February 23, how this holiday appeared. The history of the holiday - Defender of the Fatherland Day (February 23)
How to tell children what this holiday is and why it is celebrated? I want to say right away that the answer to this question is ambiguous.
No matter how the history of this holiday develops, for our country today it is considered a holiday of real and future men - defenders of the Fatherland. We congratulate our dads, grandfathers, uncles, boys on this valiant holiday. Nevertheless, this holiday is rightfully celebrated by women who serve in military units, in hospitals, and in reserve. After all, defending the Fatherland is everyone's business!
February 23- a holiday of courage, courage, courage and courage! Even a little boy can be a protector. Let it not yet be the Fatherland, but to protect the weak, the defenseless is a very important matter. Helping mom and dad with household chores, moving an elderly person across the road, protecting the weak is not a task for a weakling, but for a real man.
So what is the history of this holiday?
The emergence of this holiday is associated with the formation in Soviet times of the Red Army, which was assembled to fight the Kaiser's Germany (German Empire). In the winter of 1918, the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA, January 28) and the Workers' and Peasants' Red Fleet (RKKF, February 13) were created. Workers who voluntarily expressed a desire to serve in the ranks of the armed defenders of the Fatherland were accepted into the Red Army and the Red Navy. The decree on creation was signed by V.I. Lenin. The purpose of the creation was, rather, agitational nature.
The holiday was first celebrated a year later in 1919. In the 1918-1919s. the Soviet army was in poverty and needed food and clothing, so the people collected parcels from necessary things. Such a collection of things served as an occasion to officially celebrate a new revolutionary holiday - RED GIFT DAY.
In 1919, they remembered the creation of the Red Army and the RKKF in 1818 and decided to celebrate the anniversary at the same time along with the Red Gift Holiday. The date fell on a working day in February, so the celebration was decided to be postponed to the first nearest day off. This day was February 23, as reported by the Pravda newspaper.
In 1920 and 1921 the holiday was not celebrated. They remembered him only in 1922. The chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council, Trotsky, arranged a military parade on Red Square that day, thus laying the foundation for the tradition of an annual nationwide celebration.
For a long time it was believed that on February 23, 1918, Soviet troops defeated the German invaders near Pskov and Narva. But the chronicles say otherwise. In 1918 there were no serious wars, let alone victorious ones. On the contrary, in February 1918, our troops ceded the cities of Pskov and Narva to a few German detachments without a fight, as evidenced by the newspapers. Nevertheless, there could be no negative examples in the minds of the Soviet people, and with light hand I.V. Stalin, our flight turned into a victory, and the glory of the Russian army became indestructible.
Since 1923, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, February 23 was annually celebrated as the Day of the Red Army.
Since 1946, the holiday has been called the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.
In February 1995, the State Duma of Russia adopted the federal law "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia", in which this day is named as follows: " February 23 - Victory Day of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany in 1918 - Defender of the Fatherland Day».
In 2002, the holiday officially became a non-working day.
On March 24, 2006, the State Duma decided to exclude from the official description of the holiday in the law the words "Day of the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany (1918)". And it's understandable why.
You have the right to tell your child about the origin of the holiday in your own way.
It would probably be more justified Defender of the Fatherland Day to celebrate on a more memorable day for our country, when the Russian people showed in practice how we can defend our Motherland. How many victories were in Rus'! Nevertheless, we still need such a holiday. And today we celebrate it on February 23, we celebrate it not as the birthday of the Red Army, but as the Day of real men who are ready and able to defend us and our Motherland.
In Russia, before the Bolshevik coup of 1917, it was traditionally considered the Day of the Russian Army holidaySt. George the Patron of the Russian Army, Russian soldiers.
Other men's holidays:
- International men's day- the first Saturday of November (adopted by M.S. Gorbachev)
- Day of Heroes of the Fatherland- December 9, celebrated since January 25, 2007
- fathers day- an annual holiday in honor of the fathers, celebrated in many countries (Sunday June 3). In Russia, they want to make this holiday on the 2nd Sunday of June.
The history of Defender of the Fatherland Day is an integral part of the history of our country. This real holiday real men who at any moment are ready to stand up in defense of their homeland.
January 15 (January 28, new style), 1918, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR issued a decree on the creation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. German and Austro-Hungarian troops advanced. Encountering almost no resistance, they easily occupied such cities as Pskov, Revel, Minsk, Narva. By mid-February, the situation on the fronts was catastrophic. It seemed that only a miracle could save the young proletarian country.
