What a bloody event is celebrated on November 3-4. Traditions of the National Unity Day of Russia

What kind of holiday is November 4 in Russia? The appearance of the question is not accidental, because two festive events significant in their content are combined: an Orthodox celebration and a state holiday.

Day of military glory

Since 2005, a significant state event has been celebrated on November 4th. What kind of holiday is celebrated on this day in Russia? Day of national unity, military glory. Its appearance is due to the most important historical action.

Thanks to the solidarity of the Russian people, in 1612 white-stone Moscow was liberated from the Polish invaders. Without thinking about the social status, religion, status in society, the Russian people gathered together under the leadership of Nizhny Novgorod: Kuzma Minin, Zemstvo headman, and Dmitry Pozharsky, Prince of Novgorod.

After the capture of Kitay-gorod, the historical district of Moscow, the capital was completely cleared of Polish gentry, and in Russia the Time of Troubles, which had lasted since 1584, ended - times of national betrayal, moral crisis, spiritual decay, interventions, conflicts among the civilian population.

The unity of the people, their heroic feat determined the second name of the glorious holiday - the Day of Accord and Reconciliation.

Peter I announced that Minin was the savior of the Fatherland, and a monument was erected to both citizens of Nizhny Novgorod: Minin and Pozharsky in the capital.

Celebration traditions

Day national unity celebrated annually on November 4th. What is a holiday in Russia without competitions in sports, festive performances, concerts, folk festivals? Mass events are held in every corner of the country. Solemn processions, rallies filled with patriotic ideas are organized by local branches of political parties and public organizations. They unite the people, making them united and invincible.

In various territories, a vivid manifestation of the idea of ​​​​unification was the holding of interethnic festivals and competitions. Educational organizations(from kindergarten to higher educational institutions), municipal and private enterprises, institutions, organizations and national diasporas represent National costumes, dishes of national cuisine, tell about the traditions different peoples. Is this not a manifestation of interethnic harmony, which Russia has been famous for since ancient times?

Religious holiday

Speaking of the Day of Military Glory, one cannot fail to mention that November 4 is what a holiday in Russia among Orthodox Russians. Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. With this miraculous image, the militia of Novgorod liberated the white-stone capital from the gentry.

Historical references show that before this Orthodox image, Peter I prayed on the night before the Battle of Poltava, and in 1912, Field Marshal Kutuzov, before leaving for the war with the French in St. Petersburg, prayed for the salvation of the Russian land in the Kazan Cathedral.

In difficult times, the miraculous icon, protecting the Russian people, helped to fight against foreign invaders. In addition, the icon is prayed when young people get married, for healing from bodily diseases and blindness, for protection in a dangerous and difficult service far from home. The icon hanging over the crib protects the child from illness and bad thoughts.

In 1625, the Kazan Cathedral was erected in Moscow, and in 1649 Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov established the state Orthodox holiday, noted in Orthodox world November 4th. A church holiday in Russia is a solemn procession of the clergy, a religious procession, church services in a particularly solemn atmosphere.

State holiday

Long before the establishment of National Unity Day as public holiday in November, the Russians had two non-working days- 7th and 8th, in honor of the Great October Revolution. In order not to destroy the ingrained tradition, even taking into account the changed ideal of the November events, a decision was made: November 4 is a holiday in Russia - a day off.
Thanks to holiday, every year the inhabitants of the country have a long November weekend. A kind of vacation at the very beginning of the last autumn month are of considerable importance before the onset of winter cold.

National Unity Day November 4... What kind of holiday is it in Russia? A holiday of merging together the thoughts of Russian people, their cohesion and spirituality, the priority of universal human values ​​that are always relevant and live outside a specific era. In these priorities - the fate of Russia, its strength and greatness.

Days off in early November have become familiar to Russians. But surveys of citizens have shown that many people who are happy to take an extra day off have a poor idea of ​​what reason they should not go to work or school. Even passers-by who pronounce the name of the holiday without hesitation cannot always explain its essence. Indeed, this is one of the controversial holidays in the Russian state calendar, but every citizen of the country should know about it.

National Unity Day was established by the country's government in 2004, the first holiday in Russia was celebrated on November 4, 2005, but its history begins much earlier - several centuries ago.

