The Day of Military Glory of Russia – The National Unity Day

4 November 2005

On December 16, 2004 the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted in three readings simultaneously the amendments to the federal law “On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia”. One of the amendments concerned the introduction of a new holiday – the Day of Peoples’ Unity. The 4th November was chosen the date for the holiday. It was celebrated for the first time in 2005.

The holiday is established in the memory of the events of 1612 when the united peoples’ volunteer corps guided by Kusma Minin, D.M. Pozharsky and D.T. Trubetskoy freed Moscow from the Polish invaders. It was the unity of the forces that had allowed the peoples’ volunteer corps to win the victory in Kremlin and Kitay-gorod. On October 22-26 (November 1-5), 1612 the Poles capitulated. It was decided to celebrate this event with a religious procession that took place on October 25 (November 4), 1612.

On that day the Kremlin gates opened to the winners. Accompanied by clergy, the liberators moved to Kitay-gorod in two flows: Zemsky troops started from the church of St. John the Merciful located on Arbat street, and the Cossacks – from the church of Our Lady of Kazan behind Pokrovsky gates. At Lobnoye Mesto they were met by a religious procession that was moving from the Kremlin with the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir. First at Lobnoye Mesto and then in the Kremlin thanksgiving services were held.

Owing to the capital liberation it was now possible to re-establish the state power in the country and develop a mass liberation movement against the invaders.

The 4th of November is the holiday of agreement and reconciliation, the day of peoples’ unity owing to which the foreign invaders could be drawn out of the capital of the Russian state. The participants of the peoples’ volunteer corps had demonstrated a mass heroism during the battles for Moscow, their leaders had displayed a high generalship, a personal courage and the ability to make mutual concessions for the sake of the Fatherland.

Lit.: Забелин И. Е. Минин и Пожарский. Прямые и кривые в Смутное время. М., 1999; О днях воинской славы и памятных датах России (с изменениями на 24 октября 2007 г.) // Собрание законодательства Российской Федерации. 2007. 29 окт. (№ 44); Шокарёв С. Ю. Москва и преодоление Смуты, 1612 г. М., 2002.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Overcoming the Time of Troubles in Russia : [digital collection].