What date and how is Military Motorist Day celebrated in Russia?

Drivers of military vehicles have their own holiday, which is celebrated in Russia on May 29. The profession of a military motorist appeared at the beginning of the last century - more than a hundred years ago. On this day, congratulations are given to all drivers, mechanics, and engineers who create military vehicles. Songs and poems are sung for them.

Military transport is extremely important and indispensable for troops. The success of operations and the speed of delivery of the necessary supplies, ammunition and personnel depend on it. A professional holiday is dedicated to specialists in this field. Military Motorist Day arose as a tribute to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and their services in maintaining Russia’s defense capability.

Holiday traditions

Honoring military motorists involves a feast among officers, their friends, relatives, acquaintances, and loved ones. Those gathered addressed the heroes of the occasion with congratulations, wishes for health and success in responsible work. Toasts are made, accompanied by the traditional wishes of “neither nail nor rod.” Colleagues exchange gifts, discuss work issues, share memories and accumulated experience.

The media publishes materials dedicated to the memorable date. The main characters of the interviews are soldiers and unit commanders, talking about their lives and stories from everyday life. Military Motorist Day 2022 is marked by the presentation of certificates of honor and diplomas to the best employees from the hands of superiors. There are promotions in ranks and positions. Thank you notes are included in personal files.

The event is of particular importance for residents of cities where wheeled vehicles are produced. Events in such localities take on a wide scale, regardless of their relationship to the industry.

How is Military Motorist Day celebrated in Russia?

May 29 is considered their professional holiday not only by drivers, but also by all those involved in the maintenance of military vehicles - mechanics, technicians, unit commanders, engineers and designers.

On this day, it is customary to congratulate everyone involved in the military automotive industry. The management awards certificates and souvenirs to employees who have particularly distinguished themselves in their service, and the units organize concerts and skits. It is considered obligatory to honor the memory of comrades who died in the line of duty.

At home, military motorists will find a festively laid table, pleasant surprises and kind words from their nearest and dearest. If there are children in a military family, you can ask them to learn songs or rhymes, draw a postcard, or make a themed craft with their own hands—there are a lot of ideas on the Internet.

pixabay.com/

Interesting Facts

• The prototype of cars in the Russian Army were two wheeled steam tractors, which were purchased in 1876 in England.
• The first internal combustion car appeared in the Russian army in 1897. It was the 6-seater Delage car, which was used during the Bialystok maneuvers. After testing, the car received high reviews among officers and the Minister of Railways.
• In 1981, the Kama Automobile Plant produced the first Soviet all-terrain vehicle KamAZ-4310, which was off-road and used for military purposes.
• The Russian army is armed with armored vehicles that have increased security and are designed to perform transport functions in hazardous areas. Domestic design bureaus produce machines of the Typhoon series, which consist of metal and ceramics, providing the fourth class of protection.
• In 1986, a military conflict occurred between Chad and Libya. This is the only war in history that received its name from a Japanese car brand - Toyota War. Chad won thanks to four hundred SUVs of this brand, which were equipped with machine guns and anti-tank missile systems.
• Military engineers are actively developing automatic systems for military equipment that are controlled remotely. According to forecasts, in the coming decades, drones will become the most common type of military equipment, both in the sky and on the ground.

Story

The celebration day was appointed in honor of the creation of the first training automobile company. Avtorota was formed in St. Petersburg in 1910. The main purpose of the exercises was to train specialists to provide automotive military units.

By the beginning of the First World War, the Russian army consisted of five automobile companies. The number of vehicles was so small that the command issued a regulation on automobile conscription. At that time, people were brought up in a patriotic spirit and gave more than three thousand cars, 400 trucks and about two thousand motorcycles to the war. But this was not enough to carry out full-fledged military operations. Then the government began to purchase foreign vehicles.

By the advent of Soviet power, almost nothing remained of the vehicle fleet. Only with the development of the automobile industry in the Union did military bases begin to be replenished with GAZ vehicles. During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet ranks of motor transport were replenished due to numerous trophies.

The most important event for Russian military motorists was and will always remain the construction and operation of the Road of Life. This was the name of the road laid in winter along Lake Ladoga to enter besieged Leningrad. Along this road, drivers delivered provisions and evacuated people, saving their lives and risking their own.

Soldier motorists took an active part in the Afghan war. These were severe tests, mined roads along which drivers delivered fuel, humanitarian aid, and soldiers.

Modern automobile troops have more than 410 thousand vehicles in their arsenal. Specialists are trained in the country's military and civilian institutions.

Toasts

“Congratulations on Military Motorist Day and I would like to sincerely wish you to always drive in the right direction. May you manage to remain invisible to enemies and envious people, may all roads lead to the desired goal, may powerful headlights always help you to go where your heart calls in the gloomy weather of life or a bad day.”

“Happy holiday to all military personnel behind the wheel! We wish you rapid career growth, good health, true friends, excellent mood and pleasure from work! May all roads be easy and smooth, tasks specific and clear, returns quick and welcome. May good luck always accompany you on the road, your guardian angel will always be there!

