December 31st in what. Holidays around the world

New Year's Eve is, according to the Gregorian calendar, the very last day of the year that precedes the New Year. By tradition, it is a separate holiday from the New Year holiday.
On New Year's Eve, celebrations begin around the world to welcome the next new year. Fireworks are used in celebrations of many cultures.
In Russia, the New Year's Eve holiday is a working day, but as a rule, feasts and celebrations begin everywhere on this day, continuing until the New Year holiday.
Today is a holiday among the Slavs - Generous Evening
On December 31, Korochun’s power weakened and a new Sun was born on Slavic land. On this day, the Slavs celebrated the most joyful and beloved period of the year - Big Winter Christmastide or Big Veles Christmastide, as they were also called. The holidays lasted from December 24 to January 5 - twelve whole days!
Christmastide consisted of two six-day periods - light and dark. The first part of Christmastide ended on December 31 with the Generous Evening or Shchedrets. Since ancient times, on this day, generous songs (shchedrovki) were heard everywhere, and the people held a large festive feast. And before the generous feast, it was necessary to amuse the people with mummers and generous gifts. The mummers approached every house or people gathered on the street and sang: “Generous evening! Good evening!". Then they started caroling, that is, begging for gifts from the owners, complaining that they had come from far away and the goat’s legs hurt... The owners were supposed to resist and laugh it off. Then the mummers began singing shchedrovki, with comic threats. After this, it was considered a great shame not to give gifts to the carolers. If the owners seemed greedy, the mummers sent them a “curse”: “Give them, Svarozhe, a slap on the back and a slap on the face. Destroy them, Father Perun! Empty bag for them, leaky pot!”

Church holiday - Modestov Day

MODEST DAY
On this last day of the year, Orthodox Christians celebrate the memory of St. Modest, who served as archbishop in Jerusalem in the 7th century. Modest, according to popular legend, was born into a Christian family in Asia Minor. In his youth, he took monastic vows because he was attracted to the monastic life. Afterwards, Modest was rector of the monastery of St. Theodosius the Great, located in Palestine.
When Palestine and Syria were attacked by Persian troops, who destroyed Christian temples and captured Patriarch Zechariah from Jerusalem, Modest began to rule the Jerusalem church; with the help of John the Merciful, the Patriarch of Alexandria, he restored all the destroyed Christian shrines and buried the remains of the murdered monks.
In Rus', Saint Modest was considered the guardian of livestock; they prayed to him to protect livestock from predatory animals and death. On this day, men usually held joint feasts - fraternities, at which meat dishes were served. This is how they thanked Saint Modest for his care of the flocks. Women on Modest were not allowed to play cards, because it was believed that in the summer the chickens would peck at the cucumbers.
The girls on Modest tried to predict fate for the next year. To do this, they lay down on the current, where they threshed bread, and listened to the knocking: if there is a knocking under the girl, then death awaits her, and if it rings, then there will be a wedding, but if threshing is heard, then the girl will be rich.
In the evening, 12 boxes were taken to Modest, salt was poured into each and they were named after one of the 12 months. The next morning, the girls looked at which of the boxes contained raw salt; it would rain that month. Our ancestors predicted the weather for June on this day: it would be the same as the weather on Modest’s Day.
Name day December 31st: Vera, Victor, Vladimir, George, Elizabeth, Zoya, Ivan, Ilya, Mark, Martin, Mikhail, Modest, Nikolai, Sevastyan, Sergei, Sophia, Thaddeus, Fyodor.
World calendars
Gregorian calendar: December 31, 2013 - Tuesday, 53rd week, 365th day of the year
Julian calendar: December 18, 2013
Jewish calendar: 28 Tevet 5774
Islamic calendar: 27 Safar 1435
Chinese calendar: 29th day 11th month 30th year 74 cycles (snake, black, water)
National Calendar of India: 10 Pause 1935
Indian lunar calendar: 29 Margashirsha 2070 of the Vikrama era - Jyeshtha constellation
Persian calendar: 10 Deya 1392
Bahá'í Calendar: 1 Kull-i Shay 9 Vahid 18 year (Abha) 16 month (Sharaf) 1 day (Baha)
May calendar (Long Count): 13 baktun 0 katun 1 tun 0 uinal 15 kin
May calendar (Short count - Haab): 13th day of the month "Kankin"
Calendar "May" (Short count - Tzolkin): 2nd day of the month "Hish"
French calendar: 1 day (Primidi) 2 decades 4 months (Nivosa) 222 years

