Day national unity- This is a rather young holiday, but it is dedicated to an event that took place more than 400 years ago during the Time of Troubles. On this day in 1612, the militia, led by Kuzma Minina and Dmitry Pozharsky defeated the Polish invaders and liberated Moscow.

Historical digression: what is the Time of Troubles?

Chronologically, this period can be designated as 1584-1613. After death Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible in 1584 his heir ascended the throne Fedor Ioannovich who showed little interest in government affairs. Tsar Fyodor had no heirs, and his only successor, Tsarevich Dmitry, died in Uglich in childhood. In 1598, Fyodor Ioannovich died, and the royal dynasty of Rurikovich was cut short on him.

This was followed by about 15 years of deep national crisis. The turmoil was the time of the appearance of impostors, the reign of the boyars, a terrible famine and war with the Poles.

On November 4, 1612, the militia led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky managed to liberate Moscow from the Polish invaders. In 1613, a new tsar was elected at the Zemsky Sobor - Mikhail Romanov. This event chronologically marked the end of the state crisis and Troubles. In honor of the victory over the Poles, November 4 became the Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. According to legend, the militias managed to win thanks to her intercession.

The victory of the people's militia over the Poles. High relief from the monument to Minin and Pozharsky. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

November holidays: from the 7th to the 4th

In the USSR, November 7 was celebrated as the Day of the October Revolution. On the night of October 25-26, 1917 (November 7-8, according to a new style), during an armed uprising, the Bolsheviks captured the Winter Palace, arrested members of the Provisional Government and proclaimed the power of the Soviets.

November 7 and 8 were non-working days in the Soviet Union. On November 7, military parades were held on Red Square, and festive demonstrations were organized throughout the country.

In 1996 Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed a decree "On the Day of Consent and Reconciliation." November 7 remained a holiday, but the essence of the holiday has changed radically. This holiday was supposed to be a day of renunciation of confrontation, a day of reconciliation and unity of various layers of Russian society. 1997 - the year of the 80th anniversary of the revolution - was declared the year of consent and reconciliation.

In 2004 Russian President Vladimir Putin federal law "On Amendments to Article 112 of the Labor Code" was signed Russian Federation". This law established new holiday November 4 is National Unity Day. The document entered into force in 2005.

Is there unity?

National Unity Day is a young holiday, and the culture of its celebration has not yet developed.

The historical side of the holiday is little known and looks faded against the backdrop of the Battle of Kulikovo or the Battle of Borodino. In addition, the very historical fabric of those times is so complex and full of names and events that only professionals can have a clear idea of ​​​​the meaning of the events of 1612. According to the results of the VTsIOM poll, the majority of Russians still do not know the name of the holiday. In 2011, these were 43% of respondents. Only 14% of Russians were aware of what exactly the holiday was dedicated to. Most of the respondents stated that they would not celebrate National Unity Day.

According to the results of a VTsIOM poll conducted in 2012, the majority of Russians believe that there is no national unity in Russia. There were 56% of them. Only 23% of respondents are sure that there is unity.

At the same time, those who believe in national unity often say that in Russia different nations coexist peacefully. Those who hold opposing views say that everyone thinks only of himself.

November 4 - Day of military glory of Russia. National Unity Day.
November 4 events that took place in the world, in different years

On November 4, Russia celebrates one of the youngest public holidays - National Unity Day. It has been celebrated on November 4 since 2005. The last holiday (non-working) day of the year in Russia. Sometimes called "the day of liberation from the Polish-Lithuanian and Swedish occupiers".
The immediate reason for the introduction of the new holiday was the planned cancellation of the celebration of November 7, which in the minds of people is associated with the anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917.
The idea to make November 4 a holiday as National Unity Day was put forward by the Interreligious Council of Russia in September 2004.
It was supported by the Duma Committee on Labor and social policy, and thus acquired the status of a Duma initiative.
On September 29, 2004, Patriarch Alexy of Moscow and All Russia publicly supported the initiative of the Duma to establish the celebration on November 4th. “This day reminds us how, in 1612, Russians of different faiths and nationalities overcame division, overcame a formidable enemy and led the country to a stable civil peace,” said Patriarch Alexy.
On October 22, according to the old style (or November 1, according to the new style) in 1612, militia fighters led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky stormed Kitay-Gorod, the garrison of the Commonwealth retreated to the Kremlin. Prince Pozharsky entered Kitai-Gorod with the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and vowed to build a temple in memory of this victory. On October 26 (November 8, according to a new style), the command of the interventionist garrison signed a surrender, releasing the Moscow boyars and other nobles from the Kremlin at the same time, and the next day the garrison surrendered. At the end of February 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Romanov, the first Russian tsar from the Romanov dynasty, as the new tsar.
In 1649, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the day of the Kazan icon Mother of God, October 22 (Old Style), was declared a public holiday that was celebrated for centuries until 1917.
According to the Orthodox church calendar, this day marks 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)”, which falls on October 22 according to the Julian calendar. Due to the increase in the difference between the Gregorian and the Julian over the past centuries, this day has shifted to November 4 (and will shift to November 5 in the 22nd century).

