14 июля день взятия бастилии главный национальный праздник франции

Ежегодно 14 июля вся Франция празднует национальный праздник Республики — День взятия Бастилии (фр. La Fête Nationale) или День 14 июля (фр. Le Quatorze Juillet), установленный еще в 1880 году.

Историческое событие, которое стало основанием для учреждения праздника, произошло во время Великой французской революции — в 1789 году восставшие парижане штурмом взяли крепость-тюрьму Бастилию — символ королевского деспотизма и освободили семерых заключенных. Это событие считается началом Великой французской революции, а также символом свержения абсолютизма.

Хотя День взятия Бастилии считается национальным праздником Франции, но отмечается он не только в этой стране, но и во всем мире. Осада и взятие Бастилии — одно из грандиозных событий в истории человечества. Оно стало символом достигнутого революционным путем политического освобождения, а само слово «Бастилия» стало нарицательным.

Торжества в этот день проходят по всей Франции. Но, пожалуй, даже встреча Нового года не сравнится с тем, что происходит в Париже 14 июля. Как известно, Великая французская революция началась с вооруженного захвата восставшими парижанами грозной и ненавистной тюрьмы-крепости Бастилии в этот день в 1789 году.

Однако, большинство ликующего народа сегодня уже не относятся к этому празднику как революционному. Им уже не важно, что и как произошло 200 с лишним лет назад. Празднуется нечто великое для каждого француза, светлое, радостное и патриотическое.

Официальная программа празднования предусматривает серию балов: балы пожарных, Большой бал, который происходит 13 июля в саду Тюильри. В сам День взятия Бастилии проходит торжественный военный парад на Елисейских полях. Парад начинается в 10 часов утра с Этуаль и двигается в сторону Лувра, принимает его президент Франции.

На площади Конкорд, напротив знаменитой Триумфальной арки, воздвигнуты специальные места для зрителей. Финалом праздника становится большой салют и фейерверк у Эйфелевой башни и на Марсовых полях. Это пиротехническое представление начинается обычно в 10 часов вечера.

Помимо официальной программы торжеств, по всему городу — в дискотеках, барах, ночных клубах, в домах и просто на улицах — проходят непрекращающиеся вечеринки. Сейчас на месте Бастилии большой транспортный круг — развязка с Колонной Бастилии в центре.

«fête nationale française» redirects here. For other French language fêtes nationales, see fête nationale.

Bastille Day
The Patrouille de France with nine Alpha Jets over the Champs-Élysées in Paris in 2017
Also called	French National Day (Fête nationale) The Fourteenth of July (Quatorze juillet)
Observed by	France
Type	National day
Significance	Commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789,[1][2] and the unity of the French people at the Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790
Celebrations	Military parades, fireworks, concerts, balls
Date	14 July
Next time	14 July 2023
Frequency	Annual

Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. In French, it is formally called the Fête nationale française (French: [fɛt nasjɔnal]; «French National Celebration»); legally it is known as le 14 juillet (French: [lə katɔʁz(ə) ʒɥijɛ]; «the 14th of July»).^[3]

The French National Day is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789,^[1][2] a major event of the French Revolution,^[4] as well as the Fête de la Fédération that celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. Celebrations are held throughout France. One that has been reported as «the oldest and largest military parade in Europe»^[5] is held on 14 July on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, along with other French officials and foreign guests.^[6][7]

History[edit]

In 1789, tensions rose in France between reformist and conservative factions as the country struggled to resolve an economic crisis. In May, the Estates General legislative assembly was revived, but members of the Third Estate broke ranks, declaring themselves to be the National Assembly of the country, and on 20 June, vowed to write a constitution for the kingdom.

On 11 July Jacques Necker, the finance minister of Louis XVI, who was sympathetic to the Third Estate, was dismissed by the King, provoking an angry reaction among Parisians. Crowds formed, fearful of an attack by the royal army or by foreign regiments of mercenaries in the King’s service, and seeking to arm the general populace. Early on 14 July one crowd besieged the Hôtel des Invalides for firearms, muskets, and cannons, stored in its cellars.^[8] That same day, another crowd stormed the Bastille, a fortress-prison in Paris that had historically held people jailed on the basis of lettres de cachet (literally «signet letters»), arbitrary royal indictments that could not be appealed and did not indicate the reason for the imprisonment, and was believed to hold a cache of ammunition and gunpowder. As it happened, at the time of the attack, the Bastille held only seven inmates, none of great political significance.^[9]

The crowd was eventually reinforced by mutinous Régiment des Gardes Françaises («French Guards»), whose usual role was to protect public buildings. They proved a fair match for the fort’s defenders, and Governor de Launay, the commander of the Bastille, capitulated and opened the gates to avoid a mutual massacre. According to the official documents, about 200 attackers and just one defender died before the capitulation. However, possibly because of a misunderstanding, fighting resumed. In this second round of fighting, de Launay and seven other defenders were killed, as was Jacques de Flesselles, the prévôt des marchands («provost of the merchants»), the elected head of the city’s guilds, who under the feudal monarchy also had the competences of a present-day mayor.^[10]

Shortly after the storming of the Bastille, late in the evening of 4 August, after a very stormy session of the Assemblée constituante, feudalism was abolished. On 26 August, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Déclaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen) was proclaimed.^[11]

Fête de la Fédération[edit]

As early as 1789, the year of the storming of the Bastille, preliminary designs for a national festival were underway. These designs were intended to strengthen the country’s national identity through the celebration of the events of 14 July 1789.^[12] One of the first designs was proposed by Clément Gonchon, a French textile worker, who presented his design for a festival celebrating the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille to the French city administration and the public on 9 December 1789.^[13] There were other proposals and unofficial celebrations of 14 July 1789, but the official festival sponsored by the National Assembly was called the Fête de la Fédération.^[14]

The Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790 was a celebration of the unity of the French nation during the French Revolution. The aim of this celebration, one year after the Storming of the Bastille, was to symbolize peace. The event took place on the Champ de Mars, which was located far outside of Paris at the time. The work needed to transform the Champ de Mars into a suitable location for the celebration was not on schedule to be completed in time. On the day recalled as the Journée des brouettes («The Day of the Wheelbarrow»), thousands of Parisian citizens gathered together to finish the construction needed for the celebration.^[15]

The day of the festival, the National Guard assembled and proceeded along the boulevard du Temple in the pouring rain, and were met by an estimated 260,000 Parisian citizens at the Champ de Mars.^[16] A mass was celebrated by Talleyrand, bishop of Autun. The popular General Lafayette, as captain of the National Guard of Paris and a confidant of the king, took his oath to the constitution, followed by King Louis XVI. After the end of the official celebration, the day ended in a huge four-day popular feast, and people celebrated with fireworks, as well as fine wine and running nude through the streets in order to display their great freedom.^[17]

Origin of the current celebration[edit]

