Professional holiday of railway transport workers and the corresponding industry in general is celebrated in the first August Sunday of the year. In 2013, the Day of Railway Workers in Russia, as well as Bulgaria and Kyrgyzstan, will be celebrated on August 4.
History
For the first time, the Day of the Railwayman, the Russian Empire celebrated in 1896 on the orders of Prince Mikhail Khilkov, who at that time headed the Ministry of Railways. A new professional holiday was celebrated not only in Russia, but also in European countries. Initially, the date was tied to the birthday of Emperor Nicholas II, which fell on July 6 (June 25 in the old style). Nicholas II is a recognized founder of the railway industry in the Russian Empire. It was with him that the St. Petersburg-Moscow highway appeared and the walking railway up to Tsarskoe Selo. Traditionally, the Day of the Railway Worker was celebrated at the Pavlovsk railway station, where a concert and dinner was held for high-ranking guests. Local and central railway Russian institutions did not work, and divine services took place at major stations. This holiday was held in high esteem until 1917. And only after almost two decades. Joseph Stalin again decided to introduce this national holiday in the calendar. He began to celebrate on July 30, as on that day in 1935 Stalin signed a relevant decree. The holiday was then called the Day of Railway Transport of the USSR. In 1940, it was finally known which day the railway worker workers would celebrate annually. The decision of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR indicated that the All-Union Day of the railwayman the country will celebrate on the first August Sunday of each year. In the eighties the final name was also fixed - Railroader's Day.
Day of the railwayman in the countries of the former USSR
Today this holiday in many post-Soviet countries falls on the same day. For example, the Day of Railway Worker in Belarus since 1995 is also celebrated on August 1, despite the fact that in this country the first station was opened in December 1862 in the city of Grodno. Until 1995, the official celebration of railway workers took place in November, because this very month in 1871 opened the main highway of Belarus, connecting Smolensk and Brest.
On the first Sunday of the last summer month, celebrate the Day of the railwayman in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan. But Latvia congratulates its gallant railwaymen on August 5, as in 1919 this day the state railway was officially founded in the country. Lithuania celebrates this holiday on August 28, Estonia - on August 21. But in Ukraine, the Day of the railwayman is celebrated annually on November 4, when in 1861 the first train arrived from Vienna to the Lviv railway station.
Day of the railwayman today
About one million people work on the railways of Russia today. All these employees of RZD are employed in the JSC "RZD" itself or at its branches, subsidiaries, structural divisions. Transport system of Russia
If your close friend or friend has connected his life with the railway, do not forget to prepare gifts for him on the day of the railwayman, which will become a symbol of his important and significant work. The gift does not have to be expensive. For example, on the Day of the Railwayman of 2012, souvenirs with the appropriate symbols: handles, notebooks, cups with RZhD emblems and books on the development of the transport system in the country were especially popular gifts.