Russia Day, celebrated annually on June 12th, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) in 1990. This declaration marked a significant turning point in the history of Russia and the Soviet Union.

The adoption of the Declaration on June 12, 1990, occurred during a period of increasing decentralization within the USSR, known as the “parade of sovereignties.” Many union republics were expressing their desire for greater autonomy or even secession from the Soviet Union.

In response to these centrifugal forces, the all-Union authorities attempted to manage the situation by enacting laws that broadened the powers of both union republics and autonomous regions within them. The Russian Federation, then known as the RSFSR, sought to prevent the spread of separatist sentiments among its own autonomous regions by asserting its sovereignty.

The First Congress of People’s Deputies of the RSFSR adopted the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the RSFSR, stipulating that the territory of the RSFSR could not be altered without a nationwide referendum. This declaration, signed by Boris Yeltsin, who was then Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, was a pivotal step towards Russia’s eventual independence.

Exactly one year later, on June 12, 1991, Russia held its first presidential elections. To encourage voter turnout, the day was declared a public holiday. Boris Yeltsin won the election and became the President of the RSFSR. Following the dissolution of the USSR in December 1991, Yeltsin automatically became the President of the newly independent Russia.

Since 1992, June 12 has been officially recognized as a holiday. Initially, it was called “Day of the Adoption of the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Russian Federation.” In 2002, the holiday was renamed “Russia Day.”