Аннотация:The 7th of November (October 25 in the Old Style/Julian calendar) — the day of the Great October Socialist Revolution — was celebrated as a National Day in the Soviet Russia/USSR from 1918 till 1991. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the revolutionary background of this date has consistently been watered down by Russia’s succeeding governments with other connotations being intensively invoked and activated at the official level. Since 1992, the National Day has been celebrated on June 12, timed to the date in 1990 when the ‘Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Federation’ was adopted. The status of the 7th of November has thus changed: in 1995, it was named the ‘Day of Military Glory’ in commemoration of the historical parade held in Moscow at the Red Square on November 7, 1941. In 1996–2004, it had an official status of the ‘Day of Accord and Reconciliation’. In 2005, the date ceased to be a public holiday because November 4 was introduced as the ‘National Unity Day/Consolidation Day’ in order to divert attention from the controversies of the Revolution Day still celebrated by quite a number of Russian citizens. Considering the significance of the 7th of November in peoples’ memory and the importance of promoting patriotic feelings for nation-building, Russia’s authorities pay homage to the 7th of November as the day of 1941 parade, which boosted the morale of the Soviet troops and greatly contributed to their success in the subsequent World War II battles. Drawing on the memory politics theory, the chapter discusses the evolution of November 7 celebrations in post-Soviet Russia and the way this date is currently perceived by people of different age groups.