1493 - Expedition of Christopher Columbus discovers the island of Guadeloupe.
1576 - During the Eighty Years' War, Spanish troops capture Antwerp.
1582 - Yermak in the battle on the Chuvash Cape defeats the Siberian Khan Kuchum and after 3 days enters the capital of his khanate - Isker.
1612 - Liberation of Moscow. Capitulation of the Polish-Lithuanian garrison of the Moscow Kremlin.
1660 - capitulation of the army of the boyar Vasily Sheremetev near Chudnov. Russia has lost hope for the return of the lands of Right-Borezhnaya Ukraine.
1707 - a hospital was opened in Moscow (now - the Main Military Clinical Hospital named after N. N. Burdenko).
1708 - Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa announced his betrayal of Peter I and moved to join the troops of the Swedish king Charles XII.
1794 - Alexander Suvorov occupies Prague, a suburb of Warsaw. End of the Polish uprising.
1815 - in Berlin, during an official dinner, the Russian Emperor Alexander I and the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III announce the engagement of Tsarevich Nicholas (the future Emperor Nicholas I) and the Prussian Princess Charlotte (who became Alexandra after the adoption of the Orthodox faith).
1848 - adoption by the Constituent Assembly of France of the Constitution of the Second French Republic, according to which the president is placed at the head of the state.
1862 - Richard Gatling patented the world's first multi-barreled machine gun Revolving Battery Gun, which made a significant contribution to the victory of the United States (Army of the North) over the CSA.
1879 - Jades Ritty patents the first cash register.
1890 - The world's first underground electric road, the underground, opens in London.
1914 - on the German cruiser "Karlsruhe" ("Karlsruhe") there was an explosion of ammunition cellars. 263 crew members were killed, including the commander of the ship.
1917 - The Military Revolutionary Committee of the Petrograd Soviet announces that only orders approved by it are recognized as valid.
1918 - The Versailles Conference of the Allied Powers draws up an Armistice Agreement with Germany.
1921 - Takashi Hara, the prime minister of Japan, is assassinated at a Tokyo train station.
1922 - Englishman Howard Carter discovers the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen in Egypt.
1924 - Republican Calvin Coolidge wins the US presidential election.
1936 - Saratov puppet theater "Teremok" begins its work in Saratov
1938 - the island of Jersey in the English Channel. A Jersey Airways de Havilland DH-86 crashes. All 14 people on board die.
1940 - United Airlines Douglas DC-3 crashed into Bountiful Peak in the Wasatch Mountains in a snowstorm 3 nautical miles from Centerville (Utah, USA) as a result of a failure of navigation equipment. All 10 people on board were killed.
1942 - The general directors of self-government appointed by the Germans in the occupied territory of Latvia begin to discuss the issue of creating a Latvian legion.
- The Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) was founded.
1944 - Hartford, California, USA. After entering a thundercloud, a Trans Continental & Western Airways Douglas DC-3 loses its wing due to severe turbulence. All 24 people on board die.
1946 - The Sino-American Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Trade is concluded.
- UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, was formed in Paris.
1952 - Earthquake in the Kuril Islands.
- Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower wins an overwhelming victory in the US presidential election.
- Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, who took the throne after the death of her father George VI, opens a meeting of Parliament for the first time.
1956 - Operation Whirlwind launched.
- The first tests of the Tu-104 turbojet aircraft are being carried out.
1966 - severe flooding in the central and northern regions of Italy. In Florence, causes the Renaissance Art Center to be flooded with water 2 meters from the floor.
1967 - Fernhurst, Sussex, England. The Sud Aviation Caravelle 10R aircraft of the Spanish company Iberia Airlines crashes. All 37 people on board die. Too much descent during landing.
- The Ostankino television tower was put into operation.
1968 - launch of the first domestic solid-propellant ballistic missile RT-2, Plesetsk.
1969 - Ryazan writers' organization excludes Alexander Solzhenitsyn from the Writers' Union of the USSR.
1970 - During a test flight, the British-French Concorde supersonic passenger airliner exceeds the speed of sound twice.
1972 - near Plovdiv (Bulgaria), an Il-14P aircraft of Balkan Bulgarian Airlines hit a mountain during landing. All 35 people on board die.
1976 - Banjarmasin, Indonesia. The Fokker F-27 ° Friendship 100 aircraft of the Bali International Air Service crashes. Of the 38 people on board, 29 die.
1977 - The UN categorically bans the supply of arms to South Africa.
1979 - Iranian "revolutionary guards" (students) take over the American embassy in Tehran.
1980 - Republican Ronald Reagan wins the US presidential election by a landslide.
1981 - Negotiations between General Jaruzelski, Lech Walesa and Cardinal Glemp come to a standstill in Poland.
2008 - Barack Hussein Obama II wins the US presidential election.
2009 - in Nizhny Novgorod, the metro bridge was opened for automobile traffic.
2011 - the cities of Kovrov, Lomonosov, Taganrog and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Russia) were awarded the honorary title City of Military Glory.

