Russia celebrates the National Unity Day on Thursday. The holiday is dedicated to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky, who liberated Moscow in 1612 from Polish invaders. This event ended the Time of Troubles and was the foundation of the new Russian state.
The Russian Orthodox Church also prays to the icon of the Madonna of Kazan on Thursday. Until 1917 it was not just a religious, but also a state holiday, introduced by Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich.
In Unity Day 2005, it replaced the Great October Revolution holiday, which was celebrated on November 7, becoming a 'holiday of civil society' as Vladimir Putin said, ITAR-TASS reports.
Russian Muslims will take part in celebrating the National Unity Day and wish peace and unity to al Russian citizens, the head of the Russian Mufti Council Ravil Gaynutdiyev, RIA Novosti reports.
The head of the Muslim Coordination Center of the North Caucasus Ismail Berdiyev said that Karachay-Cherkessia will hold mass celebrations.
Deputy head of the Central Muslim Clerical Management Albir Krganov
believes that the holiday reflects the long Russian history, where
many people of different confessions live together and prosper.
But opinion polls by Superjob.ru shows that the most economically
active citizens consider National Unity Day simply an extra day off.
Only 9% consider it an official state holiday. 5% believe that it is a
personal holiday related to an event in the family, such as a birthday
or wedding.
3% consider it a former Soviet holiday of the Great October Socialist
Revolution. 2% believe that it is the day of the icon of the Madonna
of Kazan.
62% consider it an extra day off. 10% failed to express their attitude
towards the holiday - many of them do not even know about its
