Almost 60 constituent entities of the Russian Federation decided to declare December 31, 2020 a day off.

Over the past 24 hours, the relevant decrees have been signed by the heads of more than 20 Russian regions.

Among them are Altai, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk Territories, the Republics of Karachay-Cherkessia, Udmurtia, Bashkiria, Dagestan, Yakutia, as well as Amur, Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Novosibirsk, Tver, Pskov, Kaluga, Smolensk, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Ivanovsk regions and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.

The decision on the day off primarily affects civil servants, but a recommendation has also been made for heads of municipalities and employers to make December 31 a non-working day.

The decrees indicate that all emergency and emergency services will operate normally on holidays.

The day before, a joint meeting of the State Council and the Presidential Council for Strategic Development and National Projects took place.

During the event, the leader of the United Russia faction Sergei Neverov made a proposal to declare December 31 a day off.

“Now in many regions it has already been decided to make December 31 a day off.

"United Russia" proposes to make December 31 a day off throughout the country.

After all, this is a family holiday, chores on the last day of the year.

Especially our women, of course, strive to have a good and beautiful table set, so that it is cozy in the house.

And of course, it would be great if they and all of us together on that day did not work until 6 pm, but were at home, ”he said.

In turn, Vladimir Putin agreed that this initiative "should be supported."

“Rest is not work, we have a lot of holidays in the New Year.

One more, one less, there probably won't be less of us, but on the 31st, a very peculiar work is really being organized, to put it mildly, "said the President of Russia.

The head of state stressed that it is impossible to declare December 31 of this year a day off at the federal level in accordance with the current law, and made a corresponding recommendation to the regional authorities.

"Well, over the next year it will be possible to make the necessary decision in order to organize this holiday for the future from the federal level," Putin added.

As Valery Ryazansky, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, noted, the recommendation of the Russian leader also helps to resolve the issue related to the interaction of regions. 

“We must not forget that people these days move, travel from one region to another, and they can come from the region where the holidays have begun, to the region where there is still a working day,” the senator explained in an interview with RT.

  • AGN "Moscow"

  • © Kirill Zykov

The head of the State Duma committee on labor and social policy, Yaroslav Nilov, stated that during the day, many regions took into account the recommendation of the head of state and made December 31 a day off.

“We called for this to be done last year.

Because it is absolutely reasonable, in demand and, most importantly, does not bear any financial burden.

On the contrary, it increases labor productivity, because there is no full-time working day on December 31, ”said the interlocutor of RT.

He also recalled that on November 26, the State Duma at a plenary session rejected a similar bill proposed by the Liberal Democratic Party.

The document, he said, "did not violate the balance of working and non-working days."

Later, a member of the Public Chamber, the head of Sober Russia, Sultan Khamzaev, asked the leaders of the Russian regions to declare December 31 a day off.

We add that the coming week from December 28 to January 3 will be shortened.

From January 1 to January 10, 2021, New Year's holidays are celebrated in Russia.

This is the first of seven holiday periods in 2021 for Russian citizens.

Long weekend for Russians is also expected in February - from 21 to 23, in March - from 6 to 8, twice in May - from 1 to 3 and from 8 to 10.

In addition, Russian citizens will have three days off from June 12 to 14 on the occasion of Russia Day.

Moreover, in November there will be four days of rest in a row - from 4 to 7 - on the occasion of National Unity Day.

In addition, December 31, 2021 on the territory of Russia will become a day off due to the postponement of the holidays.

The corresponding decree was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

“In the new year, January 2 and 3 fall on Saturday and Sunday.

Since these are non-working holidays, it was decided to postpone them to Friday, November 5, and Friday, December 31, respectively, "the website of the Cabinet of Ministers says.