What is celebrated on November 4

It is known that November 4 is a holiday that commemorates the liberation of Moscow from the Polish invaders in 1612, which was not easy for the Russian state. However, according to archival documents, November 4 is not the day of the final liberation, since the walls of the Kremlin at that moment were still besieged by enemy troops.

November 4th symbolizes not victory, but the rallying of the people, which made it possible to defeat the invaders. On this day, the soldiers of the Pozharsky and Minin troops prayed to the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, liberated Kitay-Gorod and entered it victoriously along with the icon. Since then, the Kazan icon began to be revered and worshiped, people were sure that it was the miraculous icon that helped them win.

Prince Dmitry Pozharsky built the Kazan Cathedral on Red Square specifically to store the miraculous icon. The date of construction of the temple is lost in history, but it is known for sure that it was consecrated in 1636. During the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, November 4 was proclaimed the Day of Thanksgiving to the Most Holy Theotokos, and in the church calendar the holiday was listed as the Celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. A significant holiday for the country was celebrated in Russia until 1917, the Bolsheviks, who came to power, immediately removed it from the list of holidays.

Perhaps the prayers charged the fighters with new forces and helped them cope with the invaders, but the main role was still played by the rallying of people. More than ten thousand militia soldiers fought under the leadership of Minin and Pozharsky. Among them were people of various nationalities and classes. It is believed that it was on the 4th, during a joint prayer, that they rallied, united with a single common goal and together moved towards the invaders. It was unity in purpose that helped so different people find mutual language and come to the long-awaited victory with the icon in hand.

What was the reason for the new holiday

For eight decades, the Soviet state celebrated November 7 - the Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, its inherent values ​​​​were revised, they wanted to remove the red day from the state calendar. However, people accustomed to the November day off, by inertia, continued to celebrate the holiday that had lost its relevance for another 14 years after the collapse of the USSR, renaming it the Day of Accord and Reconciliation.

The initiator of the establishment of a new holiday was the Russian Orthodox Church, the idea to revive a memorable day for Russians was voiced at the Interreligious Council of Russia. Patriarch Alexy II made a proposal to make November 4 a holiday, he asked to revive the Day of National Unity and Memory of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which has been celebrated in Russia for more than 250 years.

In December 2004, the State Duma approved amendments to the Labor Code, according to which official holidays The Day of Accord and Reconciliation, celebrated on November 7, was excluded, and a new holiday was added - National Unity Day, scheduled for November 4. Only the Communists opposed the new amendments, but their votes were in a significant minority and did not affect the final decision.

National Unity Day in new Russia

The first Day of National Unity was splendidly celebrated in 2005. Nizhny Novgorod became the main center of festive events. The main event of the holiday was the opening of the monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky. A place was found for the new monument on National Unity Square near the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist.

Religious processions, charity events, rallies, concerts and other events were held in large cities. festive events. In the capital, the President of the country solemnly laid wreaths at the Moscow monument to Minin and Pozharsky.

The modern Day of National Unity is a holiday that encourages people not only to remember the most important historical events, but also to remind the citizens of a multinational country of the importance of unity. After all, only together, moving in the same direction, we can cope with difficulties and overcome obstacles.

November 4, starting in 2005, a holiday appeared in our calendars, called - National Unity Day. This day was dedicated to the events of 1612, when Moscow was delivered from the enemy troops of the Poles by Russian troops led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky. At that time, Russia was in a difficult situation, this period in history from 1584 to 1613 was called the Time of Troubles.

Initially, during the Soviet era, November 7 was the day of the October Revolution. However, after the collapse of the Union, the people out of habit continued to celebrate this event for another 14 years. But further, until 2004, the date was marked as the day of consent and reconciliation. Then in December 2004 the State Duma Russian Federation amended the federal law"About military glory". One of these amendments was the replacement of the name with a new one - National Unity Day. And so that this event does not remind of the October Revolution of 1917, it was decided to postpone it from November 7 to November 4 and make it a day off in Russia.

After the renaming in 2005, the citizens of Russia celebrated the new holiday for the first time.

Public opinion

There are many conflicting opinions about the renaming and transfer of the holiday.

