Day of Harmony and Reconciliation (celebrated from 1996 to 2004 and was a day off in the Russian Federation)

The October Revolution, which took place on October 25 (November 7, new style), radically changed the economic and political structure of the country. The corresponding decree carried out social transformations - estates and civil ranks were destroyed, and with them the existing privileges and restrictions. Throughout the existence of the Soviet Union, November 7 and 8, the Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, were days off. After the collapse of the USSR, the holiday began to be called the Day of Harmony and Reconciliation in Russia. It was celebrated in 1996-2004. The solemn date remained on the calendar thanks to the decree of President B.N. Yeltsin. For Russian citizens, the 90s, the times of wild accumulation of capital and plunder of the country, its natural resources, intellectual and economic heritage of the USSR, became a test of strength. The sharp gap between rich and poor led to social tension. According to the authorities, the renaming of the holiday was carried out “in order to soften the confrontation and reconcile various strata of Russian society.” The celebration was supposed to help achieve agreement between people who believed that the Soviet Union was the greatest power in the world, and its collapse was a huge mistake, and those who shared the change in course from socialism to capitalism. The USSR will forever remain a country that defeated fascism and conquered space, which achieved a lot in the social sphere: citizens were provided with free housing, medical care and education. The achievements of the Soviet Union cannot be begged, representatives of the Communist Party and their supporters are convinced. The formation of a society that exists in the interests of workers and peasants, industrialization, the creation of a scientific and technical base for the development of industry and other sectors of the national economy became possible after the revolution of 1917. Therefore, it is logical and natural, in memory of the achievements of the ancestors who built such a powerful power, to celebrate the appearance of world map of the country of the Soviets. The liberal-minded part of Russian society in the 90s believed that the USSR, as a totalitarian state, should be ostracized and forgotten. Arguments in favor of refusing to celebrate the Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution included famine during collectivization, Stalinist repressions, deportation of small nations, persecution of dissidents and other tragic events that claimed the lives of millions of people. Representatives of various political movements, liberal economists, communists and nationalists, as well as their supporters, could not reach a consensus. Therefore B.N. In November 1996, Yeltsin signed a decree changing the name of the national holiday, leaving it in the calendar of solemn dates in memory of a significant event in the history of Russia. Today, November 7, is celebrated by people whose best years of life occurred during the times of the Soviet Union - a great power in which there was a lot of good and a lot of bad, but which this did not stop them considering as their Motherland.