What happened on November 4th. National Unity Day: traditions and meaning

Holidays, who doesn't love them? What formed the basis of the holiday? National Unity Day in Russia? The holiday of unity emphasizes: no matter how multi-ethnic (multinational) the people are, they are united by patriotism, a single country, one ideology and culture. Let's take a deeper look at what this holiday means for the population, how it is celebrated, and what national traditions there are. After all, the reason for the holiday is still very young, and many of us do not even know about the historical events preceding it, as well as the reasons for its appearance.

The main thing in the article

When is National Unity Day celebrated in Russia?

November 4- celebration in honor Day of National Unity. This day is a day off and an official holiday of national significance. It was founded in 2004, and has been officially celebrated since 2005. In 2016, this celebration will be celebrated for the 12th time. The idea to add November 4 to the red days of the calendar came to the Interreligious Council of Russia. Thanks to the support of religious traditions, this event is celebrated not only by ordinary citizens: the holiday is an interreligious celebration celebrated by all Orthodox believers.

If you look at it from a political point of view, today higher officials do not complain about the holiday of November 7 - the national holiday of the October Revolution, which took place in 1917. In 2004, during the revision of the law “On Days of Great Glory,” they decided to introduce a “newly invented celebration” - National Unity Day. Now this celebration was officially given a day off, which previously “belonged” to the October Revolution.

Celebrations of Unity Day in Russia, the CIS and the world

The whole world knows about this holiday and celebrates it with pleasure. For the CIS countries, this celebration brings about the unification of different nationalities under one flag, in one state. After all, in the former USSR we were all brothers, and after the collapse of the Great Country, people remained united, regardless of nationality.

As for foreign countries, the UN strongly supports this holiday. So far, unofficially, but deliberately, representatives of the organization believe that people should unite according to the unity of thoughts and views. After all, in all corners of the globe there are people who organize all kinds of actions, parades, performances, with which they try to call people to peace, unity, nature conservation and other large-scale ideas.

After all, if you look at it, it is the power of unity and common beliefs between people that can make coups, revolutions, and change the course of history. These are the principles that many political organizations adhere to, calling on people to defend their positions in life and their beliefs. To support the general spirit, festivals, sports tournaments and other entertainment events are organized.

Origins of the Holiday of Unity

If with historical events Unity Day someone is familiar, then where the tradition of official festivities on November 4 came from is still not known. There are several versions:

According to one of them, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich issued a decree in 1649: in it he ordered rest on the day dedicated to Icon of the Kazan Mother of God. This day fell on October 22 (old calendar style). If you recalculate the dates to the new calendar style, then October 22nd falls on November 4th. They walked solemnly on October 22 and called it a holiday for three centuries in a row, and then they forgot about the decree.
Before the revolution, which occurred in 1917, this date was attributed Day of the Savior of the Fatherland: the population revered Kuzma Minin and celebrated the liberation of Moscow.

History of the National Unity Day holiday in Russia

It is believed that the historical roots of the holiday date back to 1612. After all, it was the year 1612 in the chronicles that became the final year in the Time of Troubles for the Russian people.

These are the Troubled Times for Mother Russia, a dynastic crisis that began after the death of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in 1584, who left no heir. A terrible time for the state: the Rurik family was interrupted, there is an internal war for the throne. The once united state collapsed, robberies, robbery, drunkenness, thefts became more frequent, the country sank into chaos. More and more impostors claimed the throne.

The boyars seized power; the head of this board was Fyodor Mstislavsky. With his light hand, the Poles were allowed into the city in order to quietly place the prince, Catholic Vladislav of Polish origin, on the throne.

The Orthodox Church was against it and Patriarch Hermogenes turned to people for help. The Russian people rallied together and rose up to fight the Poles, the invaders of the throne.

On March 19, 1611, the Orthodox uprising under the leadership of Prokop Lyapunov failed because the boyars could not find a common language with the Cossacks.

The Orthodox Church could not stand by when a Catholic Pole was placed on the throne, and six months later a new people’s militia appeared. Its “instigator” was an ordinary merchant Kuzma Minin. Speaking in September 1611 at a gathering on the main square of Moscow, he gave a heart-warming speech in which he urged not to spare your souls and property, since “great things” were at stake. In response to his call, Moscow residents agreed to give 30% of their hard-earned earnings to support the militia. It turned out that these funds were not enough, and another 20% of income was forcibly collected from the townspeople.