All holidays on December 31st

New Year's Eve (International)
Omisoka - Great Purification Festival (Japan)
Day of formation of special transportation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia)
Last day of the year
Solidarity Day of Azerbaijanis around the world (Azerbaijan)
Customs Workers Day (Kyrgyzstan)
Hogmanay - Old Year's Night (Scotland)
Republic Day - Founding Day of the Labor Party (Republic of the Congo)
International Peace Meditation Day (Global)
The night of the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina (Islam)
Republic Restoration Day (Geneva, Switzerland)
St. Sylvester's Day (Austria)
Day of coordination second
National Champagne Day (USA)
Bad Luck Day (USA)
Opinion Day (USA)
Universal Peace Hour Day (USA)
Historical events on this day 31.12:
1968 First flight of the Tu-144 - a supersonic passenger aircraft.
1994 Russian troops launched an assault on Grozny in the first Chechen war.
1999 Boris Yeltsin resigned as President of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Putin has been appointed acting president.

Finally the long-awaited day has arrived. All people are bustling around and preparing for the celebration. Some cook at home, others run for gifts. But it’s worth paying attention to the fact that there are other celebrations besides the New Year.

What events do we celebrate on December 31st?

Day of Solidarity of Azerbaijanis around the World

Every year December 31st is spent in this country with a lot of trouble. After all, not only is the New Year just around the corner, but also a day of solidarity. Such a celebration is celebrated not only in Azerbaijan, but also in other countries of the world where there are diasporas of Azerbaijanis. This was first announced in 1991 on December 16th. Then it was proclaimed by the country's leader Heydar Aliyev.

As the president of the country noted, the main idea of National Solidarity Day is the unity and solidarity of local residents. Here they show respect for the national and spiritual values of the people, as well as ideas and feelings associated with belonging to the Azerbaijani people.

Day of Customs Service Workers of Kyrgyzstan

The republic celebrates Customs Service Workers Day every year. This holiday was established in 2006 on February 15th. Today, the State Customs Inspectorate under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic has been converted into the State Customs Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Such a committee plays an important role in the formation of new market relations, as well as in protecting the economic sovereignty and economic security of the country. The Customs Union protects the rights of citizens and businesses.

What other celebrations take place on December 31st?

Saint Sylvester's Day

On December 31, on New Year's Eve, St. Sylvester's Day is celebrated in many Catholic countries. The holiday, thanks to everyone's efforts, becomes larger, more colorful and fun every year. On this day people like to joke, eat a lot and have fun. After all, the New Year is coming soon. The history of the holiday begins with the legend of 314.

This year, Pope Sylvester I caught a terrible monster - the monstrous Old Testament serpent Leviathan. It was believed that such a monster could break free in the year 1000 and destroy the entire world. But this did not happen, because Sylvester defeated the snake. On New Year's Eve 336, Sylvester died. Since then, people have loved to dress up in fancy dress and call themselves Sylvester Klaus.

Hogmanay

If you don’t know what Hogmanay is, then it’s the same New Year, only in Scottish style. This large-scale event includes all kinds of fiery entertainment. This includes parties, shows and attractions.

The largest and most significant events take place on the streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow. This holiday is also very ancient. It was also celebrated by pagans. On this day they worshiped fire and the sun. The Vikings had something similar; their holiday was also associated with the solstice. Local residents believe that if you light a fire on the evening of December 31, it will give them wisdom from the old year to the new. This method is also effective in ending your dark misfortunes and thoughts from the past.

Other elements of the national color are also dances. One of them is called Kylie. The essence of this dance is a sign of the first night. The essence of the sign is that the prosperity of seven depends on the first guest who comes to the house.

twelfth Night

Yule ends on 12 at night. The twelfth night is the night of the birth of the New Year and a new life cycle. The gates of the worlds are open at night 12, and all their inhabitants can gather together to celebrate Yule. People believe that this day is the most peaceful time of the year. Then the evil spirits are worthy of respect and greeting.

There is also a belief that the candles in the Yule wreath must burn all night. The burning of candles and their light symbolizes happiness in the home and good luck. The next day after 12 at night was “Day of Destiny”. The new sun is again above the horizon and the day is increasing.

Feast of the Nineteenth Day of the Month of Sharaf

According to the Gregorian calendar, December 31 is considered the month of Sharaf. Translated from Arabic, this word means honor. On such a day is the first day of the month of Sharaf according to the nineteen-month Baha'i calendar.

