Date in 2021: August 6, Friday.
On Railway Worker's Day, August 6, in a solemn atmosphere, distinguished employees are presented with government awards and other badges of honor, and are also given new titles. Concerts and other festive events are organized. The railway troops have been selflessly fulfilling their duty to the Fatherland for more than 160 years.
| When is it celebrated? | Every year on August 6th. Not an official holiday. |
| When and by whom was it founded | On July 19, 1996, Boris Yeltsin signed a decree establishing a solemn date. On May 31, 2006, Putin signed a new decree according to which the holiday is currently celebrated. |
| Traditions | In a solemn atmosphere, it is customary to present awards and promote distinguished employees. Concerts and other festive events are held on this day. |
In Russia, railway construction began in the 1830s. On August 6, 1851, a special unit was created whose main task was to lay highways and protect tracks and stations. The Day of the Russian Railway Troops is dedicated to this significant date. In 2021, August 6 falls on a weekday – Tuesday.
When is it celebrated and who is congratulated?
Figure 1. Construction of the main line by military railway workers
The holiday in honor of the railway troops is celebrated annually on August 6. In 2021, the significant date falls on a weekday, Tuesday. Railway Troops Day is not a day off.
On July 19, 1996, the decree establishing this holiday was signed by Russian President Boris Yeltsin. This order was later abolished. In 2006, the solemn date was included in the list of professional holidays of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. On May 31, Vladimir Putin signed the document.
Remarkable! Every year on the first Sunday in August, Railway Worker's Day is celebrated. This is a professional holiday for Russian Railways employees. Its goal is to honor the merits and achievements of industry specialists. In 2021, the holiday falls on August 4th.
On this day, it is customary to congratulate the employees of the Russian Railways:
- military personnel;
- workers;
- civilians.
The railway troops are part of the Russian army. The purpose of the unit is to ensure the protection of the railway and stations. The division is responsible for repair and restoration work of damaged railway tracks. Thanks to the conscientious work of railway workers, Russians can travel around Russia, covering vast distances in a short time.
Interesting Facts
The heroism of military railway workers makes us think and appreciate the work they put into the existence of communication routes. After all, at the cost of their lives, they restored all the destroyed objects that could interfere with the normal functioning of the railway. During the hostilities between Russia and Japan, the railways were the main facility that carried out the important transport of goods and ammunition.
They have many kilometers of repaired tracks and restored bridges to their credit. Thanks to them, all special-purpose cargo reached the address at the exact time, because they did everything possible to ensure that the track was not interrupted anywhere.
Significant event associated with the holiday
Figure 2. The first railway in Russia
On August 6, 1851, an important event for Russia happened - the decree of Emperor Nicholas I “On the composition of the management of the St. Petersburg-Moscow Railway” was issued. The imperial order marked the beginning of the formation of railway units. They were instructed:
- construction of communication routes;
- control of the operating mode of the railway track;
- protection of railway connections and bridges;
- monitoring the operation of stations.
This activity was carried out by 4,340 people who were part of the conductor, telegraph and military work companies of the unit.
Russian Railway Troops Day
Railway Troops Day
, celebrated in the Russian Armed Forces annually on August 6, was established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated July 19, 1996, and is currently celebrated as a memorable day in accordance with Decree No. 549 “On the establishment of professional holidays and memorable days in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” dated 31 May 2006.
This professional holiday of military personnel, workers and civil servants of the Railway Troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (ZhDV Armed Forces of the Russian Federation) is timed to coincide with the day of the formation of special military formations for the protection and operation of the St. Petersburg-Moscow Railway.
On August 6, 1851, Emperor Nicholas I issued the “highest approval” of the “Regulations on the composition of the management of the St. Petersburg-Moscow Railway.”
14 separate military workers, two conductor and “telegraph” companies with a total number of 4340 people were formed
.
This marked the beginning of the formation of the first military railway units. They were required to maintain the railway track in good condition, ensure uninterrupted operation of stations, and guard bridges and railroad crossings.
Beginning with the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, railway soldiers contributed to the victories of Russian weapons. During the Great Patriotic War, the Railway Troops, together with civilian railway workers, restored and built more than 120 thousand kilometers of railways and over 3 thousand bridges. And after its completion, they actively participated not only in the restoration and reconstruction of destroyed railway lines, but also in the construction of new ones.
Flag of the Russian Railways
For more than one hundred and fifty years, military railway workers have selflessly and selflessly served and are serving the Fatherland.
Railway troops are a branch of special troops as part of the Logistics Support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (from 2005 to 2010 they were part of the Logistics Service of the Russian Armed Forces), part of the system of ensuring the defense capability and national security of the state.
