Russia marks National Unity Day

MOSCOW. November 4. KAZINFORM Russia celebrates National Unity Day on Friday. This public holiday was established in 2005 as a sign of age-old traditions of patriotism, solidarity and cohesion. It is dedicated to the heroic deed of the people's volunteer army that liberated Moscow from Polish invaders in 1612 under the leadership of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky. These events that took place four centuries ago, in the best way underline the involvement of everyone in the destinies of the country; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.

This day is a holiday also on the church calendar. The Orthodox Church has been for nearly 400 years honouring on this day the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which, according to the legend, helped the people's volunteer corps. It is not accidentally that until 1917 this date was not only the Church feast, but also a public holiday proclaimed by the decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Having taken in 2005 its rightful place as a red-letter date in the calendar, National Unity Day, as a holiday of the whole civil society, in fact, "has replaced" the November 7 revolutionary holiday, which for nerfaly a century kept the traditions and class ideology of the 1917 October Revolution.

The parliamentary majority party United Russia, which in 2004 initiated the revival of the holiday, attaches special importance to this day. "We were the initiators of the bill on amendments to the list of holidays and memorable dates," Chairman of the Supreme Council of United Russia, State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov confirmed. He said that the party on this day will stage rallies across the country.

In Moscow, the United Russia party and their supporters will gather at the Poklonnaya Hill. "I think there are fewer and fewer citizens in our country who do not know what the fourth of November is," said Gryzlov. "More and more people take part in this truly national holiday."

A reception will be held with the participation of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the occasion of the holiday. By tradition, the country's leaders will lay flowers at the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky in Red Square. Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill will also take part in the celebrations.