Public holidays in Russia
The following is the list of official public holidays recognized by the Government of Russia. On these days, government offices, embassies and some shops, are closed. If the date of observance falls on a weekend, the following Monday will be a day off in lieu of the holiday.
Major National Holidays
New Year Holiday
In addition to New Year's Day on 1 January, 2–5 January are public holidays as well, called New Year holiday. The holiday includes January 6 and 8, with Christmas being January 7, declared as non-working days by law. Until 2005, only 1 and 2 January were public holidays.Orthodox Christmas day
is celebrated on 25 December Julian calendar which falls on January 7th Gregorian calendar and commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ. The public holiday was re-established in 1991, following the decades of suppression of religion and state atheism of the Soviet Union.Defender of the Fatherland Day
The Defender of the Fatherland Day is celebrated on 23 February and is dedicated to veterans and members of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, though it is often colloquially known as Men's Day and commonly treated as a celebration of all men. The holiday was established in 1918.International Women's Day
On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and has remained the global date for International Women's Day ever since.Spring and Labour day
In the former Soviet Union, 1 May was International Workers' Day and was celebrated with huge parades in cities like Moscow. Though the celebrations are low-key nowadays, several groups march on that day to protest grievances the workers have. Since 1992, May Day is officially called "The Day of Spring and Labour".Victory Day
May 9, Russia celebrates the victory over Nazi Germany, while remembering those who died in order to achieve it. On 9 May 1945 the German military surrendered to the Soviet Union and the Allies of World War II in Berlin. Victory Day is by far one of the biggest Russian holidays. It commemorates those who died in World War II and pays tribute to survivors and veterans. Flowers and wreaths are laid on wartime graves and special parties and concerts are organized for veterans. In the evening there is a firework display. A huge ground and air military parade, hosted by the President of the Russian Federation, is annually organized in Moscow on Red Square. Similar ground, air and marine parades are organized in several other Russian cities.Russia Day
Russia Day National Day, celebrated on June 12. On this day, in 1991, Russian parliament formally declared Russian sovereignty from the Soviet Union. The holiday was officially established in 1992. Initially it was named Day of the Adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation, on 1 February 2002 it was officially renamed to Russia Day. In Russian society there is a misconception that this holiday is also called "Russia's Independence Day", but it never has had such a name in official documents. According to a survey by Levada Center in May 2009, 44% of respondents named the holiday as "Independence Day of Russia".Unity Day
was first celebrated on November 4, 2005, commemorates the popular uprising led by Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky which ejected the Polish invaders from Moscow in November 1612, and more generally the end of the Time of Troubles and foreign intervention in Russia. The event was marked by a public holiday which was held in Russia on October 22 from 1649 till 1917. Its name alludes to the idea that all the classes of Russian society willingly united to preserve Russian statehood when its demise seemed inevitable, even though there was neither Tsar nor Patriarch to guide them. Most observers view this as an attempted replacement to counter Communist demonstrations on November 7 holiday, which marked the anniversary of the October Revolution. National Unity Day is also known as Consolidation Day, which people in Russia celebrate on November 3–4.Regional public holidays
Muslim regions
- Kurban Bayram
- Uraza Bayram
List of other public holidays, commemorative and professional days
Popular holidays which are not public holidays
- New Year according to Julian Calendar on January 14
- Death Anniversary of Vladimir Lenin and Bloody Sunday on January 21–22
- Tatiana Day on January 25
- Valentine's Day on February 14
- Maslenitsa Start date changes every year, depending on the beginning of the Great Lent
- Internal Troops and National Guard Servicemen's Day on March 27
- Annunciation on April 7
- Cosmonautics Day on April 12
- Soviet Air Defense Forces Day on the Second Sunday of April
- Russian State Fire Service Day on April 30
- Easter In each year is calculated on a lunisolar calendar
- Radio Day on May 7
- Saints Cyril and Methodius' Day on May 24
- Border Guards Day on May 28, celebrating the anniversary of the Border Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation
- Ivan Kupala Day on July 7
- Day of Remembrance and Sorrow on 22 June, marking the start of Operation Barbarossa - the Nazi invasion of the USSR
- Paratroopers Day on August 2
- Savior of the Apple Feast Day on August 19
- Great Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God on August 28
- Knowledge Day on September 1
- Day of Tankmen on the Second Sunday of September
- October Revolution Day on November 7
- Naval Infantry Day on November 27
- Christmas Day on December 25
- Emergency Workers Day on December 27, celebrating those working in the Ministry of Emergency Situations on the anniversary of its foundation in 1990