All big religions bring up only good things in people. And if there are negative manifestations, then this is usually due to fanaticism and misunderstanding of the essence of the teaching. Bahá'u'lláh was the founding prophet of the Bahá'í Faith. And he said that if religion becomes a source of hatred and discord, then it is better to do without it altogether. Religion should only be a source of love and friendship.

Celebrations in the folk calendar on December 31

Modestov Day

On the last day of the year, people celebrate the memory of St. Modest. He served as archbishop in Jerusalem in the 7th century. According to legend, Modest was born in Asia Minor into a Christian family. Modest became the rector of the temple and took monastic vows. And when Persian troops attacked Palestine and Syria and destroyed everything, Modestus was ordered to rule the entire Jerusalem church.

Saint Modest in Rus' was considered the guardian of livestock. So they always prayed to him for protection from death and predatory animals. On such a day, men organized a fraternal feast. It was imperative to serve meat dishes. In this way, people thanked for caring for the herds.

Name days of people

Vera, Victor, Vladimir, Georgy, Elizaveta, Zoya, Ivan, Ilya, Mark, Martin, Mikhail, Modest, Nikolay, Sevastyan, Semyon, Sergey, Sophia, Thaddeus, Fedor.

Interesting historical events

1857 – Queen Victoria of England declared Ottawa the capital of the British colony.
1869 – the ruins of the Temple of Artemis Effesa, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, were discovered.
1898 - the first international telephone line St. Petersburg - Moscow opened in Russia.
1942 – the defense of the Caucasus during the Great Patriotic War ended.
1943 – Zhitomir is finally liberated from the Nazi invaders.
1968 – the world's first supersonic passenger aircraft, the Tu-144, made a test flight.
1999 - Boris Yeltsin announced his early resignation as head of state.

Born on this day

Pierre-Charles de Villeneuve 1763 - French military leader.
Emile Loubet 1838 - French politician and president of the Third Republic in France.
Giovanni Boldini 1842 – Italian painter and portraitist.
Anatoly Kuznetsov 1930 – Soviet and Russian actor.
Semyon Farada 1933 - Soviet and Russian film and theater actor.
Vincas Bodini 1842 – Italian painter.
Vincas Kudirka 1858 – Lithuanian composer.
Henri Matisse 1869 – French artist.
Elizaveta Zarubina 1900 – Soviet intelligence officer.
Anthony Hopkins 1937 – British and American actor.
Connie Willis 1945 is an American science fiction writer.
Lyudmila Pakhomova 1946 - Soviet figure skater and Olympic champion.
Regina Dubovitskaya 1948 – Russian TV presenter and journalist.

Arrests in the case of a terrorist attack in a St. Petersburg supermarket and hostage-taking at a post office in Kharkov, the opening of the Khovrino metro station, “telephone terrorists” and the burnt main Christmas tree of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

In St. Petersburg, the trial of local resident Dmitry Lukyanenko in the case of the explosion in the Perekrestok supermarket on December 27. he was charged not under the article of murder of people, under which the case was initially opened, but under the article of terrorism - this is exactly how President Vladimir Putin described what happened. According to the Investigative Committee, the accused explained his action by hatred of the organizers and adherents of psychological trainings, which he had previously attended.

The same thing happened in Ukrainian Kharkov - a man was taken into custody, who the day before decided to rob a Ukrposhta branch, but could not hide from the police who arrived very quickly and decided to take the people in the room, including two children, hostage. As it turned out, one of the postal employees he captured was able to detain the criminal: she opened the door to the special forces.

President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russians on the upcoming holidays. The president has already been shown to residents of some regions of the country.

The celebration of New Year's Eve in the capital of Sakhalin, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, was overshadowed by the fact that the main city completely burned down in front of the participants in the festivities. According to preliminary data, the 25-meter tree was destroyed by fire due to improperly launched fireworks.

In Podolsk near Moscow in the evening, a warehouse with construction materials caught fire. Firefighters managed to burn an area of 1.5 thousand square meters. meters.

The 204th metro station opened in Moscow - on the northern section of the “green” line. It is designed to relieve the situation at the Rechnoy Vokzal station.

Protests have continued in Iran since Thursday, caused by dissatisfaction with the economic situation in the country and government policies. Against this backdrop, parliament will be held on January 1, but for now the country’s authorities have access to the Instagram application and the Telegram messenger, explaining this by maintaining public order and concern for the safety of citizens.