“The title of a motorist sounds proud, and if you add to this a military rank, it’s so simple - a complete reason for pride! Happy Military Motorist Day, Defender of the Fatherland! Hold the steering wheel firmly, keep your eyes on the road and let every kilometer increase your value as an indispensable specialist in military service!

Films, books, songs dedicated to the holiday

Many films have been made about drivers from Soviet times. Suitable for the holiday theme:

• "World Boy" (1971);
• "Vultures on the Road" (1990);
• "Empty Flight" (1963).

List of books:

• A. Gaidar “Taiga”;
• Yu. Mukhin “Military thought in the USSR and Germany”;
• J. McDevitt "Driver Talent";
• A. Rybakov “Drivers”.

List of songs:

• L. Utesov “Song of War Correspondents”;
• "Last Stand";
• "Holy war";
• Compositions by I. Kobzon, A. Rosenbaum, M. Gulko.

Song of a military motorist (front-line driver) performed by Mark Bernes:

Song of a military fuel truck driver. Nalivnik. (Blue lightning):

Present

Set of tools. A compact set of tools will become a practical gift and an indispensable item on the road. Having the necessary tools at hand, the driver can easily fix any problems that arise.

Thermal mug. A thermal mug with a heating function from the cigarette lighter will be a useful thing that will come to the rescue on long trips and make them more comfortable.

Accessories for gadgets. Accessories for gadgets in the car (mobile phone holder, portable charger) will serve as a pleasant and practical gift for the motorist.

Massage headrest. A comfortable massage headrest will please the driver who spends a lot of time behind the wheel. This device will relieve stress on the spine and prevent neck and back pain.

What to give for Military Motorist Day

There can never be too many gifts, and May 29 is an excellent occasion to remind a person how dear he is to his family.

Military motorist is a profession for real men, brave and determined, which means the gift should be special. Here are some possible options:

• office - if a man has a respectable position, he will probably need a good leather diary, a beautiful pen, a paperweight, an expensive organizer and other useful things for writing;
• clothing - military personnel spend most of their time in uniform, so a stylish tie or high-quality shirt will be an excellent reason to dress up and go to the theater or restaurant;
• delicacies - men love to eat delicious food, so they will certainly appreciate a set of cheese, dry-cured sausages, smoked meat and other delicacies. All this can be packed in a brutal wooden box with fragrant shavings inside;
• an adventure gift - he probably has enough extreme sports at work, so you can give him a relaxing massage session, a trip to a Russian bathhouse with a professional steam bath, or a trip to a holiday home for the weekend.

pixabay.com/

Competitions

Gather your will into a fist Each participant in the competition is given an A4 sheet of paper, on which the word “WILL” is written in large letters. Contestants must, on command, crumple the sheet with one hand and hold it in their fist so that the paper is not visible. The participant who completes the task faster wins.

Military equipment The competition participants are divided into two teams. Each team is given whatman paper and a felt-tip pen. On command, participants take turns drawing military equipment. The presenter records the time, after which it is calculated how many units of military equipment each team has. The team with the wider arsenal wins.

Defuse a grenade For the competition, you must prepare in advance ripe pomegranate fruits, bowls and knives, the number of which must correspond to the number of participants. Each participant is given a pomegranate and given the task of clearing it. The contestant who completes the task faster wins.

In many European countries, Neighbors Day is celebrated on May 29, 2021

This celebration does not have a fixed date. It is celebrated in Europe on the last Friday of May. In 2021, this day falls on the 29th.

The author of this holiday is the Frenchman Atanaz Perifan. It was in France that this unusual and wonderful holiday was first celebrated. In 2021, it will be celebrated in 36 countries located in Europe.

The main goal that Perifan pursued was to meet people living next to each other. Despite the fact that it is already the 21st century, this problem is still acutely felt in many countries. Even 20-30 years ago, residents of apartment buildings knew each other not only by sight, but also by name. However, in the modern world the situation has changed. Many people don’t even know who lives next to them or what their neighbors do.

About the profession

Specialists transport people and goods, maintain the serviceability of rolling stock, and carry out its repair and maintenance. They can work on passenger cars and trucks.

The path to the profession begins with conscription into the Armed Forces, where one obtains a license to drive a car. It is preceded by training, which includes day and night marches over several hundred kilometers as part of a column. The material part, the structure of components and assemblies are mastered.

After passing the exams, the driver receives the appropriate category. The activity is associated with constant concentration of attention and is classified as hazardous to health and life.

The officers manage the process of transportation and supply of entrusted units, ensuring and monitoring the fulfillment of requests for fuels and lubricants, components, and routine maintenance. Military motorists are in demand in the civilian sphere, where they are offered similar work.

Significant events associated with this day

In 1912, a grandiose event took place - a motor rally, in which 52 trucks took part. It was arranged by the Russian Ministry of War. We started on September 19 on the Champ de Mars in St. Petersburg and covered about 2.5 thousand kilometers. The event took 24 days and made it possible to select the most reliable cars suitable for bad roads. Renault trucks were purchased for the army, which subsequently served regularly in Russia during the First World War and the Civil War.

This is interesting: About when and how fire protection day is celebrated.