When is Republic Day?
In 2026, Republic Day falls on Thursday, May 28, 2026. It is classified here as a Armenian public holiday.
History of Republic Day
Republic Day commemorates May 28, 1918, when the Armenian National Council declared the independent First Republic of Armenia amid the collapse of imperial rule and severe regional upheaval. The republic survived until late 1920, but it established institutions of Armenian statehood after centuries without an independent Armenian polity. Its emergence is closely associated with the May 1918 battles at Sardarapat, Bash Abaran and Karakilisa, while the holiday’s legal focus remains the republican declaration.
The modern Republic of Armenia links itself to that earlier state through the 1990 Declaration of Independence, which invokes democratic traditions of the independent Armenian Republic established in 1918. After restoration of sovereignty, May 28 returned as a national non-working holiday. Ceremonies at Sardarapat Memorial and state messages connect historical survival with contemporary civic institutions.
Republic Day is distinct from Independence Day on September 21. May 28 concerns the First Republic of 1918; September 21 marks the 1991 referendum leading to the current independent state. Keeping those chronologies separate prevents two important anniversaries from being inaccurately merged.
How Republic Day is observed
A nationwide non-working holiday on May 28, marked by official ceremonies, history programmes and events at significant memorial sites.
Traditions of Republic Day
Sardarapat commemorations
Officials and visitors gather at Sardarapat Memorial, connecting the May 1918 battles with establishment of the First Republic.
Flags and civic ceremonies
Public buildings prominently display the national tricolour while state and municipal programmes mark the republic’s declaration and institutions.
Historical exhibitions
Museums, schools and broadcasters examine the First Republic’s brief existence, political challenges and continuing place in Armenian statehood.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Armenian legal and official guidance. Employer, school and local-service schedules can differ from the statutory public-holiday calendar.
History sources: Government of Armenia: Declaration of Independence, ARLIS: statutory Republic Day.
Continue exploring