On 30 June 1878, a feast was officially arranged in Paris to honour the French Republic (the event was commemorated in a painting by Claude Monet).^[18] On 14 July 1879, there was another feast, with a semi-official aspect. The day’s events included a reception in the Chamber of Deputies, organised and presided over by Léon Gambetta,^[19] a military review at Longchamp, and a Republican Feast in the Pré Catelan.^[20] All through France, Le Figaro wrote, «people feasted much to honour the storming of the Bastille».^[21]

In 1880, the government of the Third Republic wanted to revive the 14 July festival. The campaign for the reinstatement of the festival was sponsored by the notable politician Léon Gambetta and scholar Henri Baudrillant.^[22] On 21 May 1880, Benjamin Raspail proposed a law, signed by sixty-four members of government, to have «the Republic adopt 14 July as the day of an annual national festival». There were many disputes over which date to be remembered as the national holiday, including 4 August (the commemoration of the end of the feudal system), 5 May (when the Estates-General first assembled), 27 July (the fall of Robespierre), and 21 January (the date of Louis XVI’s execution).^[23] The government decided that the date of the holiday would be 14 July, but it was still somewhat problematic. The events of 14 July 1789 were illegal under the previous government, which contradicted the Third Republic’s need to establish legal legitimacy.^[24] French politicians also did not want the sole foundation of their national holiday to be rooted in a day of bloodshed and class-hatred as the day of storming the Bastille was. Instead, they based the establishment of the holiday as a dual celebration of the Fête de la Fédération, a festival celebrating the first anniversary of 14 July 1789, and the storming of the Bastille.^[25] The Assembly voted in favor of the proposal on 21 May and 8 June, and the law was approved on 27 and 29 June. The law was made official on 6 July 1880.^{[citation needed]}

In the debate leading up to the adoption of the holiday, Senator Henri Martin, who wrote the National Day law,^[25] addressed the chamber on 29 June 1880:

Do not forget that behind this 14 July, where victory of the new era over the Ancien Régime was bought by fighting, do not forget that after the day of 14 July 1789, there was the day of 14 July 1790 (…) This [latter] day cannot be blamed for having shed a drop of blood, for having divided the country. It was the consecration of the unity of France (…) If some of you might have scruples against the first 14 July, they certainly hold none against the second. Whatever difference which might part us, something hovers over them, it is the great images of national unity, which we all desire, for which we would all stand, willing to die if necessary.

Bastille Day military parade[edit]

The Bastille Day military parade is the French military parade that has been held in the morning, each year in Paris since 1880. While previously held elsewhere within or near the capital city, since 1918 it has been held on the Champs-Élysées, with the participation of the Allies as represented in the Versailles Peace Conference, and with the exception of the period of German occupation from 1940 to 1944 (when the ceremony took place in London under the command of General Charles de Gaulle); and 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation.^[27] The parade passes down the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where the President of the French Republic, his government and foreign ambassadors to France stand. This is a popular event in France, broadcast on French TV, and is the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe.^[6][7] In some years, invited detachments of foreign troops take part in the parade and foreign statesmen attend as guests^{[citation needed]}

Smaller military parades are held in French garrison towns, including Toulon and Belfort, with local troops.^[28]

• 

  Allied forces participate in the military parade

• 

  The French President traditionally welcomes honorary guests for the parade (here: Donald Trump in 2017)

• 

• 

  Surgeon general inspector Dominique Vallet, head of the Laveran military medical school, at the ceremonies for Bastille Day in Marseille, 2012

Bastille Day celebrations in other countries[edit]

Belgium[edit]

Liège celebrates Bastille Day each year since the end of the First World War, as Liège was decorated by the Légion d’Honneur for its unexpected resistance during the Battle of Liège.^[29] The city also hosts a fireworks show outside of Congress Hall. Specifically in Liège, celebrations of Bastille Day have been known to be bigger than the celebrations of the Belgian National holiday.^[30] Around 35,000 people gather to celebrate Bastille Day. There is a traditional festival dance of the French consul that draws large crowds, and many unofficial events over the city celebrate the relationship between France and the city of Liège.^[31]

Canada[edit]

Vancouver, British Columbia holds a celebration featuring exhibits, food and entertainment.^[32] The Toronto Bastille Day festival is also celebrated in Toronto, Ontario. The festival is organized by the French community in Toronto and sponsored by the Consulate General of France. The celebration includes music, performances, sport competitions, and a French Market. At the end of the festival, there is also a traditional French bal populaire.^[33]

Czech Republic[edit]

Since 2008, Prague has hosted a French market «Le marché du 14 juillet» («Fourteenth of July Market») offering traditional French food and wine as well as music. The market takes place on Kampa Island, it is usually between 11 and 14 July.^[34] It acts as an event that marks the relinquish of the EU presidency from France to the Czech Republic. Traditional selections of French produce, including cheese, wine, meat, bread and pastries, are provided by the market. Throughout the event, live music is played in the evenings, with lanterns lighting up the square at night.^[35]

Denmark[edit]

The amusement park Tivoli celebrates Bastille Day.^[36]

Hungary[edit]

Budapest’s two-day celebration is sponsored by the Institut de France.^[37] The festival is hosted along the Danube River, with streets filled with music and dancing. There are also local markets dedicated to French foods and wine, mixed with some traditional Hungarian specialties. At the end of the celebration, a fireworks show is held on the river banks.^[38]

India[edit]

Bastille Day is celebrated with great festivity in Pondicherry, a former French colony, every year.^[39] On the eve of Bastille Day, retired soldiers parade and celebrate the day with Indian and French National Anthems, honoring the French soldiers who were killed in the battles. Throughout the celebration, French and Indian flags fly alongside each other, projecting the mingling of cultures and heritages.^[40]

Ireland[edit]

The Embassy of France in Ireland organizes several events around Dublin, Cork and Limerick for Bastille Day; including evenings of French music and tasting of French food. Many members of the French community in Ireland take part in the festivities.^[41] Events in Dublin include live entertainment, speciality menus on French cuisine, and screenings of popular French films.^[42]

New Zealand[edit]

The Auckland suburb of Remuera hosts an annual French-themed Bastille Day street festival.^[43] Visitors enjoy mimes, dancers, music, as well as French foods and drinks. The budding relationship between the two countries, with the establishment of a Maori garden in France and exchange of their analyses of cave art, resulted in the creation of an official reception at the Residence of France. There is also an event in Wellington for the French community held at the Residence of France.^[35]

South Africa[edit]

Franschhoek’s weekend festival^[44] has been celebrated since 1993. (Franschhoek, or ‘French Corner,’ is situated in the Western Cape.) As South Africa’s gourmet capital, French food, wine and other entertainment is provided throughout the festival. The French Consulate in South Africa also celebrates their national holiday with a party for the French community.^[35] Activities also include dressing up in different items of French clothing.^[45]

French Polynesia[edit]

