Russian Independence Day. A holiday or a day off?

Among all the significant dates that are celebrated in our country, the Independence Day of Russia is one of the recently appeared. True, it is officially referred to as the Day of Russia. The word "independence" fell into the name of the holiday from the document that proclaimed the sovereignty of Russia, which was adopted on June 12, 1990 at the 1st congress of people's deputies of the Russian Federation. In this and the following year, in 1991, many former Soviet republics announced their sovereignty. That is, the priority of the republican policy, laws over the all-Union ones was demonstrated. The process of disintegration of the Soviet Union, which existed for almost seventy years, began. The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Armenia, Latvia, Estonia were among the first to proclaim their independence. The June 12 Independence Day of Russia confirmed the decision of the people in fact to revive a fully-fledged and independent state Russia, which since 1922 was only part of a multinational empire with the name the Soviet Union.

The Supreme Council of the Russian Federation decided that on June 12, when the Declaration was adopted, it should be celebrated in the country and enter the list of official holidays. Since 1992, it has become a non-working, "red" day of the calendar. By many politicians and ordinary citizens of the country, Russia's Independence Day was perceived precisely as the beginning of liberation from the union, which ceased to fulfill a positive role, lost its integration ties, provoked rejection from the former republics-sisters. By that time, they already showed their disagreement to be in the Union, that is, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Baltic countries are subordinate to the supreme Union power . The severe economic crisis contributed to the growth of discontent among the people. The introduction of the card system to purchase products led the country to the brink of popular revolt. The point of view of the Russians - why we should feed other republics, when there is nothing to eat - was justified. Therefore, when Russia's Independence Day was adopted, many believed in bright prospects for the country's development.

In the festive address of 1998, Boris Bondarenko, the first Russian president, was elected. Yeltsin suggested calling this holiday the Day of Russia. Indeed, it is more convenient for pronouncing and, most importantly, more capacious in content. After all, it is not only the day of dissociating the republic from other similarly independent countries, but, most importantly, recognizing the significance of Russia, its millennial history, its distinctive culture. The Day of Russia originally envisaged the rise of civil, patriotic feelings, the formation of national identity.

Whatever name it wore, the Independence Day of Russia in any case should be a significant event for the whole country. We say - should be, as long as this holiday has not found its form, has not formed a tradition. For most Russians it's just another non-working day, presented with a calendar. Each city marks it in its own way. Of course, the most frequent components of the celebration are concerts, evening youth discos, festive fireworks. At the state level, this day is marked by the presentation of State awards to the best people of the country for achievements in work, science, and culture.

During the Soviet period, almost all the holidays in the USSR were ideological. Even such a seemingly far from a political holiday, as on March 8, was, of course, ideologically sustained; The country glorified the heroines of labor, the leaders of the Party and the Komsomol. Now the ideological focus has gone to the third plan. Among these holidays, perhaps two, perhaps: the Day of Peace and Harmony (November 4), which replaced the celebration of the beginning of the Bolshevik coup, and - the Independence Day of Russia. To this, the last, became a national, there is very little: the education of a Citizen of Russia, proud of his country.