Unity Day in Russia (November 4): History & Meaning

Unity Day (Den narodnogo edinstva, День народного единства) is a public holiday in Russia celebrated on November 4. It commemorates the liberation of Moscow from Polish-Lithuanian occupation in 1612, at the end of the period known as the Time of Troubles.

Overview
Date	November 4 every year
Russian name	День народного единства (Day of National Unity)
Commemorates	Expulsion of Polish-Lithuanian forces from Moscow, 1612
Heroes	Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky
Public holiday since	2005
Same day	Feast of the Our Lady of Kazan icon in the Russian Orthodox Church

The Time of Troubles

After the death of Tsar Feodor I in 1598 ended the Rurik dynasty, Russia fell into years of famine, civil war, impostors claiming the throne and foreign intervention. Polish-Lithuanian troops occupied Moscow in 1610. A merchant from Nizhny Novgorod, Kuzma Minin, raised money and volunteers, and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky led the people’s militia. In late 1612 they freed the Kremlin. In 1613, Mikhail Romanov was elected tsar, founding the Romanov dynasty.

Why November 4 Became a Holiday

For decades, Russia celebrated November 7, the anniversary of the 1917 October Revolution. In 2004, the State Duma moved the national holiday to November 4, and the first Unity Day was celebrated in 2005. The monument to Minin and Pozharsky, erected in 1818, stands on Red Square in front of St. Basil’s Cathedral.

How the Day Is Marked

• Wreath-laying at the Minin and Pozharsky monument in Moscow.
• Concerts, festivals and cultural events across the country.
• Church services for the feast of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God.
• A long weekend for many families.

👉 Also in early November: Panama Independence Day — November 3

Minin and Pozharsky: The Heroes of 1612

Hero	Who he was	Role
Kuzma Minin	A meat merchant and elected elder of Nizhny Novgorod	Called on citizens to give a third of their wealth to raise a people’s army
Prince Dmitry Pozharsky	An experienced military commander	Led the militia that freed Moscow and the Kremlin

Their famous monument by sculptor Ivan Martos, unveiled in 1818, was the first major sculpture in Moscow honouring heroes from the people as well as the nobility. A copy stands in Nizhny Novgorod, where the militia was formed.

Key Dates of the Time of Troubles

Year	Event
1598	Death of Tsar Feodor I ends the Rurikid line
1601–1603	Great famine kills a large part of the population
1605–1606	False Dmitry I briefly rules in Moscow
1610	Polish-Lithuanian forces enter Moscow
1611–1612	People’s militia formed in Nizhny Novgorod
November 1612	The Kremlin is liberated
1613	Mikhail Romanov elected tsar

Why the Date Is November 4

The liberation of Moscow was completed in late October 1612 by the old Julian calendar, which corresponds to early November in the modern Gregorian calendar. November 4 was also already an important church feast — the day of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, which the militia carried and credited with their victory.

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