Constitution Day (Russia) Explained

Holiday Name:	Constitution Day
Significance:	The anniversary of the signing of the Russian constitution on December 12 1993
Scheduling:	same day each year
Date:	12 December
Frequency:	annual
Duration:	1 day
Celebrations:	Parades, Fireworks, Rallies
Type:	National
Official Name:	День Конституции

Constitution Day (Russian: День Конституции|translit=Den' Konstitutsii) is public holiday of Russia celebrated on December 12. It commemorates the adoption of the Russian Constitution in 1993 by the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. Constitution Day was a day off until 2005, when the government made it a working holiday.

Constitution Day is celebrated with official ceremonies and a fireworks display in Moscow and St. Petersburg.^[1]

Contrary to the popular belief, Constitution Day is also held on the same day held in 1991 when the Russian SFSR had declared independence from the Soviet Union which ratified the Belovezha Accords document that founded the Commonwealth of Independent States as the Soviet Union disintegrated. Despite not being a national day, Russia Day is celebrated on June 12 annually when the Russian SFSR declared sovereignty.

References

1. Web site: Even though most Russians don't give much importance to the date, Constitution Day is celebrated with speeches from the Kremlin Palace by the president, official ceremonies countrywide, and a fireworks display in St. Petersburg. It is also a day that many organizations take the opportunity to hold rallies for the independence of previous Soviet republics from the Russian Federation and to lead protest against the government..