When is Armenian Republic Day?
Republic Day is a public holiday in Armenia on May 28th, that marks the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic in 1918.
It is also known as Day of Restoration of sovereignty and is considered to be Armenia's National Day.
History of Armenian Republic Day
From the 15th century, Armenia had been part of the Ottoman Empire. By the 19th century, most of modern-day Armenia had come under the control of the Russian Empire.
With the Russian revolution ending the empire and the collapse of the Democratic Republic of Transcaucasia, the Armenian National Council Declared its sovereignty on May 28th 1918 and the First Armenian Republic was proclaimed, restoring Armenian statehood after six centuries of foreign control.
The republic proved to be short-lived. On December 2nd 1920, the Armenian government headed by Prime Minister Simon Vratsyan signed a treaty with the Bolsheviks and the Red Army entered Armenia and proclaimed it a Soviet Republic. The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic became a founding member of the Soviet Union in 1922.
Armenia regained its independence as the current Republic of Armenia on September 21st 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Armenia was the first non-Baltic republic to secede from the Soviet Union. This event is celebrated on Independence Day.
How is Armenia Republic Day Celebrated?
Since 1992, May 28th has been formally celebrated in Armenia as Republic Day, and it is a non-working day.
Despite the fact that the Republic of Armenia existed in that status for a relatively short period, May 28th remains an important date for the country’s residents. Republic Day is celebrated with an annual military parade. The President of Armenia will visit the Sardarapat Memorial to commemorate an important battle that the fledgeling republic fought against the Turks in 1918. The day is also marked with fireworks, concerts, torchlight marches and parties.
