Why do we celebrate February 23rd? The history of the holiday - Defender of the Fatherland Day (February 23)
It originated in the USSR, then February 23 was annually celebrated as a national holiday - the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.
There was no document establishing February 23 as an official Soviet holiday. Soviet historiography associated the coincidence of honoring the military to this date with the events of 1918: on January 28 (15, old style) January 1918, the Council of People's Commissars (SNK), headed by Chairman Vladimir Lenin, adopted a Decree on the organization of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), and February 11 (January 29, old style) - Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF).
On February 22, the decree-appeal of the Council of People's Commissars "The Socialist Fatherland is in Danger!" was published, and on February 23, mass rallies were held in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), Moscow and other cities of the country, at which workers were urged to defend their Fatherland from the advancing German troops . This day was marked by the mass entry of volunteers into the Red Army and the beginning of the formation of its detachments and units.
On January 10, 1919, the chairman of the Higher Military Inspectorate of the Red Army, Nikolai Podvoisky, sent a proposal to the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) to celebrate the anniversary of the creation of the Red Army, timing the celebration to the nearest Sunday before or after January 28. However, due to the late submission of the application, no decision was made.
Then the Moscow Soviet took the initiative to celebrate the first anniversary of the Red Army. On January 24, 1919, the presidium, which at that time was headed by Lev Kamenev, decided to coincide with these celebrations on the day of the Red Gift, held to collect material and Money for the Red Army.
Under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the Central Committee was created to organize the celebration of the anniversary of the Red Army and the Red Gift Day, which scheduled the celebrations for Sunday, February 23. On February 5, Pravda and other newspapers published the following information: "The organization of the Red Gift Day throughout Russia has been postponed to February 23. On this day, the celebration of the anniversary of the creation of the Red Army, which will be celebrated on January 28, will be organized in cities and at the front."
On February 23, 1919, the citizens of Russia celebrated the anniversary of the Red Army for the first time, but this day was not celebrated either in 1920 or in 1921.
On January 27, 1922, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee published a resolution on the fourth anniversary of the Red Army, which stated: "In accordance with the resolution of the IX All-Russian Congress of Soviets on the Red Army, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee draws the attention of the executive committees to the upcoming anniversary of the creation of the Red Army (February 23)."
The chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council, Lev Trotsky, arranged a military parade on Red Square that day, thus laying the foundation for the tradition of an annual nationwide celebration.
In 1923, the fifth anniversary of the Red Army was widely celebrated. The decision of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, adopted on January 18, 1923, stated: "On February 23, 1923, the Red Army will celebrate the 5th anniversary of its existence. On this day, five years ago, the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of January 28 of the same the year that laid the foundation for the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the stronghold of the proletarian dictatorship."
The tenth anniversary of the Red Army in 1928, like all previous ones, was celebrated as the anniversary of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars on the organization of the Red Army of January 28, 1918, but the very date of publication was directly linked to February 23.
In 1938, in the "Short Course on the History of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks", a fundamentally new version of the origin of the date of the holiday was presented, not related to the decree of the Council of People's Commissars. The book stated that in 1918 near Narva and Pskov "the German occupiers were given a decisive rebuff. Their advance on Petrograd was suspended. The day of the rebuff to the troops of German imperialism - February 23, became the birthday of the young Red Army."
Later, in the order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR dated February 23, 1942, the wording was slightly changed: "The young detachments of the Red Army, who entered the war for the first time, utterly defeated the German invaders near Pskov and Narva on February 23, 1918. That is why February 23 was declared the day birth of the Red Army.
In 1951, another interpretation of the holiday appeared. In the "History of the Civil War in the USSR" it was indicated that in 1919 the first anniversary of the Red Army was celebrated "on the memorable day of the mobilization of workers to defend the socialist Fatherland, the mass entry of workers into the Red Army, the broad formation of the first detachments and units of the new army."
In the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia", the day of February 23 was officially called "The Day of the Red Army's victory over the Kaiser troops of Germany (1918) - the Day of Defenders of the Fatherland."
