February 23 is what a holiday in the world. Defender of the Fatherland Day. History of the holiday. Defender of the Fatherland Day or Men's Day

It so happened that the holiday February 23 counts holiday of real men associated with their work with military service, militia, army or who have ever served there. Today, on this day, all familiar men are congratulated - from toddlers to the elderly. This date is celebrated on the territory of the post-Soviet republics, in particular in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Transnistria and Kyrgyzstan.

Turns out, holiday 23 february changed its name several times during its existence. We remember him from Soviet childhood as Day of the Soviet Army and Navy. But in 1918, the year of his birth, and until 1923, he was called Day of the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany. Since 1923, after renaming it to the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy, this holiday has become very revered in the USSR and has become day off for working citizens.

especially significant holiday 23 february was during the Great Patriotic War as the personification of the masculinity and fearlessness of Soviet soldiers. After the Victory on this day, both the government and ordinary citizens gave postcards and carnations to war veterans. Probably, every Soviet schoolboy at least once received a task with an address and money issued for a postcard and a bouquet, pay a visit to a veteran and congratulate him from school. A mandatory event was a visit to the monuments to the soldiers of the Soviet army who died during the war, with the laying of flowers.

All this was very significant and revered until collapse of the Soviet Union. Later, separate independent states, former republics, repeatedly tried to rename holiday 23 february and not everyone left it the status of a public holiday with a day off.

In 1993-1994 in Russia this day was appointed Happy Russian army , and since 1995 - Defender of the Fatherland Day. The army in Russia has always occupied one of the important places in the formation of the state, therefore today on this day it is considered obligatory to congratulate all men, especially military personnel. Also exists Government program maintaining order in the places of burial of soldiers and monuments.

In independent Ukraine the first years there were attempts to cancel this holiday completely, even a new date was appointed - December 6 became Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, in 1999 they returned February 23 status of Defender of the Fatherland Day. True, without saving the day off. In Ukraine, there is no special nationwide scale when celebrating this holiday, the tradition is rather an intra-family one - do not forget to congratulate your beloved and close men. Where to buy or order bookmarked heads in Moscow

In Belarus holiday February 23 after the declaration of independence of the state was named Day of the Defender of the Fatherland and the Armed Forces of Belarus. The tradition of congratulating loved ones and dear men, all those who give a sense of protection and strength in everyday life.

On the eve of this date, and we hasten to congratulate all men on the upcoming holiday on February 23! Health to you and peace!

It originated in the USSR, then February 23 was annually celebrated as a national holiday - the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.

Document establishing February 23 as the official soviet holiday, did not exist. Soviet historiography associated the coincidence of honoring the military to this date with the events of 1918: on January 28 (15, old style) January 1918, the Council of People's Commissars (SNK), headed by Chairman Vladimir Lenin, adopted a Decree on the organization of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), and February 11 (January 29, old style) - Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF).

On February 22, the decree-appeal of the Council of People's Commissars "The Socialist Fatherland is in Danger!" was published, and on February 23, mass rallies were held in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), Moscow and other cities of the country, at which workers were urged to defend their Fatherland from the advancing German troops . This day was marked by the mass entry of volunteers into the Red Army and the beginning of the formation of its detachments and units.

On January 10, 1919, the chairman of the Higher Military Inspectorate of the Red Army, Nikolai Podvoisky, sent a proposal to the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) to celebrate the anniversary of the creation of the Red Army, timing the celebration to the nearest Sunday before or after January 28. However, due to the late submission of the application, no decision was made.

Then the Moscow Soviet took the initiative to celebrate the first anniversary of the Red Army. On January 24, 1919, the presidium, which at that time was headed by Lev Kamenev, decided to coincide with these celebrations on the day of the Red Gift, held to collect material and Money for the Red Army.

Under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the Central Committee was created to organize the celebration of the anniversary of the Red Army and the Red Gift Day, which scheduled the celebrations for Sunday, February 23. On February 5, Pravda and other newspapers published the following information: "The organization of the Red Gift Day throughout Russia has been postponed to February 23. On this day, the celebration of the anniversary of the creation of the Red Army, which will be celebrated on January 28, will be organized in cities and at the front."

On February 23, 1919, the citizens of Russia celebrated the anniversary of the Red Army for the first time, but this day was not celebrated either in 1920 or in 1921.

