Russian Federation celebrates National Unity Day

Today the Russian Federation celebrates a public holiday – National Unity Day. This is a day of patriotism, citizenship and love of country – fundamental values, which had always unified the multinational Russian State. The holiday was established in commemoration of the events of 1612, when people’s militia led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky liberated Moscow from Polish-Lithuanian intervention.

The feat of the Russian people was perpetuated in 1818. According to the decree by Emperor Alexander I, a monument, dedicated to “Citizen Kuzma Minin and Duke Dmitry Pozharsky” and erected by sculptor Ivan Martos, was established on the Red Square in Moscow becoming the first monument in the history of Russia established not in honor of the Tsar or a commander, but of people’s heroes.