In accordance with the changes made to the Federal Law "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia" by the Federal Law of April 15, 2006, the words "Day of the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany (1918)" were excluded from the official description of the holiday, and also stated in the singular concept of "defender".
In December 2001, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation supported the proposal to make February 23 - Defender of the Fatherland Day - a non-working holiday.
February 23, due to established traditions, has become a state national holiday dedicated to all generations of defenders of the Fatherland. Throughout their centuries-old history, Russians have selflessly defended the sovereignty and independence, and sometimes the right to exist, of the Russian state in numerous wars.
Soldiers of the army and navy modern Russia responsibly fulfill their military duty, reliably ensuring the protection of national interests and the military security of the country.
On Defender of the Fatherland Day, Russians honor those who served or are currently serving in the ranks of the country's Armed Forces. But most Russian citizens tend to consider Defender of the Fatherland Day as the Day of real men, defenders in the broadest sense of the word.
On this day, a festive artillery salute is held in the hero cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Novorossiysk, Tula, Sevastopol, Smolensk and Murmansk, as well as in cities where the headquarters of military districts, fleets, combined arms armies and the Caspian Flotilla are deployed.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources
The history of the holiday originates on January 28 (January 15 according to the old style) 1918. On this day, against the backdrop of the ongoing World War I in Europe, the Council of People's Commissars (the de facto government of Soviet Russia), headed by its chairman Vladimir Lenin, adopted a Decree on the organization of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA).
In the first days of January 1919, the Soviet authorities remembered the approaching anniversary of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars on the organization of the Red Army. On January 10, the chairman of the Higher Military Inspectorate of the Red Army, Nikolai Podvoisky, sent a proposal to the presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee to celebrate the anniversary of the creation of the Red Army, timing the celebration to the nearest Sunday before or after January 28. However, due to the late submission of the application, no decision was made.
Then the Moscow Soviet took the initiative to celebrate the first anniversary of the Red Army. On January 24, 1919, its presidium, which at that time was headed by Lev Kamenev, decided to coincide with these celebrations on the Day of the Red Gift. This day was arranged by the relevant commission under the All-Russian Central Executive Committee in order to assist the fighting Red Army soldiers. The Day of the Red Gift was scheduled for February 16, but the commission did not have time to hold it on time. Therefore, the Day of the Red Gift and the Day of the Red Army, timed to coincide with it, decided to celebrate the following Sunday after February 16, i.e. February 23.
In 1920-1921. Red Army Day was not celebrated.
On January 27, 1922, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee published a resolution on the 4th anniversary of the Red Army, which stated: "In accordance with the resolution of the IX All-Russian Congress of Soviets on the Red Army, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee draws the attention of the executive committees to the upcoming anniversary of the creation of the Red Army (February 23)."
In 1923, the decision of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, adopted on January 18, said: "On February 23, 1923, the Red Army will celebrate the 5th anniversary of its existence. On this day, five years ago, the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of January 28 was published the same year that laid the foundation for the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army, the stronghold of the proletarian dictatorship. However, this statement was not true, because. the said decree was published in the central newspapers almost immediately after its adoption.
The 10th anniversary of the Red Army in 1928, like all the previous ones, was celebrated as the anniversary of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars on the organization of the Red Army of January 28 (15 according to the old style) of January 1918, but the very date of publication, contrary to the truth, was directly connected with February 23.
In 1938, in the "Short Course on the History of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks", a fundamentally new version of the origin of the date of the holiday was presented, which was not related to the decree of the Council of People's Commissars. The book stated that in 1918, near Narva and Pskov, "the German occupiers were given a decisive rebuff. Their advance on Petrograd was suspended. The day of the rebuff to the troops of German imperialism - February 23, became the birthday of the young Red Army."
