Day of Russia

On 12 July, Russians celebrate an national holiday – Day of Russia - on which the Russian Parliament adopted a Declaration of Independence of Russia. Up until 2002, this day was known as the Day of the Adoption of the Declaration of the State Sovereignty of Russia. Boris Yeltsin, Russia’s first president, made 12 June a state holiday in a 1994 decree. Later, the original name was replaced a shorter name, Independence Day.