07 November 2006

National Unity Day

National Unity Day (Russian: День народного единства) was first celebrated in Russia in 2005. This holiday on November 4 commemorates the popular uprising which expelled the Polish-Lithuanian occupation force from Moscow in November 1612, and more generally the end of the Time of Troubles and foreign intervention in Russia in the Polish-Muscovite War (1605–1618).

But there is a controversy about this holiday. President Vladimir Putin made this holiday in order to replace the celebration of the Bolshevik revolution which formally took place on November 7 (There is a misunderstanding about October Revolution which happened actually in the November of our current calendars. Maybe they thought that the word October sounded more revolutionary so they kept it like that, even after they changed the calendars in Soviet Union) . When Putin first did this, many people were angered (particularly the communists, if any left alive and healthy) and decided to celebrate on Nov. 7 anyway. Putin's predessessor, Boris Yeltsin simply changed the name of the holiday, but by completely removing it, Putin has sparked a controversy that continues today

As I have mentioned before, some of our beloved ultranationalists tried to organize a "Russian March" which would eventually turn into a bloody blackheaded manhunt. This was widely prevented by the overwhelming police presence in the city and as far as I have heard, nothing happened to our fellow invaders. Maybe because they were trying to sober up after this long weekend...


What a beautiful unity!

From Russia with "F*ck You!"

(Photos: Courtesy of Kommersant)

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