Later, in the order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR dated February 23, 1942, the wording was changed: "The young detachments of the Red Army, who entered the war for the first time, utterly defeated the German invaders near Pskov and Narva on February 23, 1918. That is why February 23 was declared the day birth of the Red Army.
In 1951, the last interpretation of the holiday appeared. In the "History of the Civil War in the USSR" it was indicated that in 1919 the first anniversary of the Red Army was celebrated "on the memorable day of the mobilization of the working people for the defense of the socialist Fatherland, the mass entry of workers into the Red Army, the broad formation of the first detachments and units of the new army."
In the Federal Law of March 13, 1995 N32-FZ "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia", February 23 is officially called "The Day of the Red Army's victory over the Kaiser troops of Germany in 1918 - the Day of Defenders of the Fatherland."
In accordance with the changes made to the Federal Law "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia" by the Federal Law of April 15, 2006, the words "Day of the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany (1918)" are excluded from the official description of the holiday, and are also set out in a single including the concept of "defender".
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
This holiday had several names:
- Day of the Soviet Army;
- Birthday of the Red Army;
- Birthday of the armed forces and the navy.
Why exactly is February 23rd considered the Day of Defenders of the Fatherland, and not any other date?
The history of this holiday is as follows:
Immediately after the victory of the armed uprising in Petrograd on October 24-25 (November 7-8, according to a new style), 1917, counter-revolutionary actions fell upon the young republic of Soviets, and the Soviet government had to wage an active struggle against them. At that time, the Red Guard detachments of revolutionary soldiers and sailors were the Armed Forces of Soviet power.
The Soviet government, in order to protect the Soviet state from Kaiser Germany, began organizing regular armed forces. On January 15 (28) January 1918, the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. I. Ulyanov (Lenin) signed a decree "On the organization of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), and on "On the organization of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet" (RKKF).
On February 18, 1918, the Austro-German (there were 39 German divisions) and Turkish troops, violating the truce, which was concluded on December 2 (15), 1917, invaded Soviet Russia and proceeded to occupy Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic states. On February 21, German troops captured Minsk. On this day, the Soviet government addressed the people with the slogan "The Socialist Fatherland is in danger!"
On February 23, 1919, the day of the Red Army was held in Petrograd under the slogan of defending the socialist Fatherland from the "Kaiser troops" (the documents of that time did not use "German" or "German" troops, but only "Kaiser troops"). At a meeting of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Red Army Deputies, dedicated to the anniversary of the creation of the Red Army, the Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (All-Russian Central Executive Committee) Ya. M. Sverdlov made a welcoming speech, emphasizing that the Red Army was created primarily against a foreign enemy. In 1923, in honor of the Day of the Red Army and Navy, an order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic was issued for the first time.
Later, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee decided to combine the anniversaries of the Red Army with another campaign event - the so-called "Red Gift Day". Soon, Pravda informed the workers: "The organization of the Red Gift Day throughout Russia has been postponed to February 23. On this day, the celebration of the anniversary of the creation of the Red Army will be organized in cities and at the front ... ".
And yet, initially February 23 was celebrated as the birthday of the Red Army in honor of the victory near Narva and Pskov over the German troops. The day of the first victory was the birthday of the army. This, as it were, marked her fate for the future. Starting with a victory, since then it has more than once smashed the enemies of our Motherland. There was not a single invader who did not feel the power of her weapons. The army began to be called the Soviet, and then the Russian, and February 23 was annually celebrated in the USSR as a national holiday - the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy, to commemorate the general mobilization of revolutionary forces to defend the socialist Fatherland, as well as the courageous resistance of the Red Army units to the invaders.
After the collapse of the USSR, February 23 was renamed Defender of the Fatherland Day. The State Duma of Russia on February 10, 1995 adopted the federal law"On the days of military glory (victorious days) of Russia", in which this day is called as follows: "February 23 - Day of the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany (1918) - Defender of the Fatherland Day", the same applies to Belarus.
February 23, Defender of the Fatherland Day, which has become a truly popular men's day not only in Russia, but also on the ruins of the once powerful USSR. It is also celebrated in Ukraine, Belarus, Transnistria and Kazakhstan.
