Double Holiday in Russia

Today, is a holiday in Russia – Day of Accord and Reconciliation. This holiday is celebrated in Russia since 1996. Earlier, the November 7 was one of the most important Soviet holidays – anniversary of Great October Socialist Revolution. According to some polls, most of Russians (more than 50 percent) still celebrate this day namely as the revolution’s anniversary. Only about 10 percent of people who took part in polling, said they would celebrate 7th November as Day of Accord and Reconciliation, while 40 percent announced they would celebrate nothing this day.

All around Russia, festive actions are being carried out today. In Moscow, in Red Square, parade of Great Patriotic War was carried out, devoted to the historical parade of November 7, 1941, when soldiers after marching over block pavement of Red Square went directly to entrenchment, to defend the capital from fascists. Today, Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov and other members of Moscow administration received the parade. They stood at guest tribunes of the mausoleum. In veteran column, 137 participants of 1941 parade’s were marching, as well as 70 participants of Victory Parade of June 24, 1945, and 770 participants of 1941 Defence of Moscow. Today, in Moscow streets, marches of left movements’ representatives take place – of Communist Party of the Russian Federation, of the movement “In Support of Army”, of the Labour Russia movement and of Eduard Limonov’s National-Bolshevist Party.

The train started in Kaluzhskaya Square, the columns are intending to go through Bolshaya Yakimanka Street, through Bolshaya Polyanka Street, to Okhotny Ryad Street. In Theatre Square, near to Karl Marx statue, a meeting is planned to be carried out. The demonstrators carry red flags, red carnations, Lenin’s portraits, and placards with traditional communists slogans. Patriotic songs can be heard. Among participants of the train, there are many pensioners, as well as “youth brigades” of opposition. Car traffic is cut off in the whole way of the demonstrators, groups of law-enforcers stand. On the whole, many passing people with flowers could be seen today in Moscow.