There are many professional holidays in Russia. Some holidays are known only to those to whom they are dedicated. But some holidays are known to all. Among them is the day of the railwayman.
We cannot imagine our life without railways. In our country, stretching across 11 time zones, railways serve as the circulatory system that unites the country into a single whole. No wonder that in the 19th century the profession of a railway engineer was one of the most prestigious. And this holiday has a long history.
Story of the day of the railroad
This holiday in Russia was established on July 10, 1896, by order of the Minister of Transport, Prince Mikhail Khilkov. The date of the order was timed to coincide with the birthday of Emperor Nicholas I, during whose reign the railways from Tsarskoye Selo to St. Petersburg and the highway from St. Petersburg to Moscow were built.
Sovereign Emperor, in commemoration of the birthday of Emperor Nicholas I, whose sovereign will laid the foundation for the construction and operation of railways in Russia, according to our most humble report, on June 28 of this year, His Highest command deigned:establish an annual celebration of the anniversary of Emperor Nicholas I by all central and local institutions in charge of railways in Russia. Such a Highest will was announced by the Ministry of Railways.
- Minister of Railways Prince M. Khilkov.
Festivities were held that day, railway employees did not work. Solemn prayers were held in churches, and a solemn reception was held at the Ministry of Railways in St. Petersburg, on the Fontanka, which was also attended by high-ranking persons.
In those days, railway stations had not only a utilitarian purpose for servicing passengers, but also served as cultural centers in the suburbs of St. Petersburg and Moscow. On this day, musical performances and concerts were held at the railway stations.
Railroader's Day was regularly celebrated in Russia until July 25, 1917. The revolution and civil war interrupted this tradition.
History of the Soviet era
After the revolution, the holiday was canceled, along with all the dates of the "old regime", and was resumed only in 1936. The day of the holiday was scheduled for July 30 and timed to coincide with the meeting of Comrade Stalin with the participants of the Conference of Railway Transport Workers in Moscow. It became known as the "All-Union Stalin Day of the Railway Worker"
In 1940, his day was moved to the nearest Sunday, August 4, and subsequently it began to be celebrated on the first Sunday of August. Since 2003, this holiday has been a corporate holiday. Russian Railways holiday.
Everyone knows what a huge contribution the Soviet railway workers made during the Great Patriotic War. Under bombing and shelling, they uninterruptedly delivered troops and supplies to the front. Without them, it would be impossible to create enterprises in the rear. Not for nothing in Soviet times, many trains were named after heroes. For example, one of the commuter trains in Soviet times was named after the senior driver of the locomotive column Elena Chukhnyuk.
Holidays of railway workers in the countries of the former USSR
This day exists not only in Russia. It is also celebrated in the countries of the former USSR: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Estonia. In some countries it is also the first Sunday of August, in some there is a fixed date dedicated to an event. In Lithuania, for example, the holiday is celebrated on August 28. On this day, the first steam locomotive arrived in Vilnius from Dinaburg (now Daugavpils) in 1860.
What date this date is celebrated, all countries decide on their own.
Railroad holidays in the world
This professional holiday also exists in other countries. It is celebrated in Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In today's Germany, such a day does not officially exist. But in the former GDR it was widely celebrated. Now Germany is holding advertising campaigns for rail transport for employees and passengers. These campaigns are held locally by region in both the eastern and western parts.countries.
What date is the day of the railway worker each country decides according to its principles.
Holiday Gifts
It is customary to give gifts for every holiday. Railroad Day is no exception. Gifts are made at all levels. At the official level, these are government awards, diplomas, honorary diplomas and cash prizes. They are awarded to the best employees of the holding. The signs "Honorary Worker of Transport" and "Honorary Railwayman" are awarded. In all subdivisions of Russian Railways, bonuses based on performance are also trying to coincide with the holiday date.
But if there are workers in this field among your loved ones, you probably want to please them. In this case, gifts should be chosen without regard to professional affiliation. Otherwise, it will look funny, and may cause misunderstanding. A gift should be from the heart and choosing it, you will surely take into account the tastes and characteristics of the person to whom it is intended.
Congratulations
What holiday can do without congratulations. After the official celebrations, everyone wants to gather in a narrow circle, exchange warm words, joke, laugh. Communications workers are no exception. They not only willingly listen to jokes to themselves, but also compose them themselves. Congratulations on the day of the railway worker are cool, addressed to people of different speci alties: machinists, railway workers, signalmen, dispatchers.
Railroad evolution
Since the time of the Cherepanov brothers, who in 1833 in Nizhny Tagil invented a prototype steam locomotive, called the "self-propelled steamer", the development of railways has not stopped for a minute. Now new roads are being built and old ones are being modernized. High-speed trains "Sapsan" and comfortable electric trains "Swallow" run on the oldest Nikolaev road. The Moscow Central Ring (MCC) was put into operation for the passage of passengers, which for many decades was used only for cargo transportation. The Baikal-Amur Mainline continues to improve. Work is underway to create trains on a magnetic cushion. And modern staff are not firemen with a shovel. These are highly educated engineers and workers who have at their disposal the entire arsenal of modern technology and information technology.
Railroad Day in Russia in 2018 will be celebrated on August 5.