On January 27, 1922, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee published a resolution on the fourth anniversary of the Red Army, which stated: "In accordance with the resolution of the IX All-Russian Congress of Soviets on the Red Army, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee draws the attention of the executive committees to the upcoming anniversary of the creation of the Red Army (February 23)."

The Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council, Lev Trotsky, arranged a military parade on Red Square that day, thus laying the foundation for the tradition of an annual nationwide celebration.

In 1923, the fifth anniversary of the Red Army was widely celebrated. The decision of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, adopted on January 18, 1923, stated: "On February 23, 1923, the Red Army will celebrate the 5th anniversary of its existence. On this day, five years ago, the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of January 28 of the same the year that laid the foundation for the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the stronghold of the proletarian dictatorship."

The tenth anniversary of the Red Army in 1928, like all previous ones, was celebrated as the anniversary of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars on the organization of the Red Army of January 28, 1918, but the very date of publication was directly linked to February 23.

In 1938, in the "Short Course on the History of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks" a fundamentally new version of the origin of the date of the holiday was presented, not related to the decree of the Council of People's Commissars. The book stated that in 1918 near Narva and Pskov "the German occupiers were given a decisive rebuff. Their advance on Petrograd was suspended. The day of the rebuff to the troops of German imperialism - February 23, became the birthday of the young Red Army."

Later, in the order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR dated February 23, 1942, the wording was slightly changed: "The young detachments of the Red Army, who entered the war for the first time, utterly defeated the German invaders near Pskov and Narva on February 23, 1918. That is why February 23 was declared the day birth of the Red Army.

In 1951, another interpretation of the holiday appeared. In history civil war in the USSR" it was stated that in 1919 the first anniversary of the Red Army was celebrated "on the memorable day of the mobilization of workers to defend the socialist Fatherland, the mass entry of workers into the Red Army, the broad formation of the first detachments and units of the new army."

In the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia", the day of February 23 was officially called "The Day of the Red Army's victory over the Kaiser troops of Germany (1918) - the Day of Defenders of the Fatherland."

In accordance with the changes made to the Federal Law "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia" by the Federal Law of April 15, 2006, the words "Day of the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany (1918)" were excluded from the official description of the holiday, and also stated in the singular concept of "defender".

In December 2001, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation supported the proposal to make February 23 - Defender of the Fatherland Day - a non-working holiday.

February 23, due to established traditions, has become a state national holiday dedicated to all generations of defenders of the Fatherland. Throughout their centuries-old history, Russians have selflessly defended the sovereignty and independence, and sometimes the right to exist, of the Russian state in numerous wars.

Soldiers of the army and navy modern Russia responsibly fulfill their military duty, reliably ensuring the protection of national interests and the military security of the country.

On Defender of the Fatherland Day, Russians honor those who served or are serving in the ranks of the country's Armed Forces. But most Russian citizens tend to consider Defender of the Fatherland Day as the Day of real men, defenders in the broadest sense of the word.

On this day, a festive artillery salute is held in the hero cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Novorossiysk, Tula, Sevastopol, Smolensk and Murmansk, as well as in cities where the headquarters of military districts, fleets, combined arms armies and the Caspian Flotilla are deployed.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

February 23 Defender of the Fatherland Day is a holiday of real men, celebrated annually on February 23. On this day, it is customary to honor men who are employed or have ever been employed in male professions, associated primarily with risk, valor and courage in order to protect their homeland and compatriots: the military, law enforcement officers, security agencies, etc. Today, it has become a tradition to congratulate all representatives of the strong half of humanity on February 23, regardless of occupation or age, because one way or another, every man is a potential defender of the Motherland and his people.

On this day, women give gifts to the male sex and celebrate the merits, as well as the importance of men in their lives. Thus, throughout history, the holiday, which began in the distant 1918, has become a kind of analogue of March 8, the key moment of which is only a change in the roles of the sexes. By the way, it is worth mentioning the fact that on February 23 it is also customary to congratulate women employed in professions related to protecting the country's security. This is quite fair, because a woman serving for the benefit of the country's defense is also a full-fledged defender of her homeland.