Following colonial rule, France annexed a large portion of what is now French Polynesia. Under French rule, Tahitians were permitted to participate in sport, singing, and dancing competitions one day a year: Bastille Day.^[46] The single day of celebration evolved into the major Heiva i Tahiti festival in Papeete Tahiti, where traditional events such as canoe races, tattooing, and fire walks are held. The singing and dancing competitions continued, with music composed with traditional instruments such as a nasal flute and ukulele.^[35]

United Kingdom[edit]

Within the UK, London has a large French contingent, and celebrates Bastille Day at various locations across the city including Battersea Park, Camden Town and Kentish Town.^[47] Live entertainment is performed at Canary Wharf, with weeklong performances of French theatre at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. Restaurants feature cabarets and special menus across the city, and other celebrations include garden parties and sports tournaments. There is also a large event at the Bankside and Borough Market, where there is live music, street performers, and traditional French games are played.^[35]

United States[edit]

The United States has over 20 cities that conduct annual celebrations of Bastille Day. The different cities celebrate with many French staples such as food, music, games, and sometimes the recreation of famous French landmarks.^[48]

Northeastern States

Baltimore, Maryland, has a large Bastille Day celebration each year at Petit Louis in the Roland Park area of Baltimore. Boston has a celebration annually, hosted by the French Cultural Center for 40 years. The street festival occurs in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, near the Cultural Center’s headquarters. The celebration includes francophone musical performers, dancing, and French cuisine.^[49] New York City has numerous Bastille Day celebrations each July, including Bastille Day on 60th Street hosted by the French Institute Alliance Française between Fifth and Lexington Avenues on the Upper East Side of Manhattan,^[50] Bastille Day on Smith Street in Brooklyn, and Bastille Day in Tribeca. There is also the annual Bastille Day Ball, taking place since 1924.^[48] Philadelphia’s Bastille Day, held at Eastern State Penitentiary, involves Marie Antoinette throwing locally manufactured Tastykakes at the Parisian militia, as well as a re-enactment of the storming of the Bastille.^[49] (This Philadelphia tradition ended in 2018.^[51]) In Newport, Rhode Island, the annual Bastille Day celebration is organized by the local chapter of the Alliance Française. It takes place at King Park in Newport at the monument memorializing the accomplishments of the General Comte de Rochambeau whose 6,000 to 7,000 French forces landed in Newport on 11 July 1780. Their assistance in the defeat of the English in the War of Independence is well documented and is demonstrable proof of the special relationship between France and the United States.^{[citation needed]} In Washington D.C., food, music, and auction events are sponsored by the Embassy of France. There is also a French Festival within the city, where families can meet period entertainment groups set during the time of the French Revolution. Restaurants host parties serving traditional French food.^[48]

Southern States

In Dallas, Texas, the Bastille Day celebration, «Bastille On Bishop», began in 2010 and is held annually in the Bishop Arts District of the North Oak Cliff neighborhood, southwest of downtown just across the Trinity River. Dallas’ French roots are tied to the short lived socialist Utopian community La Réunion, formed in 1855 and incorporated into the City of Dallas in 1860.^[52] Miami’s celebration is organized by «French & Famous» in partnership with the French American Chamber of Commerce, the Union des Français de l’Etranger and many French brands. The event gathers over 1,000 attendees to celebrate «La Fête Nationale». The location and theme change every year. In 2017, the theme was «Guinguette Party» and attracted 1,200 francophiles at The River Yacht Club.^[53] New Orleans, Louisiana, has multiple celebrations, the largest in the historic French Quarter.^[54] In Austin, Texas, the Alliance Française d’Austin usually conducts a family-friendly Bastille Day party at the French Legation, the home of the French representative to the Republic of Texas from 1841 to 1845.^{[citation needed]}

Midwestern States

Chicago, Illinois, has hosted a variety of Bastille Day celebrations in a number of locations in the city, including Navy Pier and Oz Park. The recent incarnations have been sponsored in part by the Chicago branch of the French-American Chamber of Commerce and by the French Consulate-General in Chicago.^[55] Milwaukee’s four-day street festival begins with a «Storming of the Bastille» with a 43-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower.^[56] Minneapolis, Minnesota, has a celebration with wine, French food, pastries, a flea market, circus performers and bands. Also in the Twin Cities area, the local chapter of the Alliance Française has hosted an annual event for years at varying locations with a competition for the «Best Baguette of the Twin Cities.»^[57][58] Montgomery, Ohio, has a celebration with wine, beer, local restaurants’ fare, pastries, games and bands.^[59] St. Louis, Missouri, has annual festivals in the Soulard neighborhood, the former French village of Carondelet, Missouri, and in the Benton Park neighborhood. The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion in the Benton Park neighborhood, holds an annual Bastille Day festival with reenactments of the beheading of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, traditional dancing, and artillery demonstrations. Carondelet also began hosting an annual saloon crawl to celebrate Bastille Day in 2017.^[60] The Soulard neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri celebrates its unique French heritage with special events including a parade, which honors the peasants who rejected to monarchy. The parade includes a ‘gathering of the mob,’ a walking and golf cart parade, and a mock beheading of the King and Queen.^[61]

Western States

Portland, Oregon, has celebrated Bastille Day with crowds up to 8,000, in public festivals at various public parks, since 2001. The event is coordinated by the Alliance Française of Portland.^[62] Seattle’s Bastille Day celebration, held at the Seattle Center, involves performances, picnics, wine and shopping.^[63] Sacramento, California, conducts annual «waiter races» in the midtown restaurant and shopping district, with a street festival.^[64]

One-time celebrations[edit]

• 1979: A concert with Jean-Michel Jarre on the Place de la Concorde in Paris was the first concert to have one million attendees.^[65]
• 1989: France celebrated the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, notably with a monumental show on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, directed by French designer Jean-Paul Goude. President François Mitterrand acted as a host for invited world leaders.^[66]
• 1990: A concert with Jarre was held at La Défense near Paris.^[67]
• 1994: The military parade was opened by Eurocorps, a newly created European army unit including German soldiers. This was the first time German troops paraded in France since 1944, as a symbol of Franco-German reconciliation.^[68]
• 1995: A concert with Jarre was held at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.^[69]
• 1998: Two days after the French football team became World Cup champions, huge celebrations took place nationwide.^[70]
• 2004: To commemorate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, the British led the military parade with the Red Arrows flying overhead.^[71]
• 2007: To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the military parade was led by troops from the 26 other EU member states, all marching at the French time.^[72]
• 2014: To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, representatives of 80 countries who fought during this conflict were invited to the ceremony. The military parade was opened by 76 flags representing each of these countries.^[73]
• 2017: To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the United States of America’s entry into the First World War, president of France Emmanuel Macron invited then-U.S. president Donald Trump to celebrate a centuries-long transatlantic tie between the two countries.^[74] Trump was reported to have admired the display, and pushed for the United States to «top it» with a proposed military parade on 10 November 2018 (the eve of the Armistice Day centenary).^[75][76]

Incidents during Bastille Day[edit]