In Russia, a wave of calls continued about the “mining” of significant urban facilities, including shopping centers and airports, from which people were evacuated. Over the weekend, cities such as Khabarovsk, Irkutsk, Penza, Izhevsk, Tomsk, Surgut, Nizhnevartovsk, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, Nizhny Novgorod,

On the very eve of the New Year, December 31, in many Catholic countries, particularly in European countries, St. Sylvester's Day is celebrated. Through everyone's efforts, the holiday becomes bigger, more fun and colorful every year. On this day, everyone has fun, jokes, eats, drinks a lot and waits for the arrival of the New Year.
What is the history of this holiday? According to legend, in 314 AD, Pope Sylvester captured a terrible monster - the monstrous Old Testament serpent Leviathan. It was believed that in the year 1000 this monster would break free and destroy the world. To everyone's joy, this did not happen - Sylvester defeated the snake and did not let people offend.
Sylvester died on New Year's Eve 336, December 31st. The day of his death is revered as the day of St. Sylvester.

Since then, on December 31, people dress up in fancy dress and call themselves Sylvester Claus. And in some countries, the tradition of calling the last day of the outgoing year “Sylvester” has been preserved. Therefore, the question “Where will you go for Sylvester?”, which can be heard on New Year’s Eve in many countries, means “Where will you celebrate the New Year?”

Day of Solidarity of Azerbaijanis around the World

Every year on this day in sunny Azerbaijan they prepare to celebrate not only the New Year, but also the Day of National Solidarity of Azerbaijanis who live in different countries of the world. It must be said that this day was first proclaimed on the sixteenth of December 1991, it was introduced by the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, when he was still in the post of chairman of the Supreme Majilis of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. After the proclamation, the entire Azerbaijani people accepted it as a national holiday. Several tens of millions of Azerbaijanis live all over the world, not only in their native land, but also in many Muslim countries, CIS countries, Scandinavian countries, France, Great Britain, and the countries of the Middle East. However, the largest diaspora, which numbers approximately two million people, lives in Russia. The main idea of the Day of National Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis, as Aliyev stated, is the unification and solidarity of all Azerbaijanis of the world, wherever they are, and the unification lies in respect for the national and spiritual values of the Azerbaijani people, in attachment to the historical homeland, and an unkillable feeling ideas, pride that we all belong to the Azerbaijani people.

Shchedrets

December 31st, which is celebrated by residents all over the world as the last day of the outgoing year, was previously known to everyone under the old name Shchedrets. This day ends the Christmas holidays. Since ancient times, Christians have loved this holiday in Rus'; there are a great many ancient traditions relating to this day. According to custom, in Shchedrets a table filled with dishes was certainly laid out; pork was an obligatory dish on this rich table; people believed that this dish would guarantee a good harvest and prosperity for the entire next year. Why pork, because pork meat is fatty and filling, this is how people wanted to live the coming year. Before people sat down to dinner, they entertained each other with special songs, which people called “schedrovki”. These songs were also supposed to bring good luck and prosperity. People gathered in small groups, dressed up as devils, witches and animals and walked around the village, while singing songs and begging their neighbors for various treats or money. Both adults and children took part in this ritual, absolutely everyone who had such a desire. According to custom in Shchedrets, groups of people in disguise had to go from house to house and sing schedrovkas under the windows of the neighbors. With their songs, the schernovniks begged the owners of the house for some food, household items or money. Traditionally, the owners of the house had to deny the generosity and laugh it off. In this case, the mummers sang generosity, the text of which contained comic threats. And only after this the owners were obliged to give gifts to the mummers. By treating these people, according to legend, the owners ensured good luck for their home for the whole next year. It was considered a huge shame and a bad sign if the owners did not treat the mummers; such an owner was not only called a stingy person, but it was also believed that terrible diseases, various misfortunes would overtake him, and he would have a bad harvest. This is how people walked around in the evening singing and collecting various treats in bags, and when the bags were full, the mummers went to their home and sat down with their family at a rich table to celebrate this wonderful holiday. Saint Sylvester's Day

On the eve of the New Year, in some Catholic countries, namely in European countries, the population celebrates St. Sylvester's Day. This wonderful holiday becomes more majestic, more fun and more diverse from year to year. On St. Sylvester's Day, all people have fun, joke a lot, eat with pleasure and everyone is waiting for the New Year to come. What is the history of this holiday? There is a legend that in 314 AD, Pope Sylvester I caught a terrible monster of an ominous archaic serpent called Leviathan. According to legend, in the year 1000 this serpent was supposed to break out and destroy the entire world. Sylvester caught him and saved people from this grief. This legend has existed since ancient times and is passed on by our ancestors from generation to generation. Saint Sylvester went to heaven on December 31st, and since then the day of his death has been revered as Saint Sylvester's Day. On this holiday, it is customary to dress up in masquerade costumes; dressed people call themselves Sylvester Claus. In some countries, by tradition, the last day of the year is called “Sylvester”.

