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February 23 is Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia. This day marks the anniversary of the formation of the Red Army in 1918 during the Russian Civil War. The holiday is marked with parades, military displays, and the laying of wreaths on the graves of fallen soldiers.
The day has had many names, beginning as Red Army Day and becoming Red Army and Navy Day during the Soviet Regime, and Defender of the Fatherland Day since 1991.