With Minin’s light hand, the still young Prince Dmitry Pozharsky became the main governor, who was supposed to lead the militia. At the insistence of the people, Kuzma Minin himself was nominated as an assistant in military affairs. And so these two people became the people's representatives, in whom complete trust was placed, at the head of the uprising, which was taking place for the second time.

Under the banner of these two, a huge army at that time gathered, it included:

many peasants who are not trained in military affairs, but have a burning heart;
military - more than 10,000 souls;
3000 Cossack people;
1000 military-trained archers.

As described in the chronicles, in early November, holding the miraculous icon, they entered the city and drove out the Poles.

After these events, in 1613, the king was seated on the throne, who became the first of the Romanov dynasty. It was with this king that the era of crisis passed, but the unity of the people, shown in the uprising, remained.

Discussions around the celebration of National Unity Day

If we put it in chronological order, how it happened that the law on the holiday of Unity was adopted, the following picture will emerge:

09/29/2004 in a public statement Patriarch of Moscow Alexey supported the State Duma of the Russian Federation in holding the holiday. In his words: the events that occurred in 1612 show how true patriots of their country, regardless of religion and nation, united, did not give the country to the enemy, expelled impostors, established peace and raised the country “from its knees.” Therefore, the new generation needs to be reminded of unity, relying on the exploits of their ancestors.
04.10.2004 from Valeria Bogomolova, first deputy of the United Russia faction, it was publicly stated that Kuzma Minin and Prince-voivode Pozharsky were heroes of that time who managed to rally people to fight the Poles and contributed to the end of the Time of Troubles.
Later, in October 2004, a youth rally was held in the city of Saratov, which was attended by more than 8,000 people. At it, in speeches, it was stated that such a holiday as the Unity of the People should be celebrated on November 4.
As the logical conclusion of these discussions, on November 23, 2004, the bill was under consideration in the Duma. It canceled the November 7 holiday and “promoted” National Unity Day, which they proposed to celebrate November 4.

Photos of the National Unity Day holiday in Russia

Attitude to the holiday National Unity Day

The new festival, which replaced the usual one on November 7, received mixed reactions. And how did the public react? As for the older generation, which was brought up on communist ideas, the reaction was clearly negative and many “grandmothers” made accusations towards the government, which wants to rewrite history.

In 2009, on the eve of festivities dedicated to Unity Day, a social survey was conducted by region. Citizens of different ages, nationalities, and social status took part in it. And this is what came out of this survey:

33% called the 4th day the Day of Harmony and Reconciliation;
5% - believed that this was the Day of Liberation from the Poles;
8% still answered that this is Unity Day.

But when asked how they feel about the abolition of the 7th as a holiday, 63% gave a negative answer, and 10% still think that the October Revolution has been postponed to the 4th.

There were also those who expressed that November 4 was not at all connected with the historical events that unfolded in 1612. There was also a discussion about converting dates from the old calendar style to the new one.

Is National Unity Day a day off in Russia?

As mentioned earlier, the 4th is a public holiday and is considered an official holiday weekend. It is marked in red on the calendar. In cases where this day falls on a calendar day off, the holiday day off is transferred to the next working day.

Traditions of Unity Day in Russia

Although the festival is quite young, there are already certain traditions associated with it. One of the most important is the laying of flowers by the first persons of the state at the monument to Kuzma Minin and Voivode Pozharsky. In addition, it has become a tradition to hold solemn celebrations, at which the head of state and his representatives congratulate all citizens of the Russian Federation on the national holiday and traditionally present awards.

The so-called Russian marches and religious processions are very often held. It is also popular to hold concerts, festivals, sporting events, and flash mobs. Officially, 75,000 people gathered for the celebration in 2014. Based on this, we can conclude that this solemn holiday provides an opportunity to comprehend and at the same time feel oneself as one with the mighty people.

It is the Day of National Unity that makes it possible to feel within oneself a person who is involved in history and creates it, supports cultural trends and glorifies the victories of our ancestors before the Motherland.

