TASS-FACTBOX. Russia Day is a national holiday in the Russian Federation celebrated annually on June 12. In accordance with the Russian Labor Code, it is an official public holiday.
Declaration of State Sovereignty
On June 12, 1990, the 1st Congress of People’s Deputies of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR, part of the Soviet Union) adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR. The document declared the primacy of the Constitution and the laws of the Russian republic over the Soviet Union’s legislation, establishing equal rights for all citizens, political parties and non-governmental organizations, the principle of separation of powers into three branches, namely the legislative, executive and judicial, and the necessity to substantially expand the rights of the regions. The document also stated that the Declaration is the basis to frame a new constitution. In all, 907 deputies voted to adopt the document, 13 voted against it, while 9 abstained. Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Boris Yeltsin signed the Declaration (on June 12, 1991, he was elected President of the RSFSR).
Holiday established
On June 11, 1992, the Supreme Soviet of Russia published a decree designating June 12 as a public holiday. On September 25, 1992, the corresponding amendments were introduced into the Russian Labor Code.
By a decree of Russian President Boris Yeltsin on June 2, 1994, June 12 was declared a national holiday - the Day of Adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of RSFSR.
The holiday also received the unofficial title of "Independence Day". This wording has never been used in the official documents but can be seen in the media and appears on placards and banners.
In 1998, then Russian President Boris Yeltsin proposed calling this day "Day of Adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of RSFSR" — Russia Day — in his address to the nation broadcasted by the main TV channels. However, the holiday was officially renamed only on February 1, 2002, when the new Labor Code came into force with all the official public holidays set out.
Holiday’s history in Russia
On June 12, 1995, the holiday was celebrated for the first time. The first ceremony of awarding the State Prizes (introduced in 1992-1993) in science and technology, literature and the arts was held in the Kremlin on that day. In later years, the State Prize awarding ceremonies on June 12 became a tradition.
Since 2001, Russia Day has been celebrated with fireworks in Moscow and in other cities around the country.
In 2003, festive events were held for the first time on Red Square in the capital. After a theatrical performance, delegations from all Russian regions marched across the square, followed by a parade featuring members of the Russian Armed Forces. The highlight of the celebration was an air show with 10 Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter jets from the aerobatic teams "Russian Knights" and "Swifts." A fireworks display in the colors of the national flag was launched from Vasilyevsky Spusk Square.
In 2007, the youth division of the United Russia party, the Young Guard, organized the "Russian Tricolor" initiative, distributing more than 1 million ribbons bearing the national flag’s colors.
In 2009, Russia Day was marked by the raising of the Russian national flag atop the Ostankino TV Tower. (The Soviet flag that had been placed there in 1967 was taken down in December 1991.)
In 2011, the reopening of the Moscow Planetarium, following a 17-year renovation, was scheduled to coincide with the holiday. As part of the event, the descent module of the "Vostok" spacecraft was added to the planetarium’s display.
In 2014, Russia Day was celebrated for the first time in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. On this day, the All-Russian Five Stars young performers contest was held in Yalta. In Sevastopol, the holiday coincided with celebrations on the occasion of the 231st anniversary of the city’s foundation.
In 2017, the nationwide initiative "We are citizens of Russia!" was timed to coincide with the holiday. In the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin presented passports to top students, champions and finalists of competitions and academic olympiads, and children who had performed heroic deeds. Ten students received their passports directly from the president.
In 2018, football became one of the main themes of Russia Day celebrations across the regions (the FIFA World Cup kicked off in the country on June 14). On June 12, Saransk hosted the opening of the FIFA Fan Festival, while Kaliningrad organized a rally in support of the Russian national team under the slogan "Play for all! For us! For everyone!" Overall, according to the Russian Interior Ministry, over 7 million people joined festive events across the country.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some celebrations were held online. In Moscow, Red Square hosted the show "We are together!", featuring popular Russian performers. The audience consisted of Moscow volunteers, and the event was broadcast by Russia-1 TV channel. For the first time, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the flag-raising ceremony on Poklonnaya Hill in honor of Russia Day. The head of state also awarded the Heroes of Labor of the Russian Federation (usually, this ceremony is held on May 1, but in 2020 it was postponed due to the pandemic). Meanwhile, the awarding of state prize laureates was moved from June 12 to June 24.
In 2021, Russia Day was marked by the All-Russian choir campaign, involving over 300 choirs performing the Russian national anthem, as well as the "Bloggers’ Fest" festival, which attracted more than 25,000 participants. Over 400,000 schoolchildren took part in the two-day nationwide marathon "Science Nearby" as part of the "Grand Recess" project.
In 2022, the holiday was celebrated for the first time in the liberated territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. In Melitopol, Zaporozhye region, the Russian tricolor was raised on the city’s main square in honor of the first Russia Day celebrations. In Mariupol (DPR), volunteers displayed a giant Russian flag, while Lugansk hosted the flash mob "We are Russia."
In 2024, 3,500 festive events were held across the country on Russia Day, according to the Russian Interior Ministry. More than 2.2 million people took part in performances by creative collectives, festivals, and other celebrations. In particular, 60,000 residents and guests of the capital enjoyed the festive program on Red Square in Moscow.