These are special troops intended for the restoration, construction, operation, barriers and technical cover of railways used for military transport. They also take part in eliminating the consequences of emergencies, accidents, disasters, military operations and conflicts.
How to congratulate, holiday traditions
The honest and selfless work of the railway department employees deserves respect and gratitude. On this special day it is customary to:
- present government awards and other recognitions to employees for excellent work;
- organize congratulatory concerts;
- confer titles in a solemn atmosphere.
In 2021, it will be 168 years since the formation of the Russian Railways.
Video
News story from the Zvezda TV channel.
Traditions of celebrating the date
Railway Troops Day is celebrated by tens of thousands of employees in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. State-level ceremonial and entertainment events, as well as professional corporate evenings, are organized for them. Particularly distinguished military specialists are awarded orders, diplomas, promoted in rank and declared thanks with an entry in their personal file.
The federal media join in the congratulations. The television and radio broadcasting network is filled with feature films and documentaries on military topics, interviews with top government officials and thematic stories that increase the status and prestige of military personnel.
The history of the holiday
Figure 3. Exercises of railway troops
The importance of the unit newly formed by the emperor was felt during the Russian-Turkish War (1877-1878). The railway workers ensured continuous connections of army units, supplied weapons and ammunition, and transported the wounded to the nearest hospitals. During the war with the Turks, a special connection was even built - Bendery-Galati.
During the First World War, railway workers built 300 kilometers of railway track and restored 1.6 thousand kilometers of tracks. All this made it possible to organize regular communications between the rear and the front line.
The railway workers performed their duties brilliantly during the Great Patriotic War. In difficult and life-threatening conditions they were able to:
- restore 120 kilometers of tracks;
- repair 15 thousand bridges;
- build more than 10 thousand new railway tracks;
- They neutralized and destroyed countless mines and landmines planted on the tracks by the enemy in order to interrupt the line of communication.
Thanks to the work of the unit’s employees, the country’s main highways, including the Baikal-Amur Mainline, were restored and reconstructed. Railway troops participate in the elimination of natural and man-made emergencies.
Interesting! Railway troops were involved in eliminating the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the earthquake in Armenia and floods in the Krasnodar region.
History of the celebration
The railway began operating in Russia in 1837, but the first troops responsible for security were formed only in 1851. Nicholas I issued a decree requiring the recruitment of 17 companies. The army was created in order to ensure the safety of the road that connected Moscow with St. Petersburg.
Trains in this area were regularly robbed, so the Emperor decided to deal with this problem first. Later it became clear that trained people would be able not only to ensure safety on the road, but also to monitor the condition of the roads.
Most of all, the role of the railway troops was valued during the Second World War. The enemies knew about the capabilities of the trains, so the railway tracks turned out to be the main target of aviation. The people guarding them were constantly bombed, but did not leave their post and repaired the highways in a timely manner.
During the 4 years of the war, it was possible to restore about 120 thousand km of tracks and 300 thousand bridges. It is difficult to imagine what the result would have been without such efforts by the Railways.
In the 2000s, soldiers once again showed their courage in the North Caucasus, where terrorists constantly attacked roads to disrupt infrastructure, but soldiers quickly restored them.
Holiday movie
Figure 4. Still from the film “Corridor of Immortality”
In 2021, a film was made about the feat of railway workers during the Second World War - “Corridor of Immortality”. The filming process lasted a long time; work on the project began back in 2013.
The feature film is dedicated to the events of the Second World War. By order of the USSR government, in the winter of 1943, railway troops managed to break through a corridor to besieged Leningrad. A narrow section of the road was laid along Lake Ladoga. Every day the Germans shelled this area, bombs were dropped from the sky.
In 17 days, in deadly dangerous conditions, two lines of rails were laid, along which food was delivered to Leningrad and the elderly and children were taken out.
What to give on this day
Many people have relatives who either serve in these troops or have already served, and they want to give a gift that will be remembered for a long time.
The budget option includes a T-shirt or cup with the symbols of the railway troops as a gift. If you want something more original, you can present a souvenir medal or a dummy weapon. It is also quite acceptable to give various figurines.
If a person is especially close to you, then you can give him a leather wallet - such a gift will not only please the hero of the occasion, but will also emphasize his status. Although it is not necessary to give expensive gifts, many are content with pleasant little things.
We wish our railway troops the following: so that the iron sheet is in good working order and maintains contact with the whole country. Delivery of goods was carried out instantly, and the population enjoyed the comfort of the trains. The railway troops will provide us with all this, let us congratulate them on their professional holiday.