• In 2002, Maxime Brunerie attempted to shoot French President Jacques Chirac during the Champs-Élysées parade.^[77]
• In 2009, Paris youths set fire to more than 300 cars on Bastille Day.^[78]
• In 2016, Tunisian terrorist Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drove a truck into crowds during celebrations in the city of Nice. 86 people were killed and 434 injured along the Promenade des Anglais,^[79] before the attacker was killed in a shootout with police.^[80]

See also[edit]

• «Bastille Day», a song by Canadian progressive rock band Rush
• Bastille Day (1933 film), a French romantic comedy by René Clair
• Bastille Day (2016 film), a film starring Idris Elba
• Triplets of Bellville (2003 film), an animated film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet
• Bastille, a British alternative rock band named after the birthday of their frontman
• Bastille Day event
• Opération 14 juillet
• Place de la Bastille
• Public holidays in France
• Other national holidays in July:
  • Canada Day in Canada
  • Independence Day/Fourth of July in the United States of America
  • Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland
  • Belgian National Day

References[edit]

External links[edit]

«fête nationale française» redirects here. For other French language fêtes nationales, see fête nationale.

Bastille Day
The Patrouille de France with nine Alpha Jets over the Champs-Élysées in Paris in 2017
Also called	French National Day (Fête nationale) The Fourteenth of July (Quatorze juillet)
Observed by	France
Type	National day
Significance	Commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789,[1][2] and the unity of the French people at the Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790
Celebrations	Military parades, fireworks, concerts, balls
Date	14 July
Next time	14 July 2023
Frequency	Annual

Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. In French, it is formally called the Fête nationale française (French: [fɛt nasjɔnal]; «French National Celebration»); legally it is known as le 14 juillet (French: [lə katɔʁz(ə) ʒɥijɛ]; «the 14th of July»).^[3]

The French National Day is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789,^[1][2] a major event of the French Revolution,^[4] as well as the Fête de la Fédération that celebrated the unity of the French people on 14 July 1790. Celebrations are held throughout France. One that has been reported as «the oldest and largest military parade in Europe»^[5] is held on 14 July on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, along with other French officials and foreign guests.^[6][7]

History[edit]

In 1789, tensions rose in France between reformist and conservative factions as the country struggled to resolve an economic crisis. In May, the Estates General legislative assembly was revived, but members of the Third Estate broke ranks, declaring themselves to be the National Assembly of the country, and on 20 June, vowed to write a constitution for the kingdom.

On 11 July Jacques Necker, the finance minister of Louis XVI, who was sympathetic to the Third Estate, was dismissed by the King, provoking an angry reaction among Parisians. Crowds formed, fearful of an attack by the royal army or by foreign regiments of mercenaries in the King’s service, and seeking to arm the general populace. Early on 14 July one crowd besieged the Hôtel des Invalides for firearms, muskets, and cannons, stored in its cellars.^[8] That same day, another crowd stormed the Bastille, a fortress-prison in Paris that had historically held people jailed on the basis of lettres de cachet (literally «signet letters»), arbitrary royal indictments that could not be appealed and did not indicate the reason for the imprisonment, and was believed to hold a cache of ammunition and gunpowder. As it happened, at the time of the attack, the Bastille held only seven inmates, none of great political significance.^[9]

The crowd was eventually reinforced by mutinous Régiment des Gardes Françaises («French Guards»), whose usual role was to protect public buildings. They proved a fair match for the fort’s defenders, and Governor de Launay, the commander of the Bastille, capitulated and opened the gates to avoid a mutual massacre. According to the official documents, about 200 attackers and just one defender died before the capitulation. However, possibly because of a misunderstanding, fighting resumed. In this second round of fighting, de Launay and seven other defenders were killed, as was Jacques de Flesselles, the prévôt des marchands («provost of the merchants»), the elected head of the city’s guilds, who under the feudal monarchy also had the competences of a present-day mayor.^[10]

Shortly after the storming of the Bastille, late in the evening of 4 August, after a very stormy session of the Assemblée constituante, feudalism was abolished. On 26 August, the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Déclaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen) was proclaimed.^[11]

Fête de la Fédération[edit]

As early as 1789, the year of the storming of the Bastille, preliminary designs for a national festival were underway. These designs were intended to strengthen the country’s national identity through the celebration of the events of 14 July 1789.^[12] One of the first designs was proposed by Clément Gonchon, a French textile worker, who presented his design for a festival celebrating the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille to the French city administration and the public on 9 December 1789.^[13] There were other proposals and unofficial celebrations of 14 July 1789, but the official festival sponsored by the National Assembly was called the Fête de la Fédération.^[14]

The Fête de la Fédération on 14 July 1790 was a celebration of the unity of the French nation during the French Revolution. The aim of this celebration, one year after the Storming of the Bastille, was to symbolize peace. The event took place on the Champ de Mars, which was located far outside of Paris at the time. The work needed to transform the Champ de Mars into a suitable location for the celebration was not on schedule to be completed in time. On the day recalled as the Journée des brouettes («The Day of the Wheelbarrow»), thousands of Parisian citizens gathered together to finish the construction needed for the celebration.^[15]

The day of the festival, the National Guard assembled and proceeded along the boulevard du Temple in the pouring rain, and were met by an estimated 260,000 Parisian citizens at the Champ de Mars.^[16] A mass was celebrated by Talleyrand, bishop of Autun. The popular General Lafayette, as captain of the National Guard of Paris and a confidant of the king, took his oath to the constitution, followed by King Louis XVI. After the end of the official celebration, the day ended in a huge four-day popular feast, and people celebrated with fireworks, as well as fine wine and running nude through the streets in order to display their great freedom.^[17]

Origin of the current celebration[edit]

On 30 June 1878, a feast was officially arranged in Paris to honour the French Republic (the event was commemorated in a painting by Claude Monet).^[18] On 14 July 1879, there was another feast, with a semi-official aspect. The day’s events included a reception in the Chamber of Deputies, organised and presided over by Léon Gambetta,^[19] a military review at Longchamp, and a Republican Feast in the Pré Catelan.^[20] All through France, Le Figaro wrote, «people feasted much to honour the storming of the Bastille».^[21]

In 1880, the government of the Third Republic wanted to revive the 14 July festival. The campaign for the reinstatement of the festival was sponsored by the notable politician Léon Gambetta and scholar Henri Baudrillant.^[22] On 21 May 1880, Benjamin Raspail proposed a law, signed by sixty-four members of government, to have «the Republic adopt 14 July as the day of an annual national festival». There were many disputes over which date to be remembered as the national holiday, including 4 August (the commemoration of the end of the feudal system), 5 May (when the Estates-General first assembled), 27 July (the fall of Robespierre), and 21 January (the date of Louis XVI’s execution).^[23] The government decided that the date of the holiday would be 14 July, but it was still somewhat problematic. The events of 14 July 1789 were illegal under the previous government, which contradicted the Third Republic’s need to establish legal legitimacy.^[24] French politicians also did not want the sole foundation of their national holiday to be rooted in a day of bloodshed and class-hatred as the day of storming the Bastille was. Instead, they based the establishment of the holiday as a dual celebration of the Fête de la Fédération, a festival celebrating the first anniversary of 14 July 1789, and the storming of the Bastille.^[25] The Assembly voted in favor of the proposal on 21 May and 8 June, and the law was approved on 27 and 29 June. The law was made official on 6 July 1880.^{[citation needed]}