Few people know that initially, Defender of the Fatherland Day was called Red Army Day. This official name, the holiday of real men received in 1922, four years after the actions, now considered a myth. These actions were the victory of the Red Army over the German troops along Narva and Pskov, but due to the absence of any mention in the newspapers of the end of February and even a year later, when theoretically they should have remembered the anniversary of the heroic deed of the Soviet troops, these data were recognized as untenable. Today, this has given a weighty reason not to trust the information about the victory near Pskov in the last year of the First World War. It is likely that there were no battles on that day in this territory. This is confirmed by the absence of any mention both in the archives of the Soviet troops and in the archives of the enemy.

February 23 It is believed that the holiday received an official name only in 1922, it was established much earlier. The proposal to establish a celebration of the Day of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army was sent to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee by the chairman of the Higher Military Inspectorate of the Red Army on January 10, 1919. The proposal said that very soon, on February 28, a significant date would come - exactly one year from the date of the creation of the decree on the organization of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. Chairman of the Red Army Inspectorate Nikolai Podvoisky submitted a proposal to celebrate the anniversary of the Red Army by linking this event with the day the decree of the Red Army was created, that is, January 28. It was then that Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin), being the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, personally signed a decree that initiated the long process of organizing a regular army.
The purpose of the decree was to mobilize volunteers to create the Red Army, in order to defend against Germany, which was hostile at that time.

By the will of fate, a letter with a proposal from Nikolai Podvoisky arrived at the All-Russian Central Executive Committee with some delay, in connection with which, the Presidium decided to refuse. Despite this, exactly a day later, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee returned to the issue of establishing a holiday in honor of the creation of the Red Army and appointed February 17 as the day of celebration of this significant event - the day when the day of the Red Gift is celebrated. On this day, various material resources were collected for the valiant Red Army. In that year, the day of the Red Gift, and with it the day of the organization of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, fell on Monday, and therefore were moved to Sunday. That day fell on February 23rd. This is where the tradition of celebrating the holiday on the 23rd day came from. last month winters.

Despite the fact that the Presidium paid attention to the holiday, it was soon forgotten and remembered only in 1922. Therefore, often, it is 1922 that is considered the year the holiday was created. The reason for this was also the fact that only on the eve of February 23, 1922, a solemn parade of troops took place in honor of the creation of the Red Army. Previously, such a grandiose significance was not given to the holiday, it was held much less solemnly.

Returning to the myth of the victory over Pskov and Narva as the cause of the holiday, one cannot fail to mention what was one of the reasons for the birth of the myth. It was on the first day of the solemn celebration, February 23, 1922, that a supporter of Marxism and an active figure in the communist movement, Leon Trotsky, declared that the reason for the holiday was the first military successes at the front. It was this day that marked the beginning of the process of renaming the day of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army into the Day of the Red Army. A year later, the population of the country solemnly celebrated February 23 as the Day of the Red Army.

Modern sources claim that the myth of the victory near Pskov and Narva was invented by Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin in 1938. The February issue of the Izvestiya newspaper published an article containing information about the valiant feat of the Red Army in 1918. About eight months after the start of the Great Patriotic War, Stalin's order, dated February 23, again contained references to the feat of the Red Army near Pskov and Narva against the German Kaiser troops. The special heroism and courage of the valiant Soviet soldiers was noted.

Current sources tend to claim that this information was state propaganda, but nevertheless, it is worth agreeing with the fact that these lines instilled hope in people for victory, made it possible to feel part of history, part of the power of the great Soviet people. This was most welcome, given the fact that the attack of Germany and a number of countries on the USSR was a surprise both for the heads of state and for the people, despite the fact that theoretically this should have been expected, because the Second World War was in full swing.

All subsequent years, the holiday on February 23 had the same name as Red Army Day. Later, only in 1946, the holiday was celebrated with an updated name, sounding like the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.

Today, like many years ago, on February 23, the whole country solemnly celebrates the holiday of the true defenders of their Fatherland. Since 2002, Defender of the Fatherland Day by decision of the State Duma Russian Federation entered the list of unemployed public holidays and became a legal holiday. Of course, over time, this day began to have a broader meaning and somewhere even lost its former grandeur. It is quite difficult to unequivocally state whether this is good or bad. In any case, this can only mean that people have finally begun to forget about the hardships and hardships of wartime.