Video from Unity Day celebrations

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, also known as Russia's Military Glory Day, is celebrated on Saturday, November 4th. In addition, in 2017, Monday, November 6, is declared a day off.

history of the holiday

National Unity Day is a church and state holiday. Despite the fact that it was officially established only in 2004, the roots of this memorable day go back to the late Middle Ages.

After the decline of the Rurik dynasty, troubled times began in Russia. One of the famous figures of that time was False Dmitry I, who declared himself as the miraculously saved Tsarevich Dmitry. This was followed by a Polish invasion, which devastated many districts of Russia. In these difficult conditions, the indigenous population had to show all their courage and determination. Militia detachments destroyed Polish garrisons, carrying with them the icon of the Mother of God.

As a result, on November 4, 1612, the Poles were defeated, and in no small part thanks to the patronage of the Mother of God. It is this decisive date for Rus' that the Day of National Unity is dedicated to, which through the centuries reminds us that any enemy is powerless before the strength and unity of the people. And only in 2004, the State Duma updated the law “on the victorious days of Russia” with a new holiday - National Unity Day.

Traditions and events

In 2005, a copy of the Moscow monument to Minin and Pozharsky was unveiled in Nizhny Novgorod. In Moscow, on November 4, the president traditionally lays flowers at this monument. Since then, National Unity Day has been held at these two monuments.

On this date, religious processions, charity events, fireworks, concerts and rallies are held throughout the country. In addition, round tables on the topic of Russian language and literature are organized in many cities, as well as conferences dedicated to the history of Russian Orthodoxy.

How will national unity be celebrated in 2017?

National Unity Day will be celebrated on the 4th, 5th and 6th. In this regard, large-scale events will be held in Moscow, as part of the Moscow Seasons festival series.

The holiday will take place in the four largest squares in the center of Moscow, which will be attended by citizens from all regions of the country. The celebration will take place on Manezhnaya and Tverskaya squares, as well as on Revolution Square and Novy Arbat.

On Manezhnaya Square, celebrants will be greeted in national costumes by guests from Crimea, Karelia, Krasnodar Territory and many other regions.

At Revolution Square, Muscovites and guests of the capital will be able to get acquainted with the rich culture of Central Russia: exhibitions and master classes on Khokhloma painting and lace. The chefs will teach you how to cook dishes such as Bryansk pancakes and Moscow kulebyaka.

The celebration on Tverskaya Square will be mainly dedicated to the peoples of Siberia and the Far East. Participants from these regions will show and teach how to make clothes of the Russian North: Tunguska kaftans and Evenki parkas.

And on New Arbat they will introduce you to the culture of the Cossacks and the regions of the Russian south. Spectators will be able to enjoy the performances of fencers and Cossack dances.

On National Unity Day, the most sophisticated gourmets will be able to fulfill their gastronomic dreams: more than 40 restaurants will be open, and dishes of European and South Russian cuisine will be presented. On Novy Arbat, visitors will be treated to Caucasian cuisine.

The meaning of National Unity Day

Some researchers insist that in modern Russia they do not fully understand the meaning of the holiday. For many, this is just another red day on the calendar. However, few people realize that the history of National Unity Day allows it to be placed on a par with May 9. After all, then, in 1612, the country was in the same chaos and mortal danger, which threatened the very existence of the country.

And once again, through common efforts and thanks to incredible patriotism and national unity, the enemy was destroyed. Today, in a rapidly changing world, torn apart by wars and global terrorism, it is more important than ever to remember the importance and strength of the unity of the people in the face of a national threat.

There are people who may ask the question: “What holiday is November 4th?” And really, which one? Many people think that November 4 Day of consent and reconciliation, others think it's National Unity Day Russia. What holiday will we celebrate on November 4th? 2018 of the year? In general, if we look at the history of the November 4 holiday, it begins in 1612, when the well-known Minin and Pozharsky led the people’s militia and liberated Kitay-Gorod, and also blocked the retreating invaders in the Kremlin. This event took place on October 22 according to the old style, that is, November 4 according to the new style. This holiday was established by decree of Tsar Alexei Romanov and it was celebrated until the moment when the Bolsheviks came to power, which they abolished on November 4. Instead of the holiday on the occasion of the expulsion of the interventionists, November 7 appeared. On this day, the Soviet Union celebrated the “Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution.” This event was celebrated in our country until 2004. But at the same time, in 1996, the holiday changed its name to “Day of Harmony and Reconciliation.” And since 2005, the holiday of November 7 was abolished and November 4 was again remembered, which was called “National Unity Day”. So November 4 is the day of national unity.

