Dmitry Samoilov holiday after the holiday on the Day of National Unity and the October Revolution Day 10.11.2022 at 10:48

In less than a week – from November 4th to November 7th – we had two major public holidays. The main ones seem to be nominal, because they were appointed as such, but firstly, what could be more important for modern Russia than popular unity, and secondly, what could be brighter for the former USSR than the day of the October Revolution?

As you know, the USSR lasted 74 years. To put it bluntly, it’s not much for an empire. At the same time, its main holiday was somehow distorted from the calendar – after all, October 25 is considered the date of the revolution. Why is November 7 always celebrated? Because the Bolsheviks initiated the transition of Russia from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. It has certainly been a positive contribution to history. And then Russia had to constantly associate any date with global dates and corrected itself for two weeks. So why not celebrate the victory of the October Revolution on October 25? Albeit in a new way. For historical breakthrough events, the two-week discrepancy in historiography is a fraction of a second.

And with such an unnecessary mistake, the history of the main state holiday began. Strange though actually – Revolution always involves destruction and some degradation – which has happened to Russia for a while – so why name the main holiday with that word, connect it to this date? They were going to make the day of the formation of the USSR. This sounds like creation.

However, according to the apt word of the new classic of Russian literature, the Bolsheviks apparently did not expect to rule the country for long. That’s why they designated their congress with Roman numerals. The XX Congress and even the XXVI can be imagined as such, but the CCLXIV (264th) Congress of the CPSU cannot be imagined. But they did their job, they laid some material and technical fundamentals for the development of the country. It’s hard with the victims, but in the name of the Revolution.

I still caught those November parades. Less joy came from them than on May 1 – understandably, cold, damp and cloudy. But November 7 was objectively felt as the most important and holy holiday. In the district committee of the Sverdlovsk district of Moscow, a buffet was opened to everyone and they sold cakes. A normal time and holiday sign.

Oddly enough, I personally know people who still celebrate November 7. Celebrate this day with a sense of something great and eternal behind it. Alright. Everyone has their own tastes, even a holiday in honor of something devastating in the end is quite positive.

Now Russia has a different holiday – the Day of National Unity. But even he cannot hold on to history as if he were following the Bolshevik attitude. It was established in honor of several histories. On October 22, according to the old style of 1612, militias led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky attacked Kitay-Gorod, as a result of which the Commonwealth troops were forced to take shelter in the Kremlin. And on October 26, the Poles were forced to sign a surrender. From that moment began a new Russia – the era of the Romanovs. However, it is still more or less conditional on the accuracy of the determination of dates. Not on October 26, the three-hundred-year reign of the Romanovs began, but among the nobility that the Poles held in the Kremlin was Mikhail Fedorovich, who later became the first Romanov tsar.

It is October 22 in the old method and November 1 in the new method. October 26, according to the old fashioned way, as you can imagine, is November 5 according to the Gregorian calendar. On October 25, that is, November 4, there was no significant event. Still, it was this date that was designated as Russia’s Military Victory Day in 1995 and the Day of National Unity in 2005. I would like to believe, then, that on October 26 (November 4) 1612, inspired by the success of capturing Kitai-Gorod, the people’s militias sat sharpening their swords in their camp under the Kremlin walls. , axes, spears, perhaps the squeak of cleaning, lighting fires for warmth, the gloomy Moscow October sky looked up and felt more national unity than ever before. Perhaps they felt that now the Russian people began as a state national community. It can? Tough. But the idea is good.

What was November 7 for a late Soviet person? A day off, possibly compulsory attendance at a show, and a legitimate need for a drink. Because such a need on a vacation is justified by the fact of vacation.

What is November 4 for a modern Russian? Of course, this is a day off. And our attitude for weekends is not only tolerant, but also completely positive. A reason to drink? Tough. But not because the reason was worth it, but because with modern affluence and social relaxation there is no need to look for reasons.

But the important thing is that November 4th is a reason to look for the background of the holiday, which means at least an opportunity to delve deeper into history, learn something new for yourself, and give it to the kids, the neighbors, and at least a drink. comrades. Because we have always valued people who know a little more. Maybe this is our union?

The author expresses his personal opinion, which may not coincide with the editors’ position.