MOSCOW, July 10 (Itar-Tass) - The State Duma deputies propose to move the Day of Russia from June 12 to another, more memorable date for the country. United Russia member Yevgeny Fyodorov and the parliamentary club “Russian Sovereignty”, which he heads and which includes 25 deputies from different factions, have put forward the relevant initiative, the Izvestia daily reported on Wednesday.
In his view, the day of the enactment of the Declaration on State Sovereignty of RSFSR is not a sufficiently important event in the history of the country, therefore, the amendments should be introduced in Article 112 of the Russian Labour Code over the days-off and holidays.
“Such holiday as the Day of Russia should be linked with a much deeper history of Russia, but not with the events of 20 years ago,” Fyodorov believes.
“Yet, the deputies failed to come to terms to what date the Day of Russia can be moved,” the newspaper noted. “During the debates at a meeting of the parliamentary club the lawmakers split in two camps: some of them believe that this holiday should be celebrated on July 28, on the Day of Baptism of Rus, the others insist it is fair that it should be moved to September 21, the Day of the Foundation of Russian Statehood,” the Izvestia daily reported.
“To settle the dispute we will address to the scientists, clergymen and will ask the public about it,” United Russia deputy Anton Romanov, who is in charge of the drafting of the bill, said. The deputies have this summer in store to gather the opinions about the legislative initiative.
First Russian President Boris Yeltsin instituted the Day of Russia in 1994. The Declaration on State Sovereignty of Russia was endorsed four years before, on June 12.