Eight years ago, the State Duma of our country adopted several amendments to the Federal Law concerning victory days celebrated in our country. One of these amendments was the introduction of a new holiday for Russians, which was called the Day of National Unity. It turned out that another holiday (Day of Concord and Reconciliation), which was previously celebrated by the whole country on November 7, was actually postponed to November 4. According to most people, the main reason for the postponement of the date is the desire of the current government to completely eliminate everything that is associated with the October Revolution of 1917, the anniversary of which just falls on the seventh of November.
And since the fourth of November 2005, the Day of National Unity in Russia, which is now considered a public holiday, is celebrated. Various social movements and political parties organize processions, rallies, charity events, sports events, music concerts and other performances.
Alas, most of those who graduate from school immediately seek to supplant information on subjects that were not interesting to them then, in particular, knowledge of the history of our state. The fact is that today's Day of National Unity is rooted in the heroic and glorious events of four centuries ago! Then, on the fourth of November 1612, our ancestors rallied and accomplished a feat in the name of independence and freedom of the Motherland.
This holiday has a special meaning. Throughout its history, our country has undergone severe trials many times, experiencing times of hostility. When we were weakening, neighbors pounced on us, trying to enslave the Russian people and seize the territory. These were bloody times. But there were times in Russia’s memory, called the Time of Troubles (or simply the Time of Troubles), when the Russians themselves lost both faith and reason, unable to distinguish truth from lies, good from evil, when mutual insults and thirst for power blind their eyes. And again this was used by our enemies.
The beginning of the 17th century was marked by a terrible famine, which lasted almost three years and the mass pest of Russians. At this time, Poland allegedly declared the heir to the throne, Dmitry Fedorovich, who was later named False Dmitry I. Many of our ancestors believed him, because the country was then almost on the verge of certain death, therefore the Pole quickly entered Moscow in 1601 and took the throne of the tsar . After the death of False Dmitry I in Russia, Vasily Shuisky began to rule, after the death of which the “seven-boyars” were introduced in Moscow. However, this government, aware of the imminent popular indignation, decided to make Prince Vladislav of Poland the new king, for which, in 1610, the Polish troops secretly let in Moscow and the Kremlin. So already divided Russia has lost its independence.
In 1612, the merchant Minin spoke on the square in front of the Nizhny Novgorod people, urging the Russians to rally, so as not to die, and save Russia from the Poles, not sparing their lives. Prince Pozharsky became the head of the people's militia, which numbered more than 100 thousand people. And they moved, of course, to Moscow. November 4 was marked by the great battle of the militias with the Poles, as a result of which the Russians defended their homeland. By the way, this is the only remarkable example in our history when it was the people who decided the fate of their country, showing a model of cohesion and heroism regardless of religion, origin and position in society. Since then, the Russian people celebrated the holiday, called the Day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. And so it was until the revolution of 17 years. Therefore, the Day of National Unity, which is celebrated in our time, is by no means a new invention of modern power, and the date was not taken from the ceiling. It is rather a return to an old and very glorious tradition.
Like all other holidays, Russians are used to congratulating each other on Unity Day, both orally and in writing. As a rule, congratulations on Unity Day are aimed at wishing world peace, harmony, friendship, mutual understanding between different groups of people living in our multinational country.
The Day of National Unity is very relevant for all of us, because even today in Russia not everything is calm, and alas, few remember the feat of the Russian people led by Minin and Pozharsky.