Russian parliament to decide on Day of Polite People — Kremlin
A bill on creating a new holiday in Russia was proposed in mid-September by lawmaker Igor Zotov
MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin knows about the proposal on making October 7 a Day of Polite People in Russia, but it is up to the parliament to approve the move.
“Possibly, this will be considered, and the parliament’s attitude towards this will be formed,” Peskov said, declining to say how the Kremlin has reacted to the proposal.
A bill on creating a new holiday in Russia was proposed in mid-September by lawmaker Igor Zotov.
The lawmaker says that the idea came after many people sent their requests expressing gratitude to 'polite people' - the name Crimean citizens used for Russian servicemen who ensured security during the March referendum in Crimea.
“‘Polite people’ not only became the guarantors of the Crimean citizens’ free expression of will, but also a new symbol of Russia’s Armed Forces,” Zotov said in an explanatory note.
Zotov reminded that October 7 is the birthday of President Vladimir Putin who is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces.
Earlier on Friday, Russia’s Izvestia newspaper reported that the Russian Defense Ministry has backed the idea of creating a holiday in honor of those people who maintained security and order during the Crimean referendum.
Defense Ministry supports introduction of new holiday
Russian Deputy Defense Minister Nikolay Pankov told the newspaper that the idea has been supported by servicemen in all military units and garrisons across Russia.
The ministry earlier launched a clothing line under the Polite People brand. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told TASS in an interview in early September that he received a few T-shirts with a 'polite people' print as a gift.
On March 16, Crimea held a referendum during which the majority voted to leave Ukraine and rejoin Russia.
Speaking at a Q&A session in April, Putin acknowledged that the 'polite people' at the Crimean referendum were Russian troops, who ensured proper conditions for the people of Crimea to be able to freely express their will.