Today, Russians celebrate the Defender of the Fatherland Day. On January 1918 the Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR Vladimir Lenin signed a decree setting up the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. The recruitment of volunteers into the Red Army started 100 years ago exactly, on February 23, 1918, TASS reports.
Military obligation service was legally fixed by the Constitution of the USSR of 1936 and regulated by the Law of the USSR on Universal Military Obligation in 1967. In accordance with this law all male citizens of the USSR, regardless of race and national affiliation, religion, education, social and property position, were obligated to go through active military service in the ranks of the USSR armed forces. The time of service until 1998 rawly varied from 2 to 4 years. Nowadays, all healthy young men in Russia aged 18-27 have to go through 1-year regular military service, or two years of social service.
Defender of the Fatherland Day, formerly known as Day of the Soviet Army and Navy, was stated as a non-working day for the first time.
On this day Russian President Vladimir Putin and other government officials traditionally participate in the laying wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin.
The Defender of the Fatherland Day is celebrated all around the country, including military bases all around Russia. Ceremonies will be held abroad as well.
The celebrations of Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow will end with a fireworks following long-standing tradition.
Russkiy Mir