November 4, 2018 how are we relaxing?

We think that anyone would be interested in how we relax on the occasion of a holiday. November 4, 2018? After all, you really want to plan your weekend in advance and have a nice time with your family or even organize a small celebration, because such a wonderful occasion is the Day of National Unity. So, the answer to the question “how do we relax on November 4, 2018” will be as follows.

November 4, 2018 - National Unity Day holiday falls on Sunday in 2018. Therefore, in 2018 we celebrate the November holidays and rest for only three days.

November 4 - National Unity Day 2018

Holiday National Unity Day- This is one of the holidays of military glory. This holiday is young, and there are no traditions for this holiday yet, however, for educational institutions you can prepare a wall newspaper on the occasion of November 4, and you can use the services. They can write poems for National Unity Day, and to write a script for the National Unity Day holiday, you can contact.

National Unity Day script

Although many are poorly informed about the holiday, because it was introduced only in 2005, our schools organize extracurricular activities on National Unity Day or, at a minimum, conduct a class hour on the theme of the holiday. In addition, sometimes educational institutions organize festive events on the occasion of November 4th. The National Unity Day holiday scenario can be very useful for such a case. Despite everything, on November 4 we accept congratulations on National Unity Day.

If you want to organize the National Unity Day holiday on November 4, then on our portal you will find everything you need for this. Please accept our congratulations on National Unity Day.

This holiday was enshrined at the legislative level in 2004, and Russians were able to celebrate National Unity Day in 2005, when the federal law “On Amendments to Article 112 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation” came into force. It was signed by President Vladimir Putin.

Two more preceded the autumn festival. Thus, in 1996, the first President of the “new” Russia, Boris Yeltsin, signed a decree introducing the law “On the Day of Harmony and Reconciliation,” which was celebrated in the country on November 7 and was considered an “improved” version of an earlier celebration, the essence of which had changed slightly . According to the authorities, November 7 was supposed to be a day of abandoning confrontations and coming to reconciliation and unity of all sectors of Russian society. Thus, Russians began to celebrate the “Day of Harmony and Reconciliation” instead of the previously celebrated “Day of the October Revolution.”

The latter was celebrated in the USSR and coincided with the night of October 25-26, old style, and November 7-8, new style, when armed Bolsheviks seized the Winter Palace and arrested members of the Provisional Government, proclaiming Soviet power throughout the entire territory of the former empire.

However, the idea of the country's authorities was not entirely successful. According to the results of a VTsIOM survey in 2011, 43% of Russians could not say exactly what holiday is celebrated in Russia on November 4, another 43% did not even know that this date was a day off, and only 14% were “aware” of the event. Moreover, about 80% of Russians also said that they would not celebrate November 4 either at work or with their families.

Already in 2012, the same VTsIOM conducted another survey, in which Russian residents were asked the question “Is there national unity in the country?” 56% of respondents said that it does not exist, 23% answered in the affirmative, and the remaining 21% found it difficult to answer.

A short historical excursion

November 4 is timed to coincide with the events of the so-called Time of Troubles, when in 1612 the people's militia led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky were able to oust the Polish interventionists from Moscow, thus freeing the capital and the entire country from foreign invaders.

After the death of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible in 1584, his son, Fyodor Ioannovich, ascended the throne, showing little interest or ability in governing the state. He died in 1598, leaving no heirs, and Fyodor’s younger brother, Tsarevich Dmitry, died in Uglich as a result of either an accident or a set-up assassination attempt.

After the death of Fyodor Ioannovich, the Rurik dynasty was interrupted, and the country fell into a political crisis that lasted almost 15 years. At this time, many impostors appeared, the boyars fought for power, and the Polish army came to the country.

On November 4, 1612, the people's militia was able to liberate Moscow from the Poles, after which, in 1613, the Zemsky Sobor elected a new king - Mikhail Romanov, whose dynasty ruled the country for another three centuries.