Russian State Duma Approves Law Making the Christening of Russia a National Holiday

On 21 May, the State Duma of the Russian Federation passed in its final reading a law establishing a new holiday: a day commemorating the christening of Russia. It is to take place on 28 July, the date sited for the baptism of Prince Vladimir in 988.

As a result of the State Duma session and assuming that the bill will be attached to the current federal law “On Days of Military Glory and Russian Memoral Dates”, it has been passed on to the Council of Federation (the upper chamber of the Russian Federal Assembly) for further consideration.

This legislation was approved by Dimitry Medvedev, the President of Russia, on 14 August 2009 and by Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister, on 27 August

Earlier, in 2008, the Bishops Council of the Russian Orthodox Church had proposed to the Presidents of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus that this date – “the day from which the history of the modern civilisation of a number of countries, baptised in the baptismal font of Kiev, stems” – be included in the list of state holidays.

Interfax