Russia Day

Russia is celebrating its national holiday, the Russia Day, on June 12th. Russia Day is one of the youngest national holidays. 

It was established by the country’s presidential decree of June 2, 1994. The Declaration of State Sovereignty of Russia was adopted June 12, 1990. The day was later announced as the national holiday by the presidential decree. The official name, Russia Day, was given to the holiday in 2002.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday will attend a flag hoisting ceremony at the Poklonnaya Hill Memorial and present Hero of Labor awards, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

"On June 12, the president will present gold medals to the Heroes of Labor and attend a state flag hoisting ceremony at the Poklonnaya Hill Memorial," TASS cited Peskov as saying.

The Hero of Labor award ceremony, originally scheduled for May 1, had to be postponed this year, just as many other events and activities, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Ceremonies on the occasion of Russia Day will be one of the first events of this kind with the head of state taking part since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Since the last week of March the president’s schedule consisted mostly of video conferences, but there have been some personal meetings at the country residence Novo-Ogaryovo and in the Kremlin.

On May 9, Putin visited the Kremlin to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier in the Alexander Garden. Also, he watched an air parade in honor of the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War and reviewed a foot and horse guards march-past.

Asked about preparations for the Hero of Russia award ceremony amid the pandemic, Peskov said that routine protocol measures were being taken.

"As for the participants, they are being tested for the coronavirus," Peskov added.

The traditional Kremlin reception on the occasion of Russia Day has been canceled this year.