National unity day: new traditions in the “Pie on the 4th” format

On August 28, at a meeting of the VISION 3000 International Discussion Club, Alena Borisovna Avgust — political consultant, media technologist, and author of the “CODE OF RUSSIA” project — delivered a presentation. The topic of her report was an initiative to establish new folk traditions for National Unity Day, specifically the all-Russian project “Pie for the Fourth.”

In her speech, Alena Borisovna presented the concept of the project, which originated within the “New Media Workshop” community. The essence of the initiative is to create a simple, everyday tradition accessible to everyone: on November 4, families, friends, or colleagues gather together, bake or buy a pie, and share it around a common table. This action is designed to fill the national holiday with personal warmth and meaning that can be easily integrated into daily life.

The speaker elaborated on the symbolism of the pie, which becomes a metaphor for Russia itself — layered, with different “fillings” (regions, cultures, traditions), yet whole and united. She noted that pie is a universal image of hospitality, shared labor, and generational continuity, common to dozens of the country’s peoples, while not being tied to any single holiday — unlike Olivier salad, pancakes, or Easter kulich.

Alyona August spoke about the successful launch of the project: on November 4, 2025, an All-Russian flash mob was launched with the hashtag #pirognachetverty. The official launch took place on the TASS website, and the campaign gathered millions of publications in the media and social media and received wide support, including in the regions. The initiative was joined by volunteers, students, business representatives, as well as soldiers on the front line, for whom pies were baked in different parts of the country — from the Belgorod region to Ugra. The project became the winner of the V National Prize of Iran for Internet content.

During the meeting, the tasks for 2026 were outlined: to translate a positive idea into a stable, rooted tradition. August stressed that the project team is ready to share recommendations and mechanics for the implementation of this initiative in the regions — in educational and public organizations, corporations and the non-profit sector. The main message of the speech: the new age requires simple, humane and unifying actions, and the “Pie on the 4th” can become just such an assembly point for the whole country.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Alena Borisovna Avgust for her insightful report, her deep approach to the topic, and her willingness to share practical expertise. We are confident that the presented initiative will find a warm response in the regions and communities, and that the proposed mechanism will become a kind and enduring tradition, strengthening the unity of our country.