In the debate leading up to the adoption of the holiday, Senator Henri Martin, who wrote the National Day law,^[25] addressed the chamber on 29 June 1880:

Do not forget that behind this 14 July, where victory of the new era over the Ancien Régime was bought by fighting, do not forget that after the day of 14 July 1789, there was the day of 14 July 1790 (…) This [latter] day cannot be blamed for having shed a drop of blood, for having divided the country. It was the consecration of the unity of France (…) If some of you might have scruples against the first 14 July, they certainly hold none against the second. Whatever difference which might part us, something hovers over them, it is the great images of national unity, which we all desire, for which we would all stand, willing to die if necessary.

Bastille Day military parade[edit]

The Bastille Day military parade is the French military parade that has been held in the morning, each year in Paris since 1880. While previously held elsewhere within or near the capital city, since 1918 it has been held on the Champs-Élysées, with the participation of the Allies as represented in the Versailles Peace Conference, and with the exception of the period of German occupation from 1940 to 1944 (when the ceremony took place in London under the command of General Charles de Gaulle); and 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation.^[27] The parade passes down the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where the President of the French Republic, his government and foreign ambassadors to France stand. This is a popular event in France, broadcast on French TV, and is the oldest and largest regular military parade in Europe.^[6][7] In some years, invited detachments of foreign troops take part in the parade and foreign statesmen attend as guests^{[citation needed]}

Smaller military parades are held in French garrison towns, including Toulon and Belfort, with local troops.^[28]

• 

  Allied forces participate in the military parade

• 

  The French President traditionally welcomes honorary guests for the parade (here: Donald Trump in 2017)

• 

• 

  Surgeon general inspector Dominique Vallet, head of the Laveran military medical school, at the ceremonies for Bastille Day in Marseille, 2012

Bastille Day celebrations in other countries[edit]

Belgium[edit]

Liège celebrates Bastille Day each year since the end of the First World War, as Liège was decorated by the Légion d’Honneur for its unexpected resistance during the Battle of Liège.^[29] The city also hosts a fireworks show outside of Congress Hall. Specifically in Liège, celebrations of Bastille Day have been known to be bigger than the celebrations of the Belgian National holiday.^[30] Around 35,000 people gather to celebrate Bastille Day. There is a traditional festival dance of the French consul that draws large crowds, and many unofficial events over the city celebrate the relationship between France and the city of Liège.^[31]

Canada[edit]

Vancouver, British Columbia holds a celebration featuring exhibits, food and entertainment.^[32] The Toronto Bastille Day festival is also celebrated in Toronto, Ontario. The festival is organized by the French community in Toronto and sponsored by the Consulate General of France. The celebration includes music, performances, sport competitions, and a French Market. At the end of the festival, there is also a traditional French bal populaire.^[33]

Czech Republic[edit]

Since 2008, Prague has hosted a French market «Le marché du 14 juillet» («Fourteenth of July Market») offering traditional French food and wine as well as music. The market takes place on Kampa Island, it is usually between 11 and 14 July.^[34] It acts as an event that marks the relinquish of the EU presidency from France to the Czech Republic. Traditional selections of French produce, including cheese, wine, meat, bread and pastries, are provided by the market. Throughout the event, live music is played in the evenings, with lanterns lighting up the square at night.^[35]

Denmark[edit]

The amusement park Tivoli celebrates Bastille Day.^[36]

Hungary[edit]

Budapest’s two-day celebration is sponsored by the Institut de France.^[37] The festival is hosted along the Danube River, with streets filled with music and dancing. There are also local markets dedicated to French foods and wine, mixed with some traditional Hungarian specialties. At the end of the celebration, a fireworks show is held on the river banks.^[38]

India[edit]

Bastille Day is celebrated with great festivity in Pondicherry, a former French colony, every year.^[39] On the eve of Bastille Day, retired soldiers parade and celebrate the day with Indian and French National Anthems, honoring the French soldiers who were killed in the battles. Throughout the celebration, French and Indian flags fly alongside each other, projecting the mingling of cultures and heritages.^[40]

Ireland[edit]

The Embassy of France in Ireland organizes several events around Dublin, Cork and Limerick for Bastille Day; including evenings of French music and tasting of French food. Many members of the French community in Ireland take part in the festivities.^[41] Events in Dublin include live entertainment, speciality menus on French cuisine, and screenings of popular French films.^[42]

New Zealand[edit]

The Auckland suburb of Remuera hosts an annual French-themed Bastille Day street festival.^[43] Visitors enjoy mimes, dancers, music, as well as French foods and drinks. The budding relationship between the two countries, with the establishment of a Maori garden in France and exchange of their analyses of cave art, resulted in the creation of an official reception at the Residence of France. There is also an event in Wellington for the French community held at the Residence of France.^[35]

South Africa[edit]

Franschhoek’s weekend festival^[44] has been celebrated since 1993. (Franschhoek, or ‘French Corner,’ is situated in the Western Cape.) As South Africa’s gourmet capital, French food, wine and other entertainment is provided throughout the festival. The French Consulate in South Africa also celebrates their national holiday with a party for the French community.^[35] Activities also include dressing up in different items of French clothing.^[45]

French Polynesia[edit]

Following colonial rule, France annexed a large portion of what is now French Polynesia. Under French rule, Tahitians were permitted to participate in sport, singing, and dancing competitions one day a year: Bastille Day.^[46] The single day of celebration evolved into the major Heiva i Tahiti festival in Papeete Tahiti, where traditional events such as canoe races, tattooing, and fire walks are held. The singing and dancing competitions continued, with music composed with traditional instruments such as a nasal flute and ukulele.^[35]

United Kingdom[edit]

Within the UK, London has a large French contingent, and celebrates Bastille Day at various locations across the city including Battersea Park, Camden Town and Kentish Town.^[47] Live entertainment is performed at Canary Wharf, with weeklong performances of French theatre at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. Restaurants feature cabarets and special menus across the city, and other celebrations include garden parties and sports tournaments. There is also a large event at the Bankside and Borough Market, where there is live music, street performers, and traditional French games are played.^[35]

United States[edit]

The United States has over 20 cities that conduct annual celebrations of Bastille Day. The different cities celebrate with many French staples such as food, music, games, and sometimes the recreation of famous French landmarks.^[48]

Northeastern States

Baltimore, Maryland, has a large Bastille Day celebration each year at Petit Louis in the Roland Park area of Baltimore. Boston has a celebration annually, hosted by the French Cultural Center for 40 years. The street festival occurs in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood, near the Cultural Center’s headquarters. The celebration includes francophone musical performers, dancing, and French cuisine.^[49] New York City has numerous Bastille Day celebrations each July, including Bastille Day on 60th Street hosted by the French Institute Alliance Française between Fifth and Lexington Avenues on the Upper East Side of Manhattan,^[50] Bastille Day on Smith Street in Brooklyn, and Bastille Day in Tribeca. There is also the annual Bastille Day Ball, taking place since 1924.^[48] Philadelphia’s Bastille Day, held at Eastern State Penitentiary, involves Marie Antoinette throwing locally manufactured Tastykakes at the Parisian militia, as well as a re-enactment of the storming of the Bastille.^[49] (This Philadelphia tradition ended in 2018.^[51]) In Newport, Rhode Island, the annual Bastille Day celebration is organized by the local chapter of the Alliance Française. It takes place at King Park in Newport at the monument memorializing the accomplishments of the General Comte de Rochambeau whose 6,000 to 7,000 French forces landed in Newport on 11 July 1780. Their assistance in the defeat of the English in the War of Independence is well documented and is demonstrable proof of the special relationship between France and the United States.^{[citation needed]} In Washington D.C., food, music, and auction events are sponsored by the Embassy of France. There is also a French Festival within the city, where families can meet period entertainment groups set during the time of the French Revolution. Restaurants host parties serving traditional French food.^[48]

Southern States

In Dallas, Texas, the Bastille Day celebration, «Bastille On Bishop», began in 2010 and is held annually in the Bishop Arts District of the North Oak Cliff neighborhood, southwest of downtown just across the Trinity River. Dallas’ French roots are tied to the short lived socialist Utopian community La Réunion, formed in 1855 and incorporated into the City of Dallas in 1860.^[52] Miami’s celebration is organized by «French & Famous» in partnership with the French American Chamber of Commerce, the Union des Français de l’Etranger and many French brands. The event gathers over 1,000 attendees to celebrate «La Fête Nationale». The location and theme change every year. In 2017, the theme was «Guinguette Party» and attracted 1,200 francophiles at The River Yacht Club.^[53] New Orleans, Louisiana, has multiple celebrations, the largest in the historic French Quarter.^[54] In Austin, Texas, the Alliance Française d’Austin usually conducts a family-friendly Bastille Day party at the French Legation, the home of the French representative to the Republic of Texas from 1841 to 1845.^{[citation needed]}

Midwestern States

Chicago, Illinois, has hosted a variety of Bastille Day celebrations in a number of locations in the city, including Navy Pier and Oz Park. The recent incarnations have been sponsored in part by the Chicago branch of the French-American Chamber of Commerce and by the French Consulate-General in Chicago.^[55] Milwaukee’s four-day street festival begins with a «Storming of the Bastille» with a 43-foot replica of the Eiffel Tower.^[56] Minneapolis, Minnesota, has a celebration with wine, French food, pastries, a flea market, circus performers and bands. Also in the Twin Cities area, the local chapter of the Alliance Française has hosted an annual event for years at varying locations with a competition for the «Best Baguette of the Twin Cities.»^[57][58] Montgomery, Ohio, has a celebration with wine, beer, local restaurants’ fare, pastries, games and bands.^[59] St. Louis, Missouri, has annual festivals in the Soulard neighborhood, the former French village of Carondelet, Missouri, and in the Benton Park neighborhood. The Chatillon-DeMenil Mansion in the Benton Park neighborhood, holds an annual Bastille Day festival with reenactments of the beheading of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, traditional dancing, and artillery demonstrations. Carondelet also began hosting an annual saloon crawl to celebrate Bastille Day in 2017.^[60] The Soulard neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri celebrates its unique French heritage with special events including a parade, which honors the peasants who rejected to monarchy. The parade includes a ‘gathering of the mob,’ a walking and golf cart parade, and a mock beheading of the King and Queen.^[61]

Western States

Portland, Oregon, has celebrated Bastille Day with crowds up to 8,000, in public festivals at various public parks, since 2001. The event is coordinated by the Alliance Française of Portland.^[62] Seattle’s Bastille Day celebration, held at the Seattle Center, involves performances, picnics, wine and shopping.^[63] Sacramento, California, conducts annual «waiter races» in the midtown restaurant and shopping district, with a street festival.^[64]

One-time celebrations[edit]

• 1979: A concert with Jean-Michel Jarre on the Place de la Concorde in Paris was the first concert to have one million attendees.^[65]
• 1989: France celebrated the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, notably with a monumental show on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, directed by French designer Jean-Paul Goude. President François Mitterrand acted as a host for invited world leaders.^[66]
• 1990: A concert with Jarre was held at La Défense near Paris.^[67]
• 1994: The military parade was opened by Eurocorps, a newly created European army unit including German soldiers. This was the first time German troops paraded in France since 1944, as a symbol of Franco-German reconciliation.^[68]
• 1995: A concert with Jarre was held at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.^[69]
• 1998: Two days after the French football team became World Cup champions, huge celebrations took place nationwide.^[70]
• 2004: To commemorate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, the British led the military parade with the Red Arrows flying overhead.^[71]
• 2007: To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the military parade was led by troops from the 26 other EU member states, all marching at the French time.^[72]
• 2014: To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, representatives of 80 countries who fought during this conflict were invited to the ceremony. The military parade was opened by 76 flags representing each of these countries.^[73]
• 2017: To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the United States of America’s entry into the First World War, president of France Emmanuel Macron invited then-U.S. president Donald Trump to celebrate a centuries-long transatlantic tie between the two countries.^[74] Trump was reported to have admired the display, and pushed for the United States to «top it» with a proposed military parade on 10 November 2018 (the eve of the Armistice Day centenary).^[75][76]

Incidents during Bastille Day[edit]

• In 2002, Maxime Brunerie attempted to shoot French President Jacques Chirac during the Champs-Élysées parade.^[77]
• In 2009, Paris youths set fire to more than 300 cars on Bastille Day.^[78]
• In 2016, Tunisian terrorist Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drove a truck into crowds during celebrations in the city of Nice. 86 people were killed and 434 injured along the Promenade des Anglais,^[79] before the attacker was killed in a shootout with police.^[80]

See also[edit]

• «Bastille Day», a song by Canadian progressive rock band Rush
• Bastille Day (1933 film), a French romantic comedy by René Clair
• Bastille Day (2016 film), a film starring Idris Elba
• Triplets of Bellville (2003 film), an animated film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet
• Bastille, a British alternative rock band named after the birthday of their frontman
• Bastille Day event
• Opération 14 juillet
• Place de la Bastille
• Public holidays in France
• Other national holidays in July:
  • Canada Day in Canada
  • Independence Day/Fourth of July in the United States of America
  • Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland
  • Belgian National Day

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Франция » события

В 1880 году Третья Республика подарила Франции национальный праздник 14 Июля в память о взятии крепости Бастилия, которое произошло 14 июля 1789 года.

