November 4th is a symbolical date for Russian citizens. Not only does it remind them about the Polish invasion and then expel during the 17th century, but most importantly, it consecrates national cohesion as it is officially called “Day of Russian Unity”.
According to Mr. Shelin – a Russian blogger and analyst for Rosbalt - this celebration holds a paradoxical character, particularly because of the increasing gap between “top and down” social classes. He analyses this popular feast and its political implications.
The controversial celebration of November 4th is feeding rumors that are rapidly spreading and provoke confusion among the public opinion. Some of them say that Russian Unity Day was performed for the last time this year, and might be soon renamed into the “Day of Crimea”. Others predict that March 18th (the actual Day of Crimea) might become the new date of Unity Day.
Even though the factual grounds of these rumors can be disputed, Mr. Shelin believes that both of them are plausible scenarios: according to him, this would represent a “soft alternative” to other government’s projects – which existence is also mainly based on hearsay – i.e. the annexation of Byelorussia and/or Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation. The simple change of a name and date of a national holiday would be, in this perspective, a realistic and logical step. It would have almost the same ideological strength in terms of glorifying Russian power and foreign influence, and would not cause that much problems as an eventual annexation.
However, today this national day doesn’t seem to be such a great feast prepared by the population, and not characterized by meetings, cultural shows and marches. This is linked to the fact that the celebration itself is gradually becoming obsolete. And according to the author, this loss of popularity is not linked to the fact that nothing special happened on that precise date in 1612, when the Polish forces were expelled. Neither is it because people understood that it was a way to overshadow the Revolution celebration of October 7th.
This results in a much deeper reason. This feast is a tribute to Kuzma Minin and Prince Pozharsky: the two characters who fought against the Polish as volunteers in the Russian army. However, they belonged to respectively the lower classes of the population, and to the nobility. Therefore we could say that Russian unity Day is a tribute to the union of these two categories that were not normally supposed to cross their paths.
Mr. Shelin identifies the same gap, the same social division in the modern Russian society as they existed at the times of Minin and Pozharsky. The masses are taking conscience of the archaic model their community is based on, often qualifying it of “feudalism”. The polarization between the “nobility” and the rest of the population is too obvious, and does not allow any union to happen. This is why the November 4th has become meaningless: people do not recognize its root causes.
The contrast between the shameless luxury of the oligarchs and the recent pension’s reform for the modern proletariat is the source of discontent. The idea that the lower classes have to bear the cost of the higher classes’ comfort is perpendicular to the idea of National Unity in its core meaning.
Finally, it is paradoxical that the Day of Russia is not commented at all, whereas the Day of Russian Unity raises so many questions… maybe because there is no unity?
Photo credit; ORIENTAL REVIEW.
According to Mr. Shelin – a Russian blogger and analyst for Rosbalt - this celebration holds a paradoxical character, particularly because of the increasing gap between “top and down” social classes. He analyses this popular feast and its political implications.
The controversial celebration of November 4th is feeding rumors that are rapidly spreading and provoke confusion among the public opinion. Some of them say that Russian Unity Day was performed for the last time this year, and might be soon renamed into the “Day of Crimea”. Others predict that March 18th (the actual Day of Crimea) might become the new date of Unity Day.
Even though the factual grounds of these rumors can be disputed, Mr. Shelin believes that both of them are plausible scenarios: according to him, this would represent a “soft alternative” to other government’s projects – which existence is also mainly based on hearsay – i.e. the annexation of Byelorussia and/or Kazakhstan to the Russian Federation. The simple change of a name and date of a national holiday would be, in this perspective, a realistic and logical step. It would have almost the same ideological strength in terms of glorifying Russian power and foreign influence, and would not cause that much problems as an eventual annexation.
However, today this national day doesn’t seem to be such a great feast prepared by the population, and not characterized by meetings, cultural shows and marches. This is linked to the fact that the celebration itself is gradually becoming obsolete. And according to the author, this loss of popularity is not linked to the fact that nothing special happened on that precise date in 1612, when the Polish forces were expelled. Neither is it because people understood that it was a way to overshadow the Revolution celebration of October 7th.
This results in a much deeper reason. This feast is a tribute to Kuzma Minin and Prince Pozharsky: the two characters who fought against the Polish as volunteers in the Russian army. However, they belonged to respectively the lower classes of the population, and to the nobility. Therefore we could say that Russian unity Day is a tribute to the union of these two categories that were not normally supposed to cross their paths.
Mr. Shelin identifies the same gap, the same social division in the modern Russian society as they existed at the times of Minin and Pozharsky. The masses are taking conscience of the archaic model their community is based on, often qualifying it of “feudalism”. The polarization between the “nobility” and the rest of the population is too obvious, and does not allow any union to happen. This is why the November 4th has become meaningless: people do not recognize its root causes.
The contrast between the shameless luxury of the oligarchs and the recent pension’s reform for the modern proletariat is the source of discontent. The idea that the lower classes have to bear the cost of the higher classes’ comfort is perpendicular to the idea of National Unity in its core meaning.
Finally, it is paradoxical that the Day of Russia is not commented at all, whereas the Day of Russian Unity raises so many questions… maybe because there is no unity?
Photo credit; ORIENTAL REVIEW.
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