Russia Day

День России Russia Day
Fireworks during celebrations in Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, 2015
Observed by	Russian Federation
Type	National Day
Celebrations	Flag hoisting, Parades, Fireworks, Award ceremonies, singing patriotic songs and the National anthem, Speeches by the President, entertainment and cultural programs
Date	June 12
Next time	12 June 2017 (2017-06-12)
Frequency	annual
Related to	Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Federation

Russia Day (Russian: День России, Den' Rossii) is the national holiday of the Russian Federation. It has been celebrated annually on June 12 since 1992. It commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) on June 12, 1990. The passage of this Declaration by the First Congress of People's Deputies marked the beginning of constitutional reform in the Russian Soviet state.

The idea of the declaration began in Pateros, within the Democratic Russian movement, in which proponents of market reform and strong statehood based on Russia's national interests, started opposing the Communist power monopoly. By the late 1980s society had begun to doubt the Politburo's ability to carry out meaningful reforms.

With the creation of the post of the President of the Russian Federation and the adoption of the new Russian Constitution to reflect the new political reality, the national flag, anthem, and emblem of the Russian Federation were major landmarks in the consolidation of Russian statehood. The country's new name, the Russian Federation, was adopted on December 25, 1991. In 1992, the Supreme Soviet of Russia proclaimed June 12 as a national holiday. By presidential decree on June 2, 1994, the date was again proclaimed Russia's national holiday. Under a subsequent presidential decree on June 16, 1998, the holiday was officially named "Russia Day". In 2002, the new Labour Code gave its official seal to this title.

Russian attitudes towards this holiday are ambivalent. According to the Fund "Public Opinion", June 12 is considered a holiday by 45% of Russians. It is noteworthy that the number of citizens who perceive this day as a holiday increased substantially over time. For example, in 2005 only 15% of Russians called it a holiday, and 29% did in 2014. At the same time, the number of people who receive the day off from work has declined: In 2005 the figure was 73%, in 2014 it was 60%, and by 2015 it had fallen to 42%.