At the beginning of November, a day off is set in our country. However, not all Russians know which holiday we celebrate on November 4, 2019.

The fact is that it was established relatively recently. AT Soviet years In early November, the USSR celebrated the Day of the October Revolution.

Many events were timed to coincide with the main holiday of the country: demonstrations of workers, a military parade on Red Square in Moscow, theatrical performances, amateur art concerts, patriotic song contests, etc.

But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, this holiday was no longer celebrated at the state level. Since 1991, the Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution has been called the Day of the October Revolution of 1917, since 1996 - the Day of Accord and Reconciliation.

Since 2005, another holiday has been established instead of it, which was called National Unity Day. Accordingly, the day off was moved from 7 to 4 November. We will tell you what holiday is celebrated in Russia on this day, about its history and traditions that have developed over several years.

In honor of what is the holiday celebrated on November 4, 2019 in Russia?

It was decided to establish this date in memory of the deliverance of Russia from the invasion of the Poles in 1612. To understand what events commemorated the holiday on November 4, 2019, let's remember what happened in Russia at the end of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century.

This period in the history of our country is called the Time of Troubles. After the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1584 and until 1613, when the first of the representatives of the Romanov dynasty reigned on the Russian throne, the Muscovite state was in a deep crisis.

The unified kingdom fell apart, numerous impostors claimed the royal throne. Power in Moscow was seized by the "seven boyars", which allowed Polish troops into the Kremlin, intending to elevate the Catholic prince Vladislav to the throne.

A broad patriotic movement for liberation from the Poles began in the capital. “Trading man”, the Nizhny Novgorod Zemstvo headman Kuzma Minin addressed the residents of Moscow at a city meeting:

“Orthodox people, we will want to help the Muscovite state, we will not spare our stomachs, but not only our stomachs - we will sell our yards, we will lay down our wives, children and we will beat with our foreheads so that someone becomes our boss. And what praise will be to all of us from the Russian land that such a great deed will happen from such a small city as ours.

In order to prevent the plans of the interventionists, a people's militia was assembled, which included more than 10 thousand serving local people, about three thousand Cossacks, over a thousand archers and many peasants.

The troops were led by Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky of Novgorod, who were elected by the people themselves and endowed with their confidence. The militia managed to liberate Moscow from foreign invaders.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the first monument in the city was solemnly opened on Red Square in Moscow, which was erected with funds raised by public subscription. The inscription on its pedestal reads: "To Citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky - grateful Russia in the summer of 1818." A similar monument to the heroes was erected in 2015 in Nizhny Novgorod.

After the end of the Time of Troubles, the Zemsky Sobor elected Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov to the kingdom, who laid the foundation for the three-hundred-year rule of the Romanov dynasty in Russia.

However, the story about what holiday is celebrated on November 4, 2019, will be incomplete if we do not mention that a list from the Kazan icon of the Mother of God helped our troops win several significant battles in the 17th century.

The military, who galloped ahead of the troops, held an icon in their hands, which was supposed to bring him victory. As a result, the militias managed to expel the Polish invaders from Moscow.

The winners marched with the icon to the Execution Ground in the capital, having made a procession. In honor of the victory, the Kazan Cathedral was erected on Red Square in Moscow, which was subsequently destroyed in 1936, but rebuilt in 1993.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich declared a holiday in Russia, falling on November 4, a state holiday. On the occasion of the birth of the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Dmitry, on “the miraculous icon of Kazan, during the all-night singing,” the sovereign ordered that the feast of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God be celebrated “in all cities for all years.”

