Love in Russian
Long weekend ahead again. We will rest for three whole days. And all because 12 June, the country will celebrate a large public holiday - the Day of Russia. In fact, this year this holiday will be celebrated the twentieth time. Kinda - anniversary. For twenty years, starting on 1992, this day in the Russian calendar is marked in red and is the official holiday. But exactly the same time, a holiday, which by all indications should bring joy to people, in fact has not yet received due awareness in society. Let's think about it, 12 of June, the Day of Russia, in fact, is the day of the re-creation of the national state. Yes, this one event should inspire and delight. But there is no joy or enthusiasm in the mass consciousness of society, which is shown and confirmed by perennial and numerous sociological studies. So this year, as before, on holidays, the authorities and society will live separately from each other. State structures will painstakingly demonstrate to us the holiday, with flags on the streets, banquets, awards and official demonstrations of parties close to the authorities and public organizations. And citizens will take advantage of three extra days off to devote them to their business.
Well, and who will say that this is normal when the main national holiday of the country is not perceived by the Russians as such. By the way, this applies equally to a number of other “new” holidays. For example, as National Unity Day, celebrated on November 4. The authorities also mark it separately from the society, the Orthodox believers celebrate in parallel the Day of the Icon of the Kazan Mother of God, and all the rest find their reasons.
I repeat my question. Is this normal for a country where so much is said about the decline of patriotic attitudes in society? Certainly not, not normal. Moreover, it is dangerous, and in the current period, when protest sentiments in society took on certain meeting forms, it is especially dangerous. Because it is not yet possible to speak about the consolidation of society, about true national unity. And the holiday dates mentioned by me do not become yet instruments of their strengthening.
Why it happens? I can, to what extent, agree with the opinion that the same holiday, the Day of Russia, has a somewhat negative connotation in terms of stories his creation. It became a particularly celebrated date in 1992, after 12 of June 1990, the first Congress of People’s Deputies of the RSFSR, adopted the “Declaration of State Sovereignty of the RSFSR”. This decision was adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. And then they believed, and today there is the same opinion that it was the Declaration that initiated the disintegration of the Soviet Union, which is still very painfully perceived by the Russians. Perhaps, realizing this, the elected, by the way, the same 12 of June, but already 1991, the first president of Russia Boris Yeltsin in 1998 offered to rename the holiday in the “Day of Russia”.
I do not argue, all participants in the process related to the birth of the holiday date - both the Declaration itself, the Supreme Council and the first president of Russia are perceived in society, to put it mildly, ambiguous. But, on the other hand, twenty years have passed, by historical standards - a whole generation grew up with then. The whole husk was to be sifted out, leaving only one bright grain - a revival of the Russian state occurred, and a new stage of its historical existence began. But that did not happen. And I think that the blame here lies primarily on the Russian political elite.
For twenty years, domestic politicians of all generations have been publicly discussing the events of those years. Some see a positive aspect in them, the majority (perhaps because it is fashionable) are negative. Of course, it was rightly said that "who has no nostalgia for the USSR, he has no heart." But after all, this phrase had a sequel, which many politicians forget: "and the one who dreams of his rebirth has no mind."
So is it not time to turn on the mind, end disputes and agree on the assessment of events, finally putting all the necessary political accents. What can ordinary citizens have to do with the country's main national holiday, if the political elite, raising the glasses at the official banquet tables on all levels of power in honor of the Russian Day holiday, in their comments mostly condemns the events that gave rise to it? Rhetorical question, because the answer is obvious. And its citizens have long given it, referring to a memorable date, mainly as an additional day off. But only.
I would be glad to finish my comment on this. But I can’t, because behind all the above, there is a very painful problem for Russia: educating citizens of patriotism. For quite a long time, at least a decade, from various high and not very tribunes it has been said about the existing and progressive moral degradation of moral and moral foundations in society, disregard for the culture and history of our country with great feats of ancestors, the basics of religion and religious culture, etc. d. etc. The concepts were developed, as is customary, the programs were adopted today almost the third one in effect. And what? According to the results of sociological research, such a concept as love for the Motherland is not among the Russians even in the top ten priority spiritual values.
There is nothing surprising. In the philosophical dictionary, patriotism is defined as a moral and political principle, a social feeling, the content of which is love for the fatherland, devotion to it, pride in its past and present, the desire to protect the interests of the motherland. But where does all this come from, even if its citizens perceive the main state holiday of the country, at least with bewilderment.
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