Celebrating Russia Day

Happy Day of the Adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation, otherwise known by the less cumbersome title, Russia Day! The holiday was first declared by Boris Yeltsin to commemorate the Duma’s first declaration of sovereignty in 1990. But make no mistake, the real official celebration of this holiday is a Putin invention dating back to just 2003, and this year, perhaps more than any other, the populist flavor has grown even stronger. Below are some collected images, and here is some Kremlin-approved commentary from RIA Novosti.

(AP)

The sign in the background reads: the Day of Russia. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

These politically savvy young Chechens carry a lovely, bright sign reading “Putin is our President” (AP)

Tossing rifles in St. Petersburg (AP)

In Vladivostok (Reuters)