On February 23, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars publishes an appeal to the people "The socialist fatherland is in danger." One day later, the appeal of the military commander-in-chief N. Krylenko appears, calling on everyone to rise to arms in order to defend the revolution. A general mobilization and mass enrollment in the Red Army begins, which, at last, is trying to resist the German troops. On March 3, 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed. The young Soviet republic was able to defend its right to exist.
Why is Defender of the Fatherland Day celebrated on February 23?
There is no single opinion. According to the official version, on February 23, the Red Army won the first victory over the German troops near Pskov. But, nevertheless, another version looks more plausible. On January 10, two weeks before the first anniversary of the creation of the Red Army (January 28), N. Podvoisky, Chairman of the Higher Military Inspectorate of the Red Army, filed a petition to declare this date Red Army Day. His request was considered with some delay. Therefore, it was decided to combine the day of the Red Army with another revolutionary holiday - Red Gift Day, which was scheduled for February 17th. But in 1919, February 17 fell on a Monday, a working day. And the holiday was one-time postponed to the nearest Sunday, February 23. But... "there is nothing more permanent than temporary." Defender of the Fatherland Day has been celebrated on February 23 for almost 100 years!
In fairness, it must be said that Defender of the Fatherland Day acquired official status only in 1922. On January 27 of this year, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee issued a decree on the solemn celebration of the Red Army Day on February 23. In the USSR, the holiday was called the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.
Traditions of Defender of the Fatherland Day
The traditions of Defender of the Fatherland Day are no less rich than its history. This is the main "male" holiday, which is no less popular and loved than International Women's Day. Of course, over the years it has significantly lost its political and paramilitary coloring. And this is great, because on this day it is customary to congratulate all men, young and old. Congratulate your dear defenders, no matter how old they are, whether they serve in the army or are engaged in peaceful work. Tell them kind words, wish them happiness and health. Our men totally deserve it!
Men's Day. February 23 is a short history of the holiday. An event that has been significant since the times of the USSR and familiar in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus.
The year of the creation of the Red Army is 1919. The young state had just come into being, but was already confronting the German troops.
By 1922, the holiday was officially called the Day of the Red Army and Navy. And a year later, the first 5 years since its founding were celebrated on a grand scale.
Until the 22nd year, the holiday was not remembered and celebrated.
If you are preparing material - on February 23, the history of the holiday is brief for children, then tell us that the significance of the date intensified during the years of the war - the Great Patriotic War. Everyone had someone in the war, they were waiting for news from him, and in this expectation, it was on February 23 that he became a stronghold of hope. Folk love to date strengthened in those difficult times.
- 02.1943 - a landmark battle near Stalingrad;
- 02.1944 - crossing of the Dnieper;
- 02.1945 - Red Army in Europe.
February 23, Defender of the Fatherland Day: the history of the holiday in the years of the USSR
Since 1949, the official name of the holiday has changed - the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy.
Remembering the experience, the winter day became truly special. Now they celebrated not a state date, but a celebration on a grand scale - parades and fireworks. Veterans were awarded honorary attention, orders and medals.
At first, it was the military that were in the spotlight, but the war was left behind and now everyone who served in the army was worthy of celebrating the holiday as their own. Since then, men's day has spread more widely.
There is no historical evidence as to why it is customary to give gifts on this day. Rather, it is a tradition stemming from the desire to somehow mark the day itself. Bouquets were brought to veterans, poems and events were dedicated. Now these honors have been replaced by gifts and surprises.
February 23 has become a universal men's day, because there are almost no borders between those who served and those who did not serve. It is customary for us to give attention to all men, even the smallest, as future defenders of the country.
Years go by, the Soviet Union is no more, as well as the Red Army. But the hearts of people resist, not wanting to forget that special day in the history of the USSR. In Russia, February 23 has been officially named Defender of the Fatherland Day since 1995. On this day, all men deserve attention - brothers, husbands, fathers, grandfathers.
As you can already see, February 23 - the history of the holiday briefly shows that over the course of a century this day has undergone a significant transformation, but its purpose has remained fundamentally - to glorify the defenders.
The history of the holiday on February 23 is full of incidents and contradictions. On January 28, 1918, a decree of the Council of People's Commissars was adopted on the creation of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. At the end of February 1918, just 4 months after the October Revolution, the Germans, with whom Russia was then fighting in the framework of World War I, launched an offensive on the eastern front, and the Red Army was just beginning to form. German troops occupied Russian cities without any resistance, the first detachments of the Red Army scattered in all directions, throwing their weapons. Lenin, in his article of February 25, stated that the young Soviet Republic simply did not have an army. The ultimatum of the Germans about the defeat of Russia in the war and the conclusion of the Brest Peace was pushed through for acceptance by Lenin at a meeting of the Council of People's Commissars, and already on March 3, on the conditions put forward by Germany, the Brest Peace was signed, according to which the Germans retreated significant territories of Russia and Ukraine.