The history of the holiday on February 23 is rich in various unexpected events. The celebration was repeatedly renamed and transferred to other dates. The emergence of a significant event was associated with the birth of the Red Army, but in modern Russia the holiday has transformed from a purely military holiday into a more universal option, briefly referred to as Defender of the Fatherland Day. Today, February 23, the country is celebrating very widely and magnificently, and all males, both adults and children, accept congratulations. On the eve of big day in educational institutions, enterprises and organizations carry out various solemn events where they honor the strong half of humanity and in every possible way admire such masculine qualities as courage, courage and the ability to always come to the rescue of those who need it.

February 23 - the history of the holiday and its modern meaning in Russia

The history of the origin of the holiday on February 23 in Russia is rooted in the distant past, directly related to the moment of the overthrow of the tsarist regime and the Decree on the creation of the Red Workers 'and Peasants' Army, issued by the Presidium of the People's Commissars of the young Soviet Republic. This significant event happened on January 15, 1918, and the treasury allocated 20 million rubles for the formation of combat units, which at that time was considered a truly huge amount.


In Petrograd on February 21, the first point for the reception of volunteers began active work, and Vladimir Lenin spoke on the streets and squares, urging citizens to join the ranks of the defenders of the young Socialist Fatherland. The set went quite tensely, but in the end the required number of people was found and the freshly assembled detachments were able to repulse the external and internal enemy.

Initially, they wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the Red Army on the day the decree on its creation was signed, then they considered February 17 as a holiday date, but in the end they singled out the nearest Sunday for the celebration, which at that moment fell exactly on February 23. True, for some mysterious reason, the military holiday did not take root and for four years it was practically not remembered either in society or at the state level.

The date found its second life only in 1922, when the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee issued a decree on the solemn celebration in the country of the fourth anniversary of the formation of the victorious and glorious Red Army. In 1923, a significant day was celebrated very widely and pompously, and not only in the capital, but in all, even the most remote regions of the state. It was then that the date first received an official name - Red Army Day, and this name was subsequently approved by the Revolutionary Military Council of the young Soviet Republic.

During the reign of Joseph Stalin, the attitude to the holiday was somewhat changed. At the insistence of the authorities, the date was surrounded by various myths and a lot of legends were created around it, saying that on February 23, 1918, the brave Red Army soldiers dealt a crushing blow to the enemy troops stationed near Narva and Pskov. Thus, an attempt was made to destroy the unpleasant facts for the country about the defeat and the signing of the ultimatum presented by the German side.


After the victory of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War the perception of February 23 in the country changed again. The army was admired, and the military, literally, was carried on their hands. Since 1946, the holiday has become one of the most beloved among the people, and almost every family considered it their duty to celebrate it. Around the same time, it began to be called the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy. Years passed and the holiday gradually lost its purely military coloring. Gradually, from February 23, they began to congratulate absolutely all men, including even those who, due to certain life circumstances, did not serve in the army.

The meaning and meaning of the holiday on February 23 in modern Russia


The meaning and modern meaning of February 23 in Russia are somewhat different from what was accepted in the USSR. In 1995, deputies of the State Duma tried to appropriate significant date a new name containing information about the victory of the Red Army over the military formations of Kaiser Germany. However, this long and not entirely true name lasted only a few years.

In 2002, the State Duma returned to the discussion of this issue and renamed February 23 as Defender of the Fatherland Day. In addition, the date was declared non-working and the connection of this event with the hostilities of 1918 was finally severed.

AT last years the military coloring of the holiday has faded somewhat, and it has become much more universal. It is celebrated not only by men who bravely defend the borders of our Motherland from enemies, but also by those who have never held weapons in their hands and protect only their family and loved ones from dangers and adversities. In addition to adult representatives of the stronger sex, on February 23, congratulations are received by boys, young men and young people who have yet to show themselves as defenders of both the Fatherland and their relatives. The warmest, most sincere and good words on this day they also speak to brave, courageous women who have dedicated their lives to serving in the army, law enforcement agencies or structures designed to protect the population from various dangers and cataclysms.

The celebration of February 23 is held in all cities brightly and magnificently. Welcoming words to the heroes of the occasion are spoken by the first persons of the state, public figures and representatives of the deputy corps. Flowers are laid at the monuments and memorials of heroes and candles are carried. In the evening, the sky of the capital and large federal centers is illuminated by festive fireworks, symbolizing the power, strength and dignity of Russian weapons and the courage of Russian soldiers.

