Independence Day (South Ossetia): Difference between revisions

{{Short description|State holiday in South Ossetia}}

|official_name=День независимости Южной Осетии <br> Хуссар Ирыстоны Хӕдбарады бон

|mdy=yes

'''Independence Day''' ([[Russian language|Russian]]: День независимости; {{lang-os|Хӕдбарады бон}}) or '''Republic Day''' is the main state holiday in the partially recognized [[Republic of South Ossetia]]. This date is celebrated on September 20. It commemorates South Ossetia's declaration of independence from the [[Georgian SSR]] in 1990, and the country's recognition as a sovereign state by [[Russia]] in 2008.

[[South Ossetia]] first declared its independence from [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] in 1920 following the Russian Revolution in [[Russia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=South Ossetia Country report, Freedom in the World 2009|url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2009/south-ossetia|access-date=2017-09-01|website=[[Freedom House]]|language=en}}</ref> After the [[Soviet Army]] invaded [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] in 1921, the government declared [[South Ossetia]] an autonomous region within the [[Georgian SSR]].<ref name=":0" /> On September 20, 1990, the Council of People's Deputies of the [[South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast]] adopted a declaration of sovereignty of the new republic. In 1992 proclaimed South Ossetia proclaimed independence.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2016-04-21|title=South Ossetia profile|language=en-GB|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-18269210|access-date=2017-09-01}}</ref> In August 2008, [[South Ossetia]] was recognized by [[Russia]], [[Venezuela]], [[Nauru]], and [[Nicaragua]], other unrecognized counties such as [[Republic of Artsakh|Artsakh]], [[Abkhazia]] and [[Transnistria]] following the week long [[Russo-Georgian War]] of 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.calend.ru/holidays/southossetia/|title=Праздники Южной Осетии в проекте Календарь Праздников 2017|website=www.calend.ru|access-date=2017-09-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Levy|first=Clifford J.|date=2008-08-26|title=Russia Backs Independence of Georgian Enclaves|language=en-US|work=[[New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/europe/27russia.html|access-date=2017-09-01|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://calendr.net/holiday/1425 |title=Day of independence of South Ossetia |access-date=22 January 2018 |archive-date=27 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827075345/http://calendr.net/holiday/1425 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

Events on this day are planned by the [[Government of South Ossetia|national government]]. An annual [[military parade]] is held on [[Theatre Square, Tskhinvali|Theatre Square]] as the main holiday event. The parade involves the ceremonial review of the troops of the [[Tskhinvali]] Garrison by the Minister of Defense, a speech by the [[President of South Ossetia]], the playing of the national anthem by the Military Brass Band of the [[Ministry of Defence (South Ossetia)|Ministry of Defense]]. and the parade of the [[Armed Forces of South Ossetia]] past the central grandstand. The [[Honour Guard]] Company is the ceremonial unit of the armed forces. The [[Honour Guard]] Company conducted a drill performance during the 2019 parade for the first time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Министерство обороны Южной Осетии: плановые учения|url=https://south-ossetia.info/ministerstvo-oborony-yuzhnoj-osetii-planovye-ucheniya/|access-date=2020-12-02|website=[[South Ossetia Today]]}}</ref> After the marchpast, demonstrations and traditional Ossetian events are held.{{cn|date=April 2021}}

* 2008 – The country celebrates its first independence day since its recognition as a sovereign state by the government of the [[Russian Federation]] 4 weeks earlier. The parade involved [[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] armored vehicles, including Turkish-made wheeled light armored vehicles, taken from retreating [[Georgian Armed Forces|Georgian forces]] during the August war. Following the parade, [[Flag of Georgia (country)|Georgian flag]]s were thrown to the ground by South Ossetian militiamen, resembling how Soviet soldiers threw [[List of German standards at the Moscow Victory Parade of 1945|German flags]] on [[Red Square]] during the [[Moscow Victory Parade of 1945]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Civil.Ge {{!}} Tskhinvali Celebrated 'Independence Day'|url=http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=19565|access-date=2017-08-08|website=[[Civil Georgia]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gutterman|first=Steve|date=2008-09-21|title=Russia resolute on troop levels|work=[[Boston.com]]|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2008/09/21/russia_resolute_on_troop_levels/?page=full|access-date=2017-09-20}}</ref>

* 2012 - The Russian Centre for Science and Culture was opened. The Radio Station "Echo of the Caucasus" reported that Theatre Square hosted a concert with the participation of artistic groups such as the [[Krasnodar]] Brass Band.<ref>{{Cite news|title=South Ossetia celebrates Independence Day|work=[[Caucasian Knot]]|url=http://www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/22287/|access-date=2017-09-20}}</ref> The parade was attended by [[President of Nauru]] [[Sprent Dabwido]], who delivered a speech at the ceremony.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-09-20|title=Президент Науру: мы не будем отзывать признание Абхазии и Южной Осетии|url=https://ria.ru/20120920/754983317.html|access-date=2020-12-02|website=[[Ria Novosti]]|language=ru}}</ref>

* 2018 – Marked the 10th anniversary of recognition by [[Russia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=On tenth anniversary of Russian recognition, South Ossetians unsure what to celebrate|url=https://eurasianet.org/on-tenth-anniversary-of-russian-recognition-south-ossetians-unsure-what-to-celebrate|access-date=2020-12-02|website=[[Eurasianet]]|language=en}}</ref> More than 2,000 residents took part in a theatrical performance, headlined "South Ossetia: the story of courage," that looked into the republic’s history from the Medieval [[Kingdom of Alania]] to present day. The celebrations were attended by representatives of the [[Donetsk People's Republic]] and [[Luhansk People's Republic]], as well as [[Syria]]’s ambassador to [[Russia]] Riad Haddad and parliamentary delegations from [[Nauru]], [[Italy]] and [[Abkhazia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=South Ossetia, Abkhazia celebrate tenth anniversary of independence|url=https://tass.com/world/1018683/amp|access-date=2020-12-02|website=[[TASS]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-31|title=Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to visit South Ossetia|url=https://oc-media.org/syrian-president-bashar-al-assad-to-visit-south-ossetia/|access-date=2020-12-02|website=[[OC Media]]|language=en-US}}</ref>

* 2020 – Marked the 30th anniversary of the declaration of independence. For the first time in Tskhinvali, the parade saw a contingent from the [[Abkhazian Armed Forces]] march on the square.{{cn|date=April 2021}}