Hogmanay

This holiday begins to be celebrated on the last evening of December, and it lasts all night. Hogmanay is considered the same New Year, only in the Scottish national style. The celebration of this day includes a whole torchlight procession and a variety of beautiful fiery entertainments. This day is rich in fun parties, performances and original attractions. The most significant Hogmanay events associated with the celebration of this festival take place in Edinburgh and Glasgow. If we talk about the origin of the word Hogmanay, it is quite doubtful. Some say it originated from the Gaelic word "oge maidne", the literal translation being "new morning", and other historical sources claim that the origin of this holiday originated from the Anglo-Saxon phrase, which was written as "Haleg Moneth". and was translated as “holy month.” However, it doesn’t really matter which version is truly true, the only thing that matters is that this is a very important ancient holiday, it was celebrated even by pagans who worshiped fire and the sun in winter. The main symbol of the Hogmanay holiday is considered to be fire. It was lit when it got dark on December 31st; thanks to the lit fire, the transfer of wisdom from the past year to the new year is accomplished. It is generally accepted that all the negative thoughts and adversities that were in the past year have come to an end, and people enter the new year with pure hope in their souls. This is precisely why the fire procession and other events associated with the fire element play an important role. A very important event on this day is the “kylie” dance and the so-called “sign of the first foot”; this sign lies in the prosperity of the family into which the most noble guest enters first. It was considered very important that he be dark-haired and not have any physical flaws on his body.

Feast of the Nineteenth Day of the Month of Sharaf

According to the Gregorian calendar, on this day they begin to celebrate Sharaf, which means “Honor” when translated from Arabic. According to the 19-month Baha'i calendar, this particular day is due to an important holiday called the Nineteenth Day of the Month of Sharaf. As you know, all major world religions cultivate only positive qualities in people. In the event of negative manifestations, it was believed that the culprit was fanaticism and a misunderstanding of the very essence of this righteous teaching. According to historical data, the founder of this holiday is considered to be the prophet Bahá’u’lláh; after all, it was he who proposed such a faith as the Bahá’ís. In addition, she states the fact that if suddenly a religion has created discord and hatred, one must abandon this religion. Because it is religion that should bring people strong friendship and true love.

December 31st in the folk calendar

Modestov Day

December 31, this is the last day of the passing year, on this day the memory of St. Modest, who served as archbishop in Jerusalem in the seventh century, is celebrated. According to historical data, Modest was born into a Christian family in Asia Minor. He was just a boy when he became attracted to the hermit's life and took monastic vows. After some time, the young man became the abbot of the monastery of St. Theodosius the Great in Palestine. When Persian troops attacked Syria and Palestine, they destroyed Christian churches and captured the Jerusalem patriarch Zechariah. At that time, Modestus was assigned to govern the entire Jerusalem church. Later, Modest restored the destroyed Christian shrines, buried the remains of the killed people, and Patriarch John the Merciful helped him in this difficult task. However, after about fourteen years, Patriarch Zachary returned from captivity, and Modest transferred all his temporary powers back to him. As fate would have it, the patriarch died, and Modest again took over his post.

In ancient Rus', Saint Modest was considered the guardian of livestock; Christians prayed to him to protect their domestic animals from death and predatory animals that could attack livestock in droves. According to the old custom, on Modestos Day, men, as usual, tripled their brotherhood, a kind of collective feast, at which meat snacks were a mandatory dish. It was believed that in this manner they expressed gratitude to the saint for taking care of herds of domestic animals. Women were strictly forbidden to play cards on this day. Christians believed that if women played cards, then in the summer the chickens would eat all the cucumbers and the harvest would be lost. On this day one could predict fate for the entire next year. For prediction, they used the current on which bread was threshed. Anyone who wanted to know his share lay down on the current and listened: if something knocks under the questioner, this foreshadows death, ringing sounds were heard, which means there will soon be a wedding, and if the fortuneteller hears threshing, it means he will be rich.

