"This holiday has become a symbol of unity and unity of the people, thanks to which the residents of the Republic of Crimea were able to defend their rights, overcome the difficulties that fell to their lot," Matvienko said in a congratulatory telegram.
According to her, since then much has been done to integrate Crimea into the socio-economic, humanitarian and legal space of Russia.
She expressed confidence that the residents of the region will continue to contribute to the prosperity of their small homeland.
Earlier, the head of the Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, called the reunification of the region with Russia a symbol of the return of Russian lands.
Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum held there in March 2014: the majority of residents voted for reunification with Russia.