Holidays of Russia - Day of the Russian Railway Troops

Employees of the Russian railway troops have their own memorable day, established by presidential decree for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 2006 First established in 1996, the date August 6 is not accidental - it has its own long history It was on this day in 1851 that Emperor Nicholas I approved a special provision regarding the formation of special military units Their task was to protect and safely operate the railway connecting the two main cities of that time - Moscow and St Petersburg, which was also built during his reign Several companies numbering about 4 thousand people were formed from military workers, conductors, and telegraph workers The uniqueness of this decision is that such troops were created in Russia, the first in the world They experienced baptism of fire already during the Crimean War (1853-56) After its end, which was rather disappointing for the Russian Empire, the need was identified to revise the policy in the field of railway construction and its development, especially to the south of Moscow, about which Nicholas’s heir, Alexander II, issued a decree Subsequently, from 1870, the railway forces began to be part of the engineering troops They proved themselves during the Russian-Turkish liberation campