October Revolution Day in Belarus

Legal status and the day off

The presidential decree names November 7 as October Revolution Day in its list of nationwide celebratory days. This is a different category from the decree’s list of state holidays, though both categories can be declared non-working under Belarusian labour law.[1][2]

The Labour Code says work is not performed on state holidays and celebratory days that have been established and proclaimed as non-working. It allows work where stopping is impossible for production reasons, where continuous service to the public or organizations is needed, and for urgent repair or loading work. So the date is a non-working holiday, but some services and workplaces may continue operating.[2]

If a regular weekly rest day coincides with a state holiday or celebratory day, the Labour Code says the rest day is not transferred and no additional rest day is granted. The calendar listing for this page likewise gives no substitute day.[2]

What the date commemorates

The name refers to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum describes the Bolshevik seizure of government buildings and the Winter Palace in Petrograd on October 24–25, 1917, and the replacement of the Provisional Government by a Soviet government under Lenin.[3]

The Belarusian decree establishes the date as a holiday in Belarus, but that legal listing does not describe a distinct Belarusian historical interpretation or prescribe how people should observe it. Check local guidance for customs, food or regional practices.[1]

What to expect

The law establishes non-working status and exceptions for certain kinds of work. Check opening hours with the particular bank, shop, school, restaurant, or transport provider, and check local announcements for public ceremonies.[1][2]