The people believed that the new holiday would not take root, but this date became official holiday in Russia and has been celebrated for 11 years.

Regarding the introduction of a new holiday date in different years conducted sociological surveys, which showed attitude of citizens to innovations.

The results of sociological surveys in different years:

Religious holiday

The Orthodox holiday was also timed to the day of November 4 in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which appeared in the 17th century in the Time of Troubles and is still celebrated by Orthodox believers. This church date was established as a gratitude for the deliverance of the whole country from the invasion of the Poles.

Patriarch Hermogenes in 1612 appealed to Orthodox people pray for liberation and stand with all your might to protect the Russian land from the invaders. From Kazan, the patriarch sent a miraculous image of the Ever-Virgin Mary to the militia led by Dmitry Pozharsky. All people with faith turned to the image of the Ever-Virgin Mary with a request to defeat the enemy invaders, and she heard their prayers and requests for help.

In August 1612, the first detachment of militia went to Moscow and defeated the enemy troops of Hetman Khodkevich. On October 22 of the same year, the second detachment of militia went on the attack and captured Kitay-gorod. Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, entering Kitay-Gorod with a detachment, carried the sent icon in his arms. Since then, there has been an opinion that Mother of God saved the country from enemies, and the fourth day of November became the day when they celebrate the Orthodox holiday dedicated to this saving icon. In honor of this significant event in 1630, a cathedral of the same name.

Holiday dedicated to the saving icon, raised in 1649 to the rank of state by order of the king, and they began to celebrate it twice in the summer season and in the fall on November 4th. Kazan Cathedral during the time of church persecution was destroyed by decree of the USSR authorities. Since then, the tradition of celebrating holiday date was violated. Currently Orthodox Cathedral completely restored.

National Unity Day in Russia is a public holiday celebrated annually on November 4th. This date was not chosen by chance. Despite its seeming youth, historically National Unity Day is associated with the distant events of the early 17th century, when in 1612 Moscow was finally liberated from the Polish invaders. It was on November 4 (October 22, old style) that the people's militia, led by the Nizhny Novgorod governor Kozma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, successfully stormed Kitay-Gorod, forcing the command of the Polish army to sign an immediate surrender. Dmitry Pozharsky was the first to enter the liberated city with the sacred icon of the Kazan Mother of God in his hands. It was she, as sacredly believed in Russia, who helped protect the Moscow State from the Polish invasion.

In 1625, Dmitry Pozharsky, in honor of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the victory over the Poles, built a wooden church on Red Square at his own expense. The stone Kazan Cathedral appeared only in 1635; it was built on the site of a wooden church that burned down during the Moscow fire. In 1649, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich issued a decree that November 4 is a public holiday, the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. The holiday was celebrated in Russia until the Revolution of 1917.

Day of national unity of Russia in our time

In honor of the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the glorious victory of the Russian army over the Polish interventionists, in 2005, President of the Russian Federation V. Putin signed a decree on the establishment in Russia on November 4 of a new public holiday, National Unity Day. And the very idea to celebrate the holiday on this day belongs to the Interreligious Council of Russia. Therefore, National Unity Day is not only a secular, but also an inter-religious holiday, which is celebrated by all residents of the country and representatives of different religions and confessions.

Traditions of the National Unity Day of Russia

It would be a mistake to think that National Unity Day in Russia has replaced the beloved November 7th. But, like on November 7, concerts, demonstrations and mass processions, charity events are held on this solemn day. Also on this day, a solemn government reception is necessarily arranged in the Great Kremlin Hall, at which people who have made a great contribution to the development and prosperity of Russia are awarded. On the evening of November 4, it has become a good tradition to arrange visual shows and fireworks, festive festivities and concerts.

Now in Russia, National Unity Day is becoming more and more popular. After all, pride in one's Motherland, for its past and present, and faith in its happy future - this is what invariably unites people and makes them one people.

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, led by 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. The Soviet Union collapsed, 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 to pray and stand up for the defense of their 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 Unity Day of the people, in particular, the older generation is used to the date of November 7, when the events of the 1917 revolution are remembered. New holiday people who have grown up in the spirit of atheism do not want to recognize. 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, the 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 folk festivities are held, 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.