History February 23 briefly for children - class hour in elementary school


With a brief history of the origin of the holiday on February 23 students elementary school can be introduced to class hour. To burden children 7-9 years old with too detailed narrative with large quantity details are not worth it. The guys just can not perceive the abundance historical facts, which do not always have a unique color. But of course, it is worth saying about the heroism of the Red Army soldiers and some important conquests of the Red Army, as well as about what exactly the Russian soldiers did in order to stop the German attack on the Soviet Union.

In the second part of the event, it is necessary to mention that today the holiday is not the prerogative of the military only and promotes the qualities that every male citizen should possess, regardless of age, profession and social status. Children must understand that on February 23, the country honors brave people with an open heart, who are always ready to help, regardless of who needs it, the state or an individual.

February 23 - story and video presentation for high school students


When telling high school students the story of the appearance of such a holiday as February 23 in the calendar, it is worth supplementing your speech with a bright and informative video presentation. It will be interesting for children aged 14-16 to see footage of the chronicle of those times or excerpts from thematic feature films. You can prepare musical accompaniment for your speech and give schoolchildren the opportunity to listen to classical and modern songs dedicated to the heroes of various wars. It would be appropriate to mention not only the heroic military, but also the employees of various rescue services, who no less often risk their lives to help people in completely peaceful conditions.

In order for the words to make a brighter impression and be better remembered, it is worth inviting one of the veterans, active military, representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, law enforcement agencies or firefighters to the event. These people will be happy to tell students about the peculiarities of their professions and show the children that it is possible to protect people not only with weapons in their hands on the border of the state, but also in absolutely peaceful civilian conditions.

We celebrate Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23rd. On this day, it is customary to congratulate all men and glorify such qualities of the strong half of humanity as courage, fortitude and courage. Previously, this day was called the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy. There are different theories about the origin of this holiday, which historians argue to this day.

Why do we celebrate Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23

The roots of this holiday date go back to 1918 during the First World War, since it was at that time that the decrees on the creation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) and the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF) were signed. The young Soviet state needed an army for defense.

The Red Army was founded on January 28, and the RKKF on February 11. Something else is connected with the date of February 23 significant event- on this day, the Red Army won a major victory over the German troops near Pskov and Narva. But some historians have questioned this fact, including it in the category of fables, since there is no documentary evidence for this.

References to this battle began to appear much later. The year 1922 was marked by the signing of the Decree on the solemn celebration on February 23 of the fourth anniversary of the creation of the Red Army.

In 1923, a pompous celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Red Army took place. After that, a large-scale national holiday began to be celebrated annually on February 23.

In 1946, the holiday was renamed the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.

In 1995, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted the federal law "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia". This law established February 23 as "The Day of the Red Army's victory over the Kaiser troops of Germany in 1918 - Defender of the Fatherland Day."

However, already in 2002, February 23 was renamed Defender of the Fatherland Day, the day received the status of an official holiday.

Thus, years later, the connection with the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops on February 23, 1918 was excluded from the description of the holiday, as a fact that did not correspond to reality. Takova Short story holiday on February 23.

How 23 February is celebrated in Russia

In Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union February 23 has long lost its political and military overtones. Nowadays, on this day, it is customary to congratulate men of all ages. Women present souvenirs to their colleagues, set the table with refreshments for loved ones, parents give gifts to their sons. On the eve of the holiday, store shelves are littered with so-called men's goods: strong alcohol, cakes, various options gifts. For example, tools, devices for hunting and fishing, etc.

At the official level, Defender of the Fatherland Day is also celebrated on a large scale - as a day of military glory - the authorities congratulate veterans of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies, military-patriotic events are held, fireworks are thundered, wreaths are laid.

Congratulations on February 23

Beautiful word - "Man"!

We love the husband in him, and we love the son in him,

We love you different - both weak and strong.

And in something guilty, and in something innocent.

You are often like children, and often rake,

You are just different, and so interesting!

Trying to change you is pointless, stupid,

To accept you by anyone for women is a science.

We miss you, it's very sad without you,

Without your love, a woman's heart is so empty.

Men, our defenders and glory,

Sorry for being wrong.

For your love! For patience! For strength!

Wish each of you to be happy!

Let there be less reasons for sadness

Which beautiful word- "The male".