Happy Defender of the Fatherland Day!
Today Russia celebrates its men, Soviet-style
In Russia, February 23 is a national holiday. And like many Russian days of observance, it has endured a few name changes.
The holiday, originally named Red Army Day, was established in 1919 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Bolsheviks’ first mass conscription effort. (They were gearing up to fight for their existence in a bloody civil war.) In 1949, the holiday became Red Army and Navy Day, to commemorate the USSR’s sacrifice in World War II.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the holiday — like thousands of other relics of Soviet officialdom — faced a bit of a PR crisis. People continued to celebrate the day, but its meaning was muddied. Unsurprisingly, it was Putin who broadened its purpose and gave the day its manly moniker, Defender of the Fatherland Day, in 2002.
The exuberant and absolutely massive displays of Soviet — now Russian — pride characteristic of Red Army Day celebrations haven’t changed much. Parades, parties and other commemorations of military might abound throughout the former Soviet Union.
But the jubilee isn’t all superpower-scale. In practice, the day is often referred to as Men’s Day and functions as the male equivalent of International Women’s Day (March 8). Some people dress up in military garb, women give men small gifts and special attention, and many wives grant their husbands dispensation for a night out drinking with the boys.