Later, to justify the choice of the date for the holiday, Soviet historians invented the myth of alleged resistance to the Germans by the nascent Red Army. In fact, the pockets of resistance were so small that it is not necessary to talk about the existence of a combat-ready army in Soviet Russia as of February 1918.
A year later, in January 1919, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee established the so-called Red Gift Day - a day when workers were supposed to give gifts to the soldiers who defended them. The holiday was decided to be held on February 17th. But since February 17 fell on a Monday this year, it was decided to organize Red Gift Day on the nearest Sunday, February 23. For the next 2 years, the holiday was forgotten due to the unfolding civil war. Since 1922, the Day of the Red, and later the Soviet Army, has been regularly celebrated in the USSR.
Over time, the holiday from a purely military one turns into a general one. On February 23, it was customary in the USSR to give cards and gifts to all men, regardless of their level of training as soldiers. Since 2002, February 23 is an official non-working day and is called Defender of the Fatherland Day.
Today is July 23, 2019. Do you know what holiday is today?
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Happy holiday! Photo: ukraine.ui.ua
The history of the holiday is a mystery shrouded in darkness. Historians interpret the origin of this holiday in different ways. It was believed that on this day, in 1918, the Red Army defeated the troops of the Kaiser's army near Narva and Pskov - a communist myth that lived for more than eighty years! Communist propaganda has planted it so firmly in our minds that we never even wonder why the birthday of the army is celebrated on this day?
Vladimir Gorelov, historian, employee of the National Military History Museum of Ukraine, notes that there were indeed battles near Pskov, but the Red Army did not exist then. In 1918, there was a difficult situation on the fronts of the country. The troops of Kaiser's Germany violated the truce and launched an offensive along the entire eastern front. The Council of People's Commissars had to turn to the people with an appeal: "All to arms. The revolution is in danger!" There was no army at that time.
Trying to please the communist government, historians decided to "record" the date as the day of the first victory of the Red Army over the Germans near Pskov and Narva. But that day there were no fights at all. But in February in those years, another holiday was celebrated - Red Gift Day. It was a holiday in honor of the day the army was created. Then this holiday was canceled, establishing the Defender of the Fatherland Day. So the day of February 23 turned into a holiday. Since 1922, February 23 has been considered a holiday of the Red Army and Navy.
At present, it is probably not so much the whole "inside story" of February 23 that is important, but the very existence of the holiday, dedicated to the defenders our Fatherland. Unlike Soviet times, when the "men's" holiday was not a day off, and on the women's day the whole country rested, today the "discrimination" of the stronger sex is over, and has become a real holiday - another red day of the calendar.
Based on materials: epochtimes.ru, podarok.ru.
In the first year of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the holiday on February 23 was also celebrated. Not happy, but still ... During that terrible war, everyone who worked in the rear or fought at the front received congratulations. And there were two and a half times more women in the rear among the defenders of the fatherland. And after the Victory over the Nazi army, on February 23, 1946, there was really a real first holiday. On the day of February 23, it is customary in our country to congratulate all men, regardless of age, on the "Defender of the Fatherland Day". This holiday has become something like " men's day March 8" and our men are used to receiving gifts and congratulations on this day. However, the history of the emergence of this holiday is complex and confusing. The history of the creation and even the origin of the date "February 23" are shrouded in a veil of secrecy. Probably no one doubts that behind every the red day of the calendar is a real, outstanding event that once had a fateful character for the country.Unfortunately, there are practically no people who remember the events of the early twentieth century, and history textbooks can not always be trusted. was celebrated as the birthday of the Red Army in honor of the victory near Narva and Pskov over the German troops. It should be noted that the newspapers of the end of February 1918 do not contain special publications about the victory. They did not talk about the anniversary of the victory and a year later - in 1919. Only in 1922 -m, February 23 was declared "Red Army Day". Later, February 23 was annually celebrated in the USSR as a national holiday - "The Day of the Soviet Army and Navy in commemoration of the general mobilization of revolutionary forces to defend the socialist Fatherland, as well as the courageous resistance of the Red Army troops Invading armies." But archives have been preserved that testify to a completely different origin of this holiday. Back in 1933, the first Soviet