May 29 in the Republic of South Ossetia marks an important date – Day of adoption of the Act of Independence.
In South Ossetia, there are two dates inextricably linked with gaining independence status and overcoming the status of political instability in the region. The first of them – is Independence Day, celebrated on May 29, and the second – is Republic Day of South Ossetia, celebrated on September 20.
Both dates have their roots in the events of the late 80s – of the early 90s of the 20th century, when, against the backdrop of growing activity of the political forces of the Georgian SSR, which advocated independence from the central government of the USSR, the question of the future fate of the South Ossetian Autonomous Okrug became acute. Formed in 1922 and part of the Georgian SSR, South Ossetia continued to remain an autonomous region within the Republic until national movements in Georgia intensified, leading to an escalation of the conflict with national minorities (primarily – Abkhazians and Ossetians).
In an effort to ensure the security of their people, the authorities of the South Ossetian Autonomous Okrug decided on September 20, 1990 to transform the autonomous region into the South Ossetian Soviet Democratic Republic and adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty. In response, a state of emergency was introduced by the Georgian SSR.
Throughout 1991, the territory of South Ossetia was a zone of armed conflict. As a result, the South Ossetian authorities turned to the Supreme Council of the RSFSR in September 1991 with a request to consider the issue of joining Russia. But the political crisis in the USSR, which ended with its collapse in December 1991, prevented the consideration of this request.
However, not wanting to leave the issue of independence from Georgia unresolved, the South Ossetian authorities adopted the Declaration of Independence of South Ossetia on December 21, 1991, and the act of declaring the independence of the Republic was adopted by the Supreme Council of the Republic on May 29, 1992. This was preceded by a referendum held among residents of South Ossetia in January of the same year, in which more than 90% of participants were in favor of independence.
It is this date – is May 29, and today is one of the main public holidays of the Republic of South Ossetia. The adoption of the Act of Independence marked the beginning of the formation of its own authorities and legislative system, which was based on the Constitution of the Republic.
In June 1992, a quadripartite agreement was signed to resolve the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, the zone of which included mixed contingents of the armed forces of Georgia and Russia.
In August 2008, Georgia tried to resolve the issue of the territorial affiliation of South Ossetia by armed means, starting hostilities and attacking South Ossetia and the city of Tskhinvali. As a result of five days of fighting, the Russian armed forces managed to oust the armed formations of the Georgian Army from the territory of South Ossetia. This was followed on August 26, 2008 by Russia's recognition of the sovereignty of the Republic of South Ossetia.
The day of adoption of the Act of Independence of the Republic is a non-working holiday, emphasizing the state and national importance of the date.