There was also such a custom: on the evening of December 31, you had to take twelve boxes, pour salt into them, name each box with the name of one of the twelve months, and the next morning people checked the boxes. If the salt in a box becomes wet or melts, the month for which the box is named will be wet.
It was also believed that the weather in June should be the same as on this holiday.

Historical events of December 31

1968 Testing of the world's first passenger supersonic aircraft

The first flight of the unique aircraft took place on December 31, 1968. In 1971, at the international exhibition of aviation technology in France, the Tu-144 made a number of demonstration flights. It pleasantly surprised the guests and organizers of the international show with its appearance and aerodynamic capabilities. The supersonic speed of the airliner allowed it to cover the distance in one hour that a conventional plane covered in 2 hours. In addition, for its time the ship had a rather unusual structure and design, which aroused admiration and surprise from ordinary people and specialists. However, despite its original external characteristics and amazing aerodynamic capabilities, in practical use the aircraft turned out to be quite weak in technical terms. The disaster that occurred in 1973 at Le Bourget serves as confirmation of the technical imperfection of the aircraft. During the accident, all crew members died; the causes of the plane crash have not yet been clarified. In 1975, the Tu-144 made its first long-distance flight on the Moscow-Alma-Ata route, the flight passed without incident. Since 1977, regular passenger flights on this aircraft began to be carried out on the Moscow-Alma-Ata route. Only two vessels operated on the route. In addition, specially trained pilots were allowed to fly the Tu-144; Aeroflot flight personnel were accepted on board only as reserve pilots. A ticket for the airliner was more expensive than for a regular Tu. Due to imperfect technical characteristics and constantly occurring incidents, the operation of the vessel was called into question. In 1978, there was another plane crash, which put an end to the passenger career of the Tu-144. Subsequently, the aircraft was used for postal transportation for some time, but was soon decommissioned.

1999 Boris Yeltsin resigned

On New Year's Eve 1999, the first president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigned. Powers were transferred to then Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. In his televised address, Boris Nikolayevich informed Russians about the serious state of his health and the impossibility of fully fulfilling the duties of the President of the Russian Federation. Boris Yeltsin left the presidency early, which became a precedent in Russian history of the 20th century. For Russian people, President Yeltsin went down in history as the first president of independent Russia, as a democrat and reformer. Boris Nikolaevich was distinguished by his unique Russian flavor, open soul and true love for his homeland. In his last address as head of state, Yeltsin expressed hope that with the coming to power of young and talented politicians, Russia would receive a new impetus in its development. The President expressed hope that the foreign and domestic policies he pursues will be preserved in basic terms by his successor. The President also apologized to Russian citizens for mistakes made and broken promises. After his resignation, Boris Nikolaevich retired, and in April 2000 he was awarded a certificate of a pensioner and a labor veteran. Soon after Yeltsin resigned as head of state, presidential elections were held in the country, which V.V. Putin won. However, as subsequent events showed, Putin began to pursue a policy of centralization and usurpation of power, which was fundamentally different from the democratic style of rule of Boris Yeltsin. The Yeltsin era is difficult trials for the Russian people, which they passed with honor, including thanks to Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin.

1857 Ottawa declared capital of Canada

In 1857, on December 31, Queen Victoria of Great Britain declared the capital of colonial Canada, a small village in the south of the colony - Ottawa. In the past, on the site of the village there was a kind of import, that is, a place for trade, where Indian tribes held fairs. Later, during the colonization of the continent, a lumberjack settlement arose on the site of Ottawa, which 40 years later was declared the capital of the new colony. At that distant time, Ottawa was the only populated area that existed in the region of the great American lakes. In 1867, Ottawa became the official capital of the Dominion of Canada. Today Ottawa is a large city, the fourth largest in the country. Ottawa serves not only as the capital of the state, the city is an important cultural and economic center of the country. Ottawa's population is approaching one million people. Ottawa is a very green and clean city. In the capital of Canada there is no such thing as outskirts, because the city, both in the center and on the outskirts, is well-groomed and clean. Neat cottages, tidy streets and manicured lawns, richly decorated government offices and a perfectly preserved old town make Ottawa one of the most beautiful cities in the world. A traveler who has visited the capital of Canada at least once will never forget the comfort and beauty of this city.