Чем он важен для французов

С одной стороны, этот праздник напоминает французам о национальном символе – Бастилии, а с другой − о празднике Федерации, который состоялся 14 июля 1790 года – синониме национального примирения. Очень быстро национальный праздник стал народным.

История возникновения

21 мая 1880 года депутат города Парижа Бенжамин Распай предлагает законопроект о новом ежегодном национальном празднике 14 Июля. 8 июня законопроект принимается Палатой депутатов, и уже 6 июля он вступает в силу.

В это же время Министр Внутренних дел Франции назначает комиссию для подготовки программы мероприятий этого первого праздника, который, ко всему прочему, объявляется нерабочим днем.

По всей Франции за счет муниципального бюджета проводятся различные мероприятия: официальные церемонии в учебных заведениях, открытие статуй – символов Республики, раздача еды неимущим, украшение улиц флагами, смотры войск…

Предполагалось, что активное участие в празднике армии привлечет к нему и тех французов, которые были разочарованы потерей Эльзаса и Лотарингии после поражения в битве при Седане, приведшего к победе Пруссии над Францией в 1870 году и подписанию Франкфуртского соглашения 10 мая 1871 года.

Видео о параде 2019 года (продолжительность 2 часа 30 мин.)

Из-за своего светского характера праздник плохо принимается в городах, в большинстве своем настроенных консервативно. Монархисты и католики считают Революцию 1789 года драмой, а вовсе не героической эпопеей, не символом свободы и гражданской эмансипации.

Триумфальные шествия по улицам столицы в день капитуляции крепости Бастилия – символа неограниченной королевской власти, в их глазах это только сборище бунтовщиков. Такое отношение к празднику оставалось недолгим: частое упоминание праздника Федерации, состоявшегося 14 июля 1790 года, а также смотры войск, придали ему характер праздника отечества, а непризнание его стало считаться недостойным.

Уже в мае 1878 года один из сторонников республиканца Гамбетта на митинге, объединившем более четырех тысяч человек, заявил следующее: “ Французский народ получил свободу в день 14 июля 1789 года, но великим днем для наших отцов считается 14 июля 1790 года на Марсовом поле. Тогда и была создана французская нация.”

14 июля 1790 года праздник Федерации становится апофеозом движения примирения. На Марсовом поле в Париже строится большой амфитеатр, с возвышающимся на нем алтарем отечества, где должны собраться четырнадцать тысяч федератов из провинции, представляющих французскую нацию, а также триста тысяч жителей.

После мессы, отслуженной на алтаре отечества, Ла Файет, герой войны за независимость Соединенных Штатов Америки, от имени федератов клянется объединить французов не только между собой, но и с королем, для защиты свободы, конституции и закона. Затем король, в свою очередь, клянется соблюдать конституцию, принятую Ассамблеей. Одновременно этот договор поддерживается всеми жителями провинций, собранными по инициативе муниципалитетов. Таким образом, у граждан, объединенных порывом патриотизма, появляется праздник. Единство нации становится не концептом, а реальностью, хотя и ослабленной кровавыми актами, первым из которых стала казнь Людовика XVI в 1793 году.

Праздник 14 июля 1880 года призван поднять патриотизм в стране. По этому случаю было решено вернуть вновь созданным полкам их знамена, которых они лишились в 1870 году на фронтах Пруссии. Главная цель праздника – сплотить нацию и вернуть Франции ее военную мощь, основываясь на народной памяти.

Этот праздник впервые вводит символ Республики – Марианну. Бюсты Марианны открываются в общественных местах, а у граждан появляется возможность купить в киосках ее литографии. Марианну изображают во фригийском колпаке – символе свободы, задрапированную в трехцветный флаг – символ торжествующей нации.

К подъему патриотизма добавляется народное опьянение от общих гуляний по освещенным улицам с балами, ярмарками и фейерверками. Горожане и жители деревень с одинаковым увлечением участвуют в этих развлечениях. Даже после кровопролитной войны 1914 – 1918 годов праздник 14 июля 1919 года, проходивший в Париже и сопровождавшийся парадом Победы, заканчивается многочисленными развлекательными мероприятиями.

Как он отмечается сейчас

Праздник Республики, с одной стороны, и увеселительный праздник, с другой, – вот как можно описать французский национальный праздник. Парад войск, на котором присутствует глава государства, транслируется в прямом эфире и притягивает телезрителей всех возрастов. Накануне праздника повсюду устанавливаются деревянные эстрады, а в сам день 14 июля оркестры играют на балах для тех, кто любит не только официальные праздники, но и развлечения.

Какое 14 июля без фейерверка!

Фейерверки завораживают. Историки утверждают, что первый пиротехнический спектакль в полном смысле этого слова состоялся в Париже 5 апреля 1612 г. на Королевской площади (сейчас Вогезской) в квартале Марэ. По случаю свадьбы короля Людовика XIII и Анны Австрийской был разыгран спектакль, изображающий сражение с участием бомбард и мушкетов, заряженных холостыми патронами.

Популярность пиротехнических увеселений в европейских столицах росла день ото дня. Ни одно королевское бракосочетание, рождение наследника престола, военная победа, подписание мирного договора не обходилось без фейерверков, которые становились все грандиознее. Особенно ярко это проявилось в период правления Людовика XIV. Король-Солнце утверждал: “народ любит зрелища” и превратил пиротехническое чудо в инструмент внутренней политики. “Это дает нам власть над умами и сердцами”.

Но настоящий расцвет “пиротехнического искусства” в Европе пришелся на XVIII в.: в 1739 г. в Болонью приехали пять братьев, а вместе с ними “удивительные изобретения братьев Руджери (Ruggieri)”. Это семейство взяло в свои руки подготовку и проведение всех огненных представлений.

Братья лучше кого бы то ни было преуспели в искусстве, о котором один автор того времени отозвался как об искусстве, “радующем глаз, не раня его, и услаждающем уши, не оглушая”. Бесстрашные изобретатели, химики, артисты, а, кроме того, искусные придворные, члены клана Руджери вскоре возглавили предприятие, работая на благо широкой публики. В сегодняшних традициях празднования 14 июля с его карнавалом цветов и форм многое напоминает об изобретениях гениальных братьев.

С тех пор 14 июля, Национальный праздник и выходной день, остается символом общих воспоминаний и надежд, истории, ставшей мифом и вышедшей за пределы рационального познания. Это день, когда, погрузившись в радостную атмосферу летнего вечера, освещенного отблесками фейерверков, все могут почувствовать свою общность, выражением которой стал девиз Французской республики: “свобода, равенство, братство”.