This happened in 1649, after which for many years the solemn date, established in gratitude to the Blessed Virgin for her help in liberation from the invaders, was celebrated everywhere. In the church calendar, it is called "Celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in memory of the deliverance of Moscow and Russia from the Poles in 1612."

During the period of Soviet power, the tradition of celebrating this date was interrupted, but then resumed. Initiator of the institution memorable date became the Russian Orthodox Church.

Patriarch Alexy II made a proposal to make November 4 a holiday. He proposed to revive the Day of National Unity and Memory of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which has been honored in Russia for several centuries.

This idea was supported by many political and public organizations. The holiday was established by the Federal Law “On the Introduction to Article 1 of the Federal Law “On the Days of Military Glory (Victory Days) of Russia”, signed in December 2004 by the President of Russia.

November 4 at modern Russia National Unity Day is widely celebrated throughout the country. Rallies and marches are timed to coincide with it, which are organized by various political parties and social movements.

Celebrations, exhibitions in museums and libraries, lectures, disputes, concerts, sports competitions, charity events, etc. are held in cities and villages. Historical films telling about the Time of Troubles are shown on television.

However, unfortunately, not all citizens of our country still have an idea of ​​what kind of holiday November 4, 2019 will be. Some people have a hard time imagining why they don't have to go to work or school.

And yet this date is getting more and more famous every year. Additional days off for many people become excellent reasons to visit various events and remember the best pages of the country's history.

Now you know what holiday is celebrated in Russia on this day. Although it appeared relatively recently, it is dedicated to events that took place several centuries ago.

In fact, this is not a new, but a revived holiday with its own history and old traditions that we still observe. The date we are celebrating is intended to remind the citizens of a multinational country of the importance of our unity and solidarity.

People familiar with history know that this date - National Unity Day - is dedicated to the events of the Time of Troubles, when Moscow was liberated from enemies in 1612 with the help of a militia consisting of ordinary people, under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky.

Reason for creating a new holiday in Russia

Initially, the inhabitants of our country celebrated November 7 as the anniversary of the well-known October Revolution. Soviet Union fell apart, and people, by inertia, continued to celebrate this day, since it remained red on the calendar. Only now it was called So it continued for another 14 years after the collapse of the USSR, until the authorities decided that it was time to establish a new date. So what is the name of the holiday on November 4 in Russia?

Alexy II, the patriarch of Russia at that time, at the Interreligious Council came up with the idea of ​​reviving the end of the Time of Troubles and the image of Our Lady of Kazan in people's memory. So that the people do not have unnecessary questions about what holiday is celebrated in Russia on November 4, the State Duma, after amending Labor Code decided that this date would be recognized as National Unity Day.

People's militia led by Minin and Pozharsky

At the beginning of the 17th century, Russia was in the grip of the Time of Troubles. The country experienced severe crises related to politics and the economy, crop failures and famine, foreign intervention. In 1612, she freed herself from the Poles with the help of Kozma Minin, a governor from Nizhny Novgorod, and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. They organized which captured Kitay-Gorod and forced the foreigners to recognize the act of surrender.

Pozharsky was lucky enough to be the first to enter the city. He carried in his hands the icon of Our Lady of Kazan. In Russia, they sincerely believed that it was the Mother of God who then protected the people from enemies. In 1649, by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, November 4 became dedicated to the Lady of Heaven. Until 1917, until the revolution took place in the country, this day was special for all Russian people.

Celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God

Now the Orthodox also especially honor this day. What kind of holiday is November 4 in Russia? This is the day of glorification of the Kazan Mother of God. In 1612, he appealed to the people with a call to pray and stand up for native land from foreign invaders. Then Dmitry Pozharsky from Kazan was sent to the militia a wonderful image of the Ever-Virgin Mary. Having endured a three-day fast, people with faith and hope appealed to the Queen of Heaven with a request that she give them strength to defeat their enemies.

The Mother of God heard their pleas for help, Moscow was liberated. Then came the end of the Time of Troubles in Russia. Since then, people have known about the miraculous salvation of the country on November 4, which is now considered a holiday in Russia. In honor of this event, the Kazan Cathedral was built on Red Square in 1612. It was destroyed during the years of persecution of the church, and has now been restored.

Contradictory attitude of the people to this event

Many people do not understand what kind of date November 4 is, what holiday is celebrated in Russia at this time? Not everyone knows about the Day of Unity of the People, in particular, the older generation accustomed to the date of November 7, when the events of the 1917 revolution are remembered. People who grew up in the spirit of atheism do not want to recognize the new holiday. They still celebrate their own and 3 days later. The Communists in the State Duma were also initially against changing the date in the calendar, however, their votes were in the minority and did not have a significant impact on the decision.