year 2009 Terrorist attack in Espoo

On December 31, 2009, in one of the shopping centers in the Finnish city of Espoo, a mentally ill native of Albania opened indiscriminate fire at employees and visitors of the shopping center. As a result, several people died and dozens were seriously injured. The terrorist turned out to be an Albanian citizen, Ibrahim Shkupolli. Presumably the reason for this act was a quarrel with his beloved. During the conflict, Ibrahim killed the girl in her home and then headed to the shopping center. Having staged a bloody showdown there, Ibrahim committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. Ibrahim came to Finland to work; he was married in his homeland, but this did not stop him from having an affair far from his homeland. The investigation also established that the deceased girl worked in the same shopping center where the tragedy occurred. The criminal first began shooting at cars standing near the shopping center, and then broke into the center building. After the shooting at the shopping center, Ibrahim went to his brother's house, but the police soon arrived there. Not wanting to surrender to the hands of justice, Ibrahim shot himself at 11:13 am. After such a daring crime, the Finnish government decided to reconsider the principles of migration policy. It is planned to tighten the conditions for immigration into the country, and for some countries to limit them altogether.

2007 Elections to the Parliament of Bhutan

On December 31, elections were held for Bhutan's new parliament, the National Council. The number of council deputies is not large, only 25 members. It is interesting that the people elect 20 deputies, the remaining 5 are appointed by the king. Elections are held under direct voting conditions in twenty provinces. The number of voters does not exceed 313,000 people. According to Bhutan's electoral law, provincial elections can only take place if at least two candidates compete for a parliamentary mandate. In the first election campaign in five provinces, elections did not take place due to the presence of only one candidate, or the complete absence of candidates for the deputy mandate. Elections to the National Council differ significantly from elections to the National Assembly. Elections to the Assembly are held according to party lists, and to the National Council according to a majoritarian system. They try to elect people respected by the people, representing the interests of all sectors of society, to the national council. Candidates for the national council must strictly meet two main criteria: not be a member of any political party and have completed higher education. Candidates are selected by special assemblies, "zomdus", convened in each province. Thus, the Constitutional reform carried out in Bhutan gives hope for building a democratic society in the country.

Born on December 31

Anthony Hopkins(1937), American actor, director

The actor was born in Great Britain in the city of Port Talbot, County Wales. When the guy was twenty-six years old, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After graduating, he played in amateur theater and unexpectedly won a scholarship, which gave him the opportunity to study at the College of Theater and Music in Cardiff. He studied there for two years and was drafted into the army. After serving, Anthony was invited to audition for Sir Laurence Olivier, who at that time directed the National Theater. After two years, Hopkins became Olivier's understudy. Once in the midst of artistic bohemia, the previously unsociable Anthony blossomed before our eyes. He became very sociable and was called “the life of the party.” Soon he began to play in Shakespeare productions, and in cinema he played his first role in 1968, it was a historical film. Then the British Academy recognized this film as the best, and Anthony Hopkins was recognized as the best leading role. Tony was very happy, because this was his first award. The actor appeared on American screens in 1973; critics wrote that this was Hopkins’ most successful role in his acting career. This was followed by many films and performances with Tony's participation. And in 1987, Queen Elizabeth awarded Anthony a knighthood, which meant that his services to British art were appreciated throughout the world in his homeland. Subsequently, he was nominated for an Oscar as the best leading actor and won the title of Best Actor. The actor showed his talent as a director in 1996, released a film based on A.P. Chekhov, personally wrote the music for the film and, moreover, starred in the title role. Then he shot various films, and he himself took part in them, if not the main role, then certainly an episodic role. Anthony Hopkins has a professional gift for acting. Each of his roles is not played, but lived by the actor.

Semyon Farada(1933-2009), outstanding comedian

The outstanding artist was born in the Moscow region, on December 31, 1933, in the village of Nikolskoye. Surname at birth, Ferdman. He received his higher education at Bauman University, after graduating he began working as an engineer. Since 1970, Farada begins to try herself on the stage. In 1972, the young artist was invited to work at the Taganka Drama and Comedy Theater. There he plays in productions: “The Master and Margarita”, “Hamlet”, “The Good Man from Szechwan”, etc. Farada first appeared in films in the late 1960s, in the film “Vacation in the Stone Age”. Having seen the actor's comedic talent, directors began to invite Farada to comedic roles. In the films “That Same Munchausen”, “Garage”, “After the Rain on Thursday”, “Sorcerers”, “Formula of Love” Farad plays brilliantly, for which he receives a number of prizes and awards. The great actor played in more than 70 films, and each of his roles became original and unique. The actor’s last famous film works were: “Midshipmen, Forward” and “Private Detective, or Operation-Cooperation.” In 1999, the artist was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia. In recent years, Semyon Lvovich was seriously ill; after suffering two strokes, the actor became disabled. Long-term treatment and rehabilitation did not produce a significant effect. In recent years, the artist was in a helpless state and needed round-the-clock care and attention.

