Unity Day (Russia)
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Unity Day, Day of People’s Unity (or National Unity Day; Russian: День народного единства) was first celebrated in Russia in 2005. This holiday on November 4 commemorates the popular uprising which expelled the Polish-Lithuanian occupation force from Moscow in November 1612, and more generally the end of the Time of Troubles and foreign intervention in Russia in the Polish-Muscovite War (1605–1618).
November 4 is also the feast day for Our Lady of Kazan, a holy icon which the Russian Orthodox Church probably venerates the most.
Controversy
President Vladimir Putin made this holiday in order to replace the celebration of the Bolshevik revolution which formally took place on November 7. When he first did this, many people were angered (particularly the communist party) and decided to celebrate on Nov. 7 anyway. Putin's predessessor, Boris Yeltsin simply changed the name of the holiday, but by completely removing it, Putin has sparked a controversy that continues today
[edit] See also
- Unity Day in other countries
- Public holidays in Russia
- October Revolution, the holiday observed in Russia prior to 2005 that was replaced by National Unity Day
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