TASS-FACTBOX. Russia Day is a national holiday in the Russian Federation celebrated annually on June 12. In accordance with the Russian Labor Code, it is an official public holiday.
On June 12, 1990, the 1st Congress of People’s Deputies of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR, part of the Soviet Union) adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR. The document declared the primacy of the Constitution and the laws of the Russian republic over the Soviet Union’s legislation, establishing equal rights for all citizens, political parties and non-governmental organizations, the principle of separation of powers into three branches, namely the legislative, executive and judicial, and the necessity to substantially expand the rights of the regions. The document also stated that the Declaration is the basis to frame a new constitution. In all, 907 deputies voted to adopt the document, 13 voted against it, while 9 abstained. Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Boris Yeltsin signed the Declaration (on June 12, 1991, he was elected President of the RSFSR).
On June 11, 1992, the Supreme Soviet of Russia published a decree designating June 12 as a public holiday. On September 25, 1992, the corresponding amendments were introduced into the Russian Labor Code.