Thus, some people believe that it is not good to break old traditions by shifting the emphasis from one holiday to another, the second (many Orthodox people are among them), on the contrary, are sure that this day is the revival of history. Everything returns to its place. But for 10 years now, November 4 has been celebrated. What is a holiday in Russia without the opportunity to relax? This day is an official holiday.

National Unity Day or Accord and Reconciliation Day?

Until now, some people are confused and cannot say which of the names of the holiday is correct. In this case, it will not matter whether each individual person knows what the holiday on November 4 is called in Russia. The main thing is that people understand the meaning of this date in the calendar. The Russian people have always been famous for their unity and catholicity in decision-making. So Russia was able to win in many wars.

On this day, all the contradictions and disagreements that provoke conflict situations. People need to become kinder to each other, because the roots of entire generations are closely intertwined. Only then will the meaning of what is celebrated on November 4 (which holiday in Russia) reach every person.

How is National Unity Day going?

Times change. Now more and more people welcome the introduction of November 4th. What holiday in Russia takes place without solemn concerts and various actions? Various events are timed to coincide with this day: demonstrations, mass processions, issuance of free gifts with state symbols.

A government reception is held in the Kremlin Hall, where people who have made a huge contribution to the development of the country receive their well-deserved awards. In the evening, traditional festivities, all this ends with bright volleys of fireworks, so that the people will forever remember the date of November 4, which holiday in Russia is celebrated on this day.

Many Russians like to spend extra non-working days for travel and other recreation. In November, the inhabitants of our country will have a long weekend of three days thanks to the national holiday - the Day of National Unity. It's amazing, but 2/3 of our country doesn't really know that we celebrate November 4th. Let's dot the "i" in our section "Question-Answer".

On November 4, Russia celebrates National Unity Day as a national holiday. It was approved in December 2004. This decision was made by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The head of state amended the federal law "On the days of military glory (victorious days) of Russia", in which November 4 was declared the Day of National Unity. The country celebrated the new holiday for the first time on November 4, 2005.

What is it dedicated to?

The National Unity Day holiday has its roots in the distant 1612. On November 4, according to the new style, the militia led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky expelled the Polish invaders from the Russian capital. Historically, this holiday is associated with the end of the Time of Troubles in Russia, which lasted from 1584.

It began after the death of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible. His heir Fyodor Ioannovich, who was far from public affairs, ascended the throne. In 1598 he died, and since he had no heirs, the royal dynasty of Rurik was cut off. This was followed by about 15 years of deep national crisis.

The turmoil was the time of the appearance of impostors, the reign of the boyars, a terrible famine and war with the Poles. Russia was in a fever from widespread robberies, robberies, theft, and general drunkenness. The united Russian state collapsed. In 1610, the Russian boyars, led by Prince Fyodor Mstislavsky, allowed Polish troops into the Kremlin with the intention of placing the Catholic prince Vladislav on the Russian throne.

The first people's militia to liberate the capital from the Poles was headed by the Ryazan governor Prokopy Lyapunov. But this anti-Polish uprising was defeated. In September 1611, the Nizhny Novgorod Zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin called on the people to create a people's militia. A nationwide collection of money began to carry out the plan. Novgorod prince Dmitry Pozharsky was invited to the post of chief voivode. 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 peasants. With the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God, revealed in 1579, the Nizhny Novgorod Zemstvo militia managed on November 4, 1612 to storm Kitai-Gorod and drive the Poles out of Moscow. The Great Zemsky Sobor of 1613 was the final victory over the Troubles, the triumph of Orthodoxy and national unity. In the same year, the first of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, reigned on the Russian throne.

Later, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich established a holiday in honor of this great event, which became the Orthodox-state holiday of Moscow Russia (it was celebrated until 1917). AT church calendar This day was included 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.

It's absolutely different holidays. November 7 and 8 were non-working days in the USSR, people celebrated the Day of the October Revolution.

On the night of October 25-26 (old style) 1917, thanks to an armed uprising, the Bolsheviks captured the Winter Palace, arrested members of the Provisional Government and proclaimed the power of the Soviets.

Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 1996 signed a decree "On the Day of Consent and Reconciliation", while the day remained non-working, but the essence of the holiday has changed dramatically. According to the idea of ​​the head of state, it was to become a day of renunciation of confrontation, a day of reconciliation and unity of various layers of Russian society.

As we said above, in 2004, President Putin approved a new holiday by his decree - National Unity Day. November 7 holiday has been cancelled.