Июль 2008 (обновлено в январе 2020)
Автор: Michel Desforges / Мишель Дефорж
Direction de la communication et de l`information
sous direction de la communication

Сегодня, 14 июля, во Франции отмечают один из самых знаменательных праздников — День взятия Бастилии, бывшей тюрьмы строгого режима. Его официальное название — Национальный праздник. Когда-то этот день послужил началом Великой французской революции, а сегодня он славится еще и проведением самых разных масштабных и очень интересных мероприятий. Пожалуй, даже Новый год французы не встречают с таким размахом, с каким они отмечают 14 июля. HELLO.RU рассказывает о том, как этот день проходит в Париже и как вообще появилась традиция его отмечать.

Салют в Париже в честь Дня взятия Бастилии

Бастилия была военной крепостью, которую возводили в течение 11 лет, начиная с 1370 года. Новый бастион был построен по приказу короля Франции Карла V для того, чтобы, во-первых, замкнуть крепостную ограду города, а во-вторых, чтобы там мог прятаться от городских беспорядков сам монарх. К тому же его новая на тот момент резиденция Сен-Поль располагалась как раз рядом.

Находясь внутри такой крепости, Карлу V можно было действительно ничего не бояться. Бастилия состояла из 8 башен, которые соединяли мощные стены — шириной в 3 метра, а высотой — в 8 метров. По периметру здания был расположен земляной ров шириной в 25 метров и глубиной в 8.

Крепость Бастилия

Крепость служила преданно и верно до начала XVII века. После этого она утратила свое первоначальное значение и по приказу кардинала Ришелье превратилась в тюрьму для политических заключенных. Для того, чтобы какой-либо неугодный власти человек стал узником Бастилии, не нужно было обращаться в суд. Достаточно было письма с королевской печатью, которое называлось lettre de cachet. Такой порядок неизбежно привел к произволу со стороны королей и их приближенных. Практически никто из тех, кому «посчастливилось» впасть в немилость, уже не возвращался на свободу.

Кардинал Ришелье

В разные годы в холодных и неприветливых стенах крепости-тюрьмы проводили дни и ночи известный мистик и авантюрист Алессандро Калиостро, писатель и философ Маркиз де Сад и писатель Вольтер. Бастилия стала символом деспотизма и всевластия правящей верхушки, и в 1789 году чаша терпения народа переполнилась.

Все началось с отставки государственного деятеля, министра финансов Неккера, отказавшегося явиться на королевское заседание, целью которого было опровержение решения третьего сословия, объявившего себя Национальным собранием. В Париже начались волнения, и этим решил воспользоваться адвокат, журналист и революционер Камиль Демулен. 12 июля он обратился к собравшейся в Пале-Рояль толпе, призвав ее взяться за оружие. Первый толчок к разрушению Бастилии был дан.

Взятие Бастилии

13 июля разъяренные толпы французов разграбили Арсенал, Дом инвалидов и Городскую мерию, и уже 14-го они подступили к Бастилии. Несмотря на толстые стены, большие рвы и подъемные мосты, крепость удалось взять. После этого парижским муниципалитетом было принято решение о сносе тюрьмы. 800 рабочих разобрали Бастилию буквально по кирпичикам, многие из которых пошли впоследствии на строительство нового моста через Сену и на сувениры. На пустом месте была установлена табличка с надписью «Отныне здесь танцуют». Правда, сейчас там уже не танцуют, а ездят и ходят — на месте бывшего пустыря образовалась площадь Бастилии, в центре которой возвышается Июльская колонна.

Площадь Бастилии и Июльская колонна

Через год, 14 июля 1790, было решено отпраздновать это событие, а заодно и перемирие между королем и народными депутатами. А еще через несколько лет — в 1880 году — был установлен знаменитый национальный праздник Франции, который все жители страны отмечают по сей день с небывалым размахом.

Итак, что же интересного происходит каждый год 14 июля в Париже? Отмечать День взятия Бастилии французы начинают еще с вечера 13 июля. Тогда организовываются различные народные гуляния, одним из самых известных и заметных является «Бал пожарников». Уж не знаем, как в этот вечер обстоят дела с пожарной безопасностью в городе, но вот «пожарное» веселье держится на уровне.

Бал пожарных

Каждая казарма каждого из 20 округов Парижа устраивает открытые дискотеки и концерты, которые может посетить любой желающий. Кто-то из служащих приходит на праздник в рабочей форме, кто-то в гражданской, а кто-то и вовсе «налегке» — топлес. По отзывам бывалых, из французских пожарных можно устроить настоящий конкурс красоты. Обычно такое мероприятие заканчивается большим салютом.

Если же вы хотите посетить настоящий бал, то отправляйтесь также вечером 13 июля в сад Тюильри. Именно там ежегодно проводится Большой бал, который как раз и сохранил все основные традиции этого мероприятия. Пары со всего мира съезжаются 13 июля в Париж, чтобы потанцевать, да и просто побывать в качестве гостей такого светского раута. На Большом балу, к тому же, в отличие от венских, царит довольно непринужденная атмосфера.

14 июля традиционно начинается с военного парада, который стартует в 10 утра и проходит прямо на Елисейских полях. Если вы хотите стать очевидцем этого интересного зрелища, советуем приезжать на место действия заранее, где-то в 5 утра. Никаких шуток — 14 июля не пропускает ни один парижанин, а уж тем более турист. К 10:00 на Елисейских полях яблоку негде будет упасть. Кстати, самые изобретательные зрители приходят на парад со стремянкой, а ленивые, не желающие находиться в толпе, размещаются в двухэтажных кафе, откуда тоже открывается неплохой вид на происходящее.

Военный парад в Париже в День взятия Бастилии

Военный парад открывает президент Французской республики. В шествии принимают участие все Вооруженные Силы страны: и пехота, и конная армия, и солдаты морского флота, и военные музыканты, и тяжелая артиллерия, и воздушные силы, и жандармы, и полиция и уже отметившие праздник пожарные. Последние, кстати, срывают больше всего аплодисментов. Недавно к параду также присоединились военные представители союзных стран, например, британские войска и знаменитая пилотажная группа Великобритании — «Красные стрелы».

Шествие начинается около Триумфальной арки и тянется до площади Согласия.

По окончании парада отправляйтесь за весельем в Версальский дворец. Там с 11:00 до 16:00 проходит масштабный пикник. Вы сможете присоединиться к собравшимся и разделить с ними праздник только в том случае, если будете одеты во все белое. 

Версаль

Также вы можете посетить в этот день некоторые музеи, причем бесплатно. Хорошая новость — Лувр входит в их число. Откроет свои двери и Парижская опера, где вы сможете посмотреть балет, который начнется в 19:30 — вход будет тоже свободен, а вот сидячие места ограничены.

Лувр

Ну и конечно же, не забудьте посетить Марсово поле. Там в 22:45 начнется грандиозный и очень впечатляющий салют. Разноцветные всполохи над Эйфелевой башней будут раскрашивать небо Парижа в течение 30 минут, а толпа в это время будет петь национальный французский гимн.

Марсово полеФейерверк в День взятия Бастилии