Marshal Kliment Voroshilov had his doubts about the choice of the date February 23. In the Pravda newspaper, he wrote: "... the timing of the celebration of the anniversary of the Red Army (Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army) on February 23 is rather random and difficult to explain and does not coincide with historical dates." The writer Alexander Stepanov, the author of Port Arthur, having access to the archives, found out that on February 23, 1918, there were no battles near Narva and Pskov at all! This was the case. Pskov changed hands several times. On this direction fighting began on the evening of February 23. The advanced units of the Germans tried to break through the defense of the Bolsheviks on the move. Only under the cover of fire from an armored train and large-caliber guns did the Germans manage to break through on the evening of February 24 to the Pskov-1 station. On February 28, the Germans captured Pskov. Of course, there can be no talk of any high-profile victories of our weapons near Pskov, and even more so near Narva. In addition, the Red Army itself did not yet exist, and clashes with German units near Narva began only on March 3. So there can be no talk of any victorious actions on the part of the Red Army these days. Where did the holiday date of February 23 come from? And here is the explanation: in addition to all the revolutionary events of the beginning of the last century, only in 1918 did our country finally switch from the old style of chronology to the new one, that is, from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Most of the countries of Western Europe have lived according to the new style since the middle of the 16th century, while Russia and the countries of the Eastern Orthodox orientation continued to live according to the Julian calendar. Now we are saying that the October Revolution took place on November 7 according to the Gregorian calendar, while in Russia in 1917 this day was October 25. On March 8, 1911, in the revolutionary circles of Germany and Austria, at the suggestion of Clara Zetkin, the Day of the Revolutionary Woman was held for the first time. A couple of years later, the circle of those celebrating this holiday was replenished by Russia, which at that time lived according to the old style. What day was in our country when in Europe in 1913 they celebrated March 8? We answer - it was February 23. Thus, for 5 years, until 1918, Women's Day was celebrated in Russia on February 23! The Pravda newspaper wrote in 1917: "Long before the war, the proletarian International designated February 23 as International women's holiday". On January 25, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a resolution on the transition to a new calendar. The first day after January 31, 1918 was considered not February 1, but February 14. The day of the October Revolution, the first years after the transition, out of habit, was celebrated on October 25 - according to the old style, and November 7 - in a new way. And what was to be done with Revolutionary Day, since all of Europe celebrated it on March 8? In Russia they also began to celebrate it in March, but reflexively February 23 continued to be associated with something revolutionary. Decree on Organization The Red Army was signed by the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Lenin on January 15 (28), 1918. Proposals to establish the Day of the Red Army were born almost with it. public holiday, but about a one-time, purely promotional event. 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 working people: "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 the cities and at the front." And a few years later, only in 1922, mindful of the "unoccupied" February date, February 23 was declared Red Army Day. In 1995, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted the Law "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia", which prescribed that February 23 be celebrated as Defender of the Fatherland Day in honor of the day of the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany in 1918. It is obvious that most of the deputies studied from textbooks, which contained the very wording we mentioned about the victorious battles near Narva and Pskov. However, lines from latest edition the textbook on the history of the CPSU from 1962, it seems, the deputies did not remember. In it, an absurd mistake had already been corrected and the phrase sounded like this: “The days of the mobilization of the revolutionary forces of the people and the heroic defense by the Red Army of the gains of the October Socialist Revolution from the invasion of the hordes of German imperialism became the birthdays of the Red Army. In memory of this great feat of the Armed Forces of the Soviet people, February 23 is celebrated annually in the Soviet country as the Day of the Red Army. At present, the citizens of Russia are probably not so much interested in the whole "inside story" of February 23, but in the very existence of a holiday dedicated to the defenders of our Fatherland. Unlike Soviet times, when the "men's" holiday was not a day off, and on the women's day the whole country rested, today the "discrimination" of the stronger sex is over, and February 23 has become a real holiday - another red day of the calendar.