How did this red date appear on our calendars? - from the distant 1918 to the present day.
How did February 23rd come about?
For the first time, the anniversary of the newborn Red Army was celebrated in 1919. The February days marked the year of the confrontation between the German troops and the army of the new state being created. Now there are many options for interpreting what happened in February 1918, but it is not our task to plunge into the intricacies of historical intrigues. Therefore, we will focus on the facts that influenced the fact that today February 23 is a truly national holiday:
- For the first time, the holiday acquired its official name in 1922. Then it was called the Day of the Red Army and Navy.
- In 1923, the 5th anniversary of the young Red Army was widely celebrated. And although in fact the Decree on the organization of the Red Army was adopted at a meeting of the Council of People's Commissars on January 28, 1918, it has historically developed a tradition to celebrate the holiday on February 23.
- On February 23, 1938, the anniversary medal "XX Years of the Red Army" was approved, and the holiday became not only official, but also solemn.
- During the Great Patriotic War, February 23 acquired a special meaning. Each family was waiting for news from their relatives and friends from the front, so the Red Army Day was celebrated by everyone. They congratulated their beloved warriors in writing and in absentia and hoped very much that they would return home as soon as possible. It is in those years that the origins of people's love and attention to this date lie.
- During the Great Patriotic War, this holiday was celebrated in a special way. On February 23, 1943, the Red Army defeated the enemy near Stalingrad, turning back the almost 20-month-long German offensive. Exactly one year later, on February 23, 1944, the army of our country celebrated its holiday by crossing the Dnieper. On February 23, 1945, the Red Army already celebrated in Europe. Our country was liberated from fascist invaders.
February 23 era of the USSR
Already after the war since 1949, the holiday was renamed, and February 23 became known as the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy. There is a tradition to celebrate this event solemnly and on a grand scale:
- On this day, military parades were held, fireworks were arranged. Veterans of the army and navy were awarded orders and medals. At first, those who were related to military service were honored, but since during the Soviet era most of the young men served in the army, the holiday gradually became more widespread.
- It is not known who gave the first gift on this day. Most likely, at first these were small souvenirs, memorable gifts, official awards. Already in the second half of the 20th century, a tradition developed to present certificates, honorary medals, and then valuable gifts to those who performed excellent service or distinguished themselves in the performance of their military duty.
- The tradition migrated from the official stands to ordinary families. And on February 23, festive tables were laid, gifts were prepared, and men in work teams were congratulated on the holiday of the Soviet Army and Navy.
- Gradually, the difference between those who served in the army, and those who for some reason avoided it, began to fade. In fact, how to congratulate the staff of the plant? Select only those who served, and send the rest from the solemn meeting dedicated to the holiday? This is how this day began to turn into a universal men's holiday.
Defender of the Fatherland Day or Men's Day?
After the Soviet Union became the property of history, the Day of the Soviet Army was also canceled. This holiday has not been celebrated since 1993.
But Since 1995 we have been celebrating Defender of the Fatherland Day, congratulating not only those who serve in the army and law enforcement agencies, but also those who protect our families every day - fathers, husbands, brothers.
According to the established tradition, congratulations, gifts and refreshments in honor of men are prepared on this day.
It should be noted that attempts have been made more than once to replace February 23 with other dates. So, in Ukraine, the Day of the Armed Forces was introduced, which is celebrated on December 6. Nevertheless, the fraternal Ukrainian people continued to celebrate their favorite date - February 23rd. Since 1999, Defender of the Fatherland Day has been returned to the calendar, to the great satisfaction of Ukrainians.
Since 2006, February 23 has been declared a public holiday in Russia, which only added to its popularity.
Our history is complex and confusing. Over time, any event is interpreted differently, and seen in a different way. But this holiday has long and firmly enjoyed popular love and recognition - Defender of the Fatherland Day, an unofficial men's day, a holiday for men who protect us.
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