Russia has existed, in various forms, for well over 1.000 years. But the story of the present-day Russian Federation begins exactly 27 years ago, on June 12, 1990. That day the First Congress of People’s Deputies of Russia passes the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, which proclaimed the sovereignty of the Russian SFSR and the intention to establish a democratic constitutional state within a liberalized Soviet Union. The country’s new name, the Russian Federation, was adopted about a year and a half later, on December 25, 1991, and the following day the Soviet Union formally ceased to exist.
Russia Day (Russian: День России, Den’ Rossii) has been celebrated annually on June 12 since 1992. It is undeniable that not everyone in Russia cherishes the end of the Soviet Union like we tend to do in “the West”, but, especially amongst the younger generation there is a strong sense of pride in being Russian, and the national flag, albeit not as ubiquitous as the “Stars and stripes” in the USA is very popular.
To me the most remarkable fact was that the “move” from the Soviet Union to the CIS (and, more importantly, from soviet-communism to market economy) happened with very little to almost no bloodshed whatsoever, in spite of being one of the most significant revolutions of the XX century.
Most important of all, if the above mentioned events had not taken place, I would most likely never have been able to meet, let alone marry, my wonderful Russian wife Anastasia and today I would not be freely writing this blog as a foreigner living in Russia.
So, HAPPY RUSSIA DAY, everyone!
Russia Through The Lens 