who was in the militia and became its main symbol. It became an Orthodox state holiday in Moscow Rus' and was celebrated until 1917. This day was included in the church calendar as a celebration in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (in memory of the deliverance of Moscow and Russia from the Poles in 1612). Celebrated on November 4 (October 22, old style).

Thus, National Unity Day, in fact, is not a new holiday at all, but a return to the old tradition.

Long weekend and thousands of people marching

This year, in connection with the celebration, Russians will have three days off in a row - directly on the holiday, which falls on Friday this year, as well as on Saturday and Sunday, November 5 and 6.

A procession and rally-concert “We are United!” will be held in Moscow on November 4. They will gather more than 10 thousand participants and may become an annual event.

Public order on National Unity Day will be protected by more than 17 thousand police officers, along with law enforcement officers, troops of the National Guard will also serve.

On November 4, Russia celebrates National Unity Day. The holiday was established by the Federal Law “On the inclusion in Article 1 of the Federal Law “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia”, signed in December 2004 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

National Unity Day was established in memory of the events of 1612, when the people's militia led by Kuzma Minin And Dmitry Pozharsky liberated Moscow from Polish invaders. Historically, this holiday is associated with the end of the Time of Troubles in Russia in the 17th century. The Time of Troubles - the period from the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1584 until 1613, when the first of the Romanov dynasty reigned on the Russian throne - was an era of deep crisis in the Moscow state caused by the suppression of the royal Rurik dynasty. The dynastic crisis soon developed into a national-state crisis. The united Russian state collapsed, and numerous impostors appeared. Widespread robberies, robbery, theft, bribery, and widespread drunkenness struck the country.

It seemed to many contemporaries of the Time of Troubles that the final ruin of the “blessed kingdom of Moscow” had occurred. Power in Moscow was usurped by the “Seven Boyars” led by Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky, who sent Polish troops into the Kremlin with the intention of placing the Catholic prince Vladislav on the Russian throne.

In this difficult time for Russia, Patriarch Hermogenes called on the Russian people to defend Orthodoxy and expel the Polish invaders from Moscow. “It’s time to lay down your soul for the House of the Most Holy Theotokos!” - wrote the patriarch. His call was taken up by the Russian people. A broad patriotic movement began for the liberation of the capital from the Poles. The first people's (zemstvo) militia was headed by the Ryazan governor Prokopiy Lyapunov. But due to infighting between the nobles and the Cossacks, who killed the governor on false charges, the militia disintegrated. The anti-Polish uprising that began prematurely in Moscow on March 19, 1611 was defeated.

In September 1611, the “trading man”, Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin, appealed to the townspeople to create a people’s militia. At a city meeting, he made his famous speech: “Orthodox people, we want to help the Moscow state, we will not spare our bellies, and not just our bellies - we will sell our yards, we will pawn our wives and children and we will beat our heads so that someone will become our boss. And what praise will all of us receive from the Russian land that such a great thing will happen from such a small city as ours.”
At Minin’s call, the townspeople voluntarily gave “a third of their money” to create a zemstvo militia. But voluntary contributions were not enough. Therefore, a forced collection of “fifth money” was announced: everyone had to contribute a fifth of their income to the treasury of the militia for the salaries of serving people.

Representatives of all classes and all peoples that were part of the Russian state took part in the national militia, in the liberation of the Russian land from foreign invaders.

With the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God, revealed in 1579, the Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo militia managed to storm Kitay-Gorod on November 4, 1612 and expel the Poles from Moscow.

This victory served as a powerful impetus for the revival of the Russian state. And the icon became the subject of special veneration.

At the end of February 1613, the Zemsky Sobor, which included representatives of all classes of the country - the nobility, boyars, clergy, Cossacks, archers, black-growing peasants and delegates from many Russian cities, elected Mikhail Romanov (son of Metropolitan Philaret), the first Russian Tsar from the dynasty, as the new Tsar Romanovs. The Zemsky Sobor of 1613 became the final victory over the Troubles, the triumph of Orthodoxy and national unity.

