National Unity Day (Unity Day) is traditionally celebrated in Russia on November 4. Despite the relative youthfulness of the holiday, its roots go back to the 17th century. It was on this day 408 years ago that the Russian volunteer Army under the leadership of Nizhny Novgorod zemstvo (local self-government) head, merchant Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky warded off the Polish invading forces thus exiling them from the Kremlin and ending the Time of Troubles in Russia.

A few months after the liberation of the capital, Zemsky Sobor elected a new tsar - a representative of the Romanov dynasty – Mikhail I of the House of Romanov , who established the three-hundred-year rule of the Romanovs in Russia.  It was Mikhail Fedorovich who instituted Day of Moscow’s Liberation from Polish Invaders holiday on November, 4 in 1613. His son Alexei Mikhailovich declared this day a church-state holiday by his decree 36 years later. On this day, his first child was born - Dmitry Alekseevich.

The celebration of November 4 was established as a day of gratitude to the Most Holy Theotokos for her help in the liberation of Russia. The day is also the feast day of the Russian Orthodox icon of Our Lady of Kazan - patroness of the voluntary corps.

The holiday was celebrated in Russia until the Revolution of 1917. In Soviet times, the historical event was not revered; instead the Day of the Great October Revolution was celebrated on November 7, renamed later into the Day of Accord and Reconciliation.

In 2004, the lawmakers decided to move it to November 4, and the Interreligious Council of Russia suggested celebrating this holiday as the National Unity Day. The date has been celebrated in Russia as a national holiday since 2005. “On November 4, 1612, soldiers of voluntary Army liberated Moscow from Polish invaders and demonstrated an example of heroism and solidarity of the entire people, regardless of origin, religion and position in society,” wrote the authors of the bill on the purpose of the holiday. The modern National Unity Day is a holiday that calls on people not only to remember the most important historical events, but also to remind the citizens of a multinational country of the importance of unity. The memory of how the people were able to unite in order to save the Motherland, to defend their freedom and independence, must exist. Our country is multinational, so it is important that we live in peace and harmony. And this very day is our common holiday.

For the National Unity Day, we have prepared a photo album with postcards, exhibited in the museum "Collection" dedicated to the history of the House of Romanov.

Adapted from – History RF portal