Elizaveta Zarubina(1900-1987), Soviet intelligence officer, KGB lieutenant colonel

The outstanding Soviet intelligence officer was born on December 31, 1900, in the Moldavian village of Rzhaventsy. She graduated from the Faculty of Philology of the University and was fluent in Romanian, English, German and French. Since his youth, he has been a member of communist organizations in the underground Komsomol organization of Bessarabia and the Communist Party of Austria. In 1925, she accepted Soviet citizenship and began working as a translator for the USSR Trade Representative in Vienna. In 1928, she underwent training and special training in Moscow, where she was given personal documents in the name of me, Elizaveta Yuryevna Gorskaya. There she marries intelligence officer Vasily Zarubin. In 1929, Soviet intelligence services introduced the Zarubins into the Western European community. Posing as a Czech married couple, the Zarubins travel to Denmark and from there head to Paris. The Zarubins were distinguished by their high professionalism and sense of duty, and unlike other intelligence masters, the married couple never failed. In the 1990s, it became known about the great contribution of the Zarubins in discovering the secrets of creating the American atomic bomb. Elizaveta Yulievna was an extremely beautiful woman, she was brought up in the spirit of high culture and education. In everyday life, the intelligence officer was unusually modest and shy. Thanks to her dedicated work, she rose to the highest rank for a woman, lieutenant colonel of the State Security Committee. Even during her lifetime, she was called a legendary intelligence officer.

Pierre-Charles de Villeneuve(1763-1806), admiral of the French fleet

The admiral was born on December 31, 1763, into a noble family. From the age of 15 he served in the naval guard. Takes part in the colonial wars in America. In 1786 he was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet, where he already commanded a ship. During Napoleon's reign, Pierre successfully moved up the career ladder. He takes part in Napoleon's Egyptian campaign, but behaves very contradictorily. On the one hand, he takes command of the fleet, instead of the deceased Admiral Bruet, and on the other, he surrenders to the British off the coast of Malta. Despite the first failures, in 1904, Napoleon appointed Pierre-Charles, rear admiral of the fleet. A year later, Pierre-Charles de Villeneuve became commander of the entire French fleet. Conducts an unsuccessful Franco-Spanish naval operation against the English fleet. Goes on a trip to the Caribbean Islands. In general, Napoleon is not very happy with the admiral, de Villeneuve, often violates the orders of the emperor, and in emergency situations he shows passivity and weakness. This happened during a joint Franco-Spanish operation, during which the admiral simply abandoned his allies and retreated. Some historians explain this contradictory behavior of the admiral, the poor state of the French fleet and the admiral's desire to maneuver and avoid complete defeat is an attempt to preserve the fleet. His last unsuccessful battle was the Battle of Cape Trafalgar, in which the admiral suffered a crushing defeat. This ends the career of Pierre-Charles as a military strategist.

Emile Loubet(1838-1929), President of France

Born in the town of Marsanne, France. He began his career as a lawyer. In 1885 he was elected to the Senate, and a year later became a minister. In 1892, he was appointed Prime Minister of France, but did not stay in this post for long and soon resigned due to behind-the-scenes games and political scandals. Two years later he again becomes the country's prime minister. After this, he is elected president of the Senate. In 1899, Loubet was elected President of the third French Republic. In those days, the President of France was elected in Parliament. During the reign of Emile Lube, the foundation of the state apparatus was laid in France, and permanent ministries appeared. In the period before the First World War, the president took an active part in the creation of the anti-German coalition - the Entente. Maintains close ties with the English and Russian courts. Makes state visits to England and Russia. Met with Emperor Nicholas and King Edward of England. By nature, President Loubet was an honest and respectable person, he tried to find a compromise in conflicts, and strictly followed the laws and the constitution. Never violated presidential protocol. After the end of his presidential term, he settled in the small town of Montelimar, whose residents asked Emil to be their mayor. The president lived a long life and almost lived to be 91.

Name day December 31st

Georgy, Vera, Elizaveta, Mark, Zoya, Sergey, Fedor.