June 12, 2019

How to Celebrate Russia Day


How to Celebrate Russia Day
Russia Day in St. Petersburg, 2007 (photo credit: Spbkinoforum)

It may end with fireworks like a host of other holidays, but there’s plenty of confusion why. So to start with a quiz, complete the sentence: 

June 12th is _____

  1. an occasion for all Russians and Russophiles to wish a happy birthday to their favorite nation.
  2. a cue for nostalgia, with its reminder of the geopolitical tragedy that was the fall of the Soviet Union.
  3. an excuse for nationalistic posturing extending beyond Russian borders.
  4. a good reason to debate all of the above.

Of course, it is all of the above. Let's start with some history.

Happy Birthday, Russian Federation

The history of this holiday is both complicated and controversial, with its origins in the dusk of the Soviet Union. Even its name causes confusion, with only about half the Russian population correctly identifying the holiday observed on June 12.

In short, the date memorializes the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia in 1990. As the move that established the nation’s authority and autonomy – as in, making it a separate entity from the USSR proper – the document was key in the dissolution of the Soviet Union. While the official disbanding was December 26, 1991, by that point every individual republic had already seceded.

Which makes June 12 Russia qua Russia’s birthday party. What with the Declaration’s proclamations on rights, government powers, state symbols, and internal territories – not to mention the brand new name of “Russian Federation” – it was a shift that was worth cracking the sovetskoe shampanskoe for. And then buying a bottle of imported champagne to actually celebrate.

The young nation had some eventful early birthdays: 1991 saw the first open elections for president (won, of course, by Boris Yeltsin); in 1992 it gained official holiday status; and in 1994 it was dubbed Day of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia. The date was widely known as Independence Day between 1992 and 2002 (and is still referred to as such by 33% of polled Russians), and was bestowed the official moniker of “Russia Day” in 2002.

So does that make it a universally festive day, with vodka all around? Well, maybe, but there’s a bit more to it as well.

It’s My Party and I’ll Debate its Validity if I Want To

That’s right – not everyone breaks out the party hats for this birthday party. Three reasons:

One, some folks have more regret than relief about the end of the Soviet Union. Still (yes, still) reeling from the vast, violent consequences of that occurrence, many older Russians (86% of those over 55, according to a 2013 Levada Center poll) would welcome a return to the Soviet way. For them, the bitter memories and bitterer aftermath of the end of a way of life mean that a day devoted to the new Russia is hardly cause for celebration.

Two, even for folks who don’t long to be back in the USSR, the focus on the new Russia doesn’t pay dues to centuries of pre-revolutionary Russian history. This branch of naysayers doesn’t deny the urge to celebrate that land that stretches from Pacific to Baltic – which has retained autonomy in face of foes ranging from the Mongol Horde, to the Nazis, to NATO (as many Russians would say today). Instead, it is the 25-year-old version of that ancient state that doesn’t merit a day to itself.

Three, some feel it’s become an excuse for exaggerated displays of patriotism and politicking.

This year, meanwhile, Russia Day was met with protests surrounding the arrest and then release of journalist Ivan Golunov. And, on the almighty Google, it was met with... a Russian-themed graphic (below) by St. Petersburg artists Anya and Varya Kendel. Now that's a demo we can totally get behind.

Russia Day 2019
The Kendels' illustration offers a fresh take on the Russian tricolor.

 

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
The Little Humpbacked Horse

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Fearful Majesty

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
PO Box 567
Montpelier VT 05601-0567

802-223-4955