© Redday.ru On February 23, it is customary in our country to congratulate all men, regardless of age, on the "Defender of the Fatherland Day". This holiday has become something like "men's day on March 8" and our men are used to receiving gifts and congratulations on this day. However, the history of this holiday is complex and confusing. The history of creation and even the origin of the date "February 23" are shrouded in a veil of secrecy. Probably, no one doubts that behind every red day of the calendar there is a real, outstanding event that was once fateful for the country. Unfortunately, there are practically no people left who remember the events of the early 20th century, and it is far from always possible to trust history textbooks. For a long time it was considered that the day of February 23 was celebrated as the birthday of the Red Army in honor of the victory near Narva and Pskov over the German troops. It should be noted that the newspapers of the end of February 1918 do not contain any special publications about the victory. They did not talk about the anniversary of the victory and a year later - in 1919. Only in 1922, February 23, was declared the "Day of the Red Army". Later, February 23 was celebrated annually in the USSR as a national holiday - "The Day of the Soviet Army and Navy in commemoration of 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." But archives have been preserved that testify to a completely different origin of this holiday. Back in 1933, the first Soviet Marshal Kliment Voroshilov had his doubts about the choice of the date February 23. In the Pravda newspaper, he wrote: "... the timing of the celebration of the anniversary of the Red Army (Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army) on February 23 is rather random and difficult to explain and does not coincide with historical dates." The writer Alexander Stepanov, the author of Port Arthur, having access to the archives, found out that on February 23, 1918, there were no battles near Narva and Pskov at all! This was the case. Pskov changed hands several times. In this direction, hostilities began on the evening of February 23. The advanced units of the Germans tried to break through the defense of the Bolsheviks on the move. Only under the cover of fire from an armored train and large-caliber guns did the Germans manage to break through on the evening of February 24 to the Pskov-1 station. On February 28, the Germans captured Pskov. Of course, there can be no talk of any high-profile victories of our weapons near Pskov, and even more so near Narva. In addition, the Red Army itself did not yet exist, and clashes with German units near Narva began only on March 3. So there can be no talk of any victorious actions on the part of the Red Army these days. Where did the holiday date of February 23 come from? And here is the explanation: in addition to all the revolutionary events of the beginning of the last century, only in 1918 did our country finally switch from the old style of chronology to the new one, that is, from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Most of the countries of Western Europe have lived according to the new style since the middle of the 16th century, while Russia and the countries of the Eastern Orthodox orientation continued to live according to the Julian calendar. Now we are saying that the October Revolution took place on November 7 according to the Gregorian calendar, while in Russia in 1917 this day was October 25. On March 8, 1911, in the revolutionary circles of Germany and Austria, at the suggestion of Clara Zetkin, the Day of the Revolutionary Woman was held for the first time. A couple of years later, the circle of those celebrating this holiday was replenished by Russia, which at that time lived according to the old style. What day was in our country when in Europe in 1913 they celebrated March 8? We answer - it was February 23. Thus, for 5 years, until 1918, Women's Day was celebrated in Russia on February 23! The Pravda newspaper wrote in 1917: "Long before the war, the proletarian International designated February 23 as International Women's Day." On January 25, 1918, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a resolution on the transition to a new calendar. The first day after January 31, 1918 began to be considered not February 1, but February 14. The Day of the October Revolution in the first years after the transition, out of habit, was celebrated on October 25 - according to the old style, and on November 7 - according to the new one. And what was to be done with the Day of the Revolutionary, since the whole of Europe celebrated it on March 8? In Russia, they also began to celebrate it in March, but reflexively, February 23 continued to be associated with something revolutionary. The decree on the organization of the Red Army was signed by the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Lenin on January 15 (28), 1918. Proposals to establish the Day of the Red Army were born almost with it. True, it was not about a state holiday, but about a one-time, purely propaganda event. 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 working people: "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 the cities and at the front." And a few years later, only in 1922, mindful of the "unoccupied" February date, February 23 was declared Red Army Day. In 1995, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted the Law "On the Days of Military Glory of Russia", which prescribed that February 23 be celebrated as Defender of the Fatherland Day in honor of the day of the victory of the Red Army over the Kaiser troops of Germany in 1918. It is obvious that most of the deputies studied from textbooks, which contained the very wording we mentioned about the victorious battles near Narva and Pskov. However, the deputies did not seem to remember the lines from the last edition of the textbook on the history of the CPSU from 1962. In it, an absurd mistake had already been corrected and the phrase sounded like this: “The days of the mobilization of the revolutionary forces of the people and the heroic defense by the Red Army of the gains of the October Socialist Revolution from the invasion of the hordes of German imperialism became the birthdays of the Red Army. In memory of this great feat of the Armed Forces of the Soviet people, February 23 is celebrated annually in the Soviet country as the Day of the Red Army. At present, the citizens of Russia are probably not so much interested in the whole "inside story" of February 23, but in the very existence of a holiday dedicated to the defenders of our Fatherland. Unlike Soviet times, when the "men's" holiday was not a day off, and on the women's day the whole country rested, today the "discrimination" of the stronger sex is over, and February 23 has become a real holiday - another red day of the calendar.