The confidence that it was thanks to the icon of the Kazan Mother of God that the victory was won was so deep that Prince Pozharsky, with his own money, specially built the Kazan Cathedral on the edge of Red Square. Since then, the Kazan Icon began to be revered not only as the patroness of the House of Romanov, but by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who reigned in 1645-1676, a mandatory celebration was established on November 4 as a day of gratitude to the Most Holy Theotokos for her help in liberating Russia from the Poles (celebrated before 1917). This day was included in the church calendar as the Celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in memory of the deliverance of Moscow and Russia from the Poles in 1612.

Thus, National Unity Day is essentially not a new holiday at all, but a return to an old tradition.

On National Unity Day, in different cities of our country, political parties and social movements organize rallies, processions and concerts, charity events and sporting events.

On November 4, Russia celebrates National Unity Day. The holiday was established in 2005 and has been a day off since then, but many Russians still do not know what happened on this day and what exactly we are celebrating.

TASS figured out when and why November 4 became a holiday, what history is hidden behind this date and why such a name was chosen for it.

What happened on this day?

On November 4 (October 22, old style), 1612, the people's militia, led by the zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, liberated Moscow from Polish invaders.

Why is this date so important?

With the expulsion of the Poles from the Kremlin, the long period of the Time of Troubles in Russia ended. A few months after the liberation of Moscow, the Zemsky Sobor, which included representatives of all classes of the country: nobility, boyars, clergy, Cossacks, archers, peasants and delegates from Russian cities, elected a new tsar - a representative of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich.

How did the Poles end up in Moscow?

After the death in 1598 of the last tsar from the Rurik dynasty, Fyodor Ioannovich, and his younger brother Dmitry, the throne was taken by the boyar Boris Godunov. However, for the nobility, his rights to supreme power were illegitimate. Impostors took advantage of this, posing as the deceased Tsarevich Dmitry. A political crisis began in the country, called the Time of Troubles.

In 1609, the Polish king Sigismund III began military intervention against Russia. A significant part of the country came under the control of Polish-Lithuanian troops.

Power passed to the council of boyars (Seven Boyars), who swore allegiance to the Polish prince, the son of Sigismund. And Moscow was occupied by Polish troops.

In 1612, the people's militia, created in Nizhny Novgorod to liberate Russian lands from foreign invaders, stormed Kitai Gorod and expelled Polish troops.

Who are Minin and Pozharsky?

Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin played a big role in the creation of the people's militia, calling on the townspeople to repel the enemy. A huge army for those times gathered - more than 10 thousand serving local people, peasants, Cossacks, archers and nobles. Along with the Russians, the militia included the Mari, Chuvash, Komi and other peoples of the Volga region and the North. Novgorod Prince Dmitry Pozharsky was elected governor, and Minin became his assistant and treasurer.

In 1818, by decree of Emperor Alexander I, a monument to “Citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky” by sculptor Ivan Martos was erected on Red Square - the first monument in the history of Russia not to a tsar or a commander, but to folk heroes.

When did November 4th become a holiday?

In 1613, Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich established the Day of Cleansing Moscow from Polish invaders.

In 1649, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the date was declared a church and state holiday. On this day, the Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God “for the deliverance of Moscow and Russia from the Polish invasion of 1612.”

How did the icon become connected with the history of the liberation of Moscow?

According to legend, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God was sent from Kazan to Prince Dmitry Pozharsky and became the patroness of the people's militia. With her the army entered Moscow.

Today on Red Square stands the Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, consecrated in 1637 in memory of the heroes who liberated the capital.

If the holiday existed, why was it reintroduced in 2005?

During the Soviet years, November 4 was not celebrated and was not a day off. November 7, the Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution, was considered a holiday. In 1996, the holiday was renamed the Day of Reconciliation and Harmony.

In September 2004, the Interreligious Council of Russia proposed making November 4 a holiday and celebrating it as National Unity Day. The State Duma supported the initiative. This day became a day off instead of November 7, which received the status of a memorable date - the Day of the October Revolution of 1917.

Why is the holiday called National Unity Day?

One of the explanations for why this name was chosen can be the explanatory note to the draft law on the introduction of a new holiday: “On November 4, 1612, the soldiers of the people’s militia ... demonstrated an example of heroism and unity of the entire people, regardless of origin, religion and position in society.” .

The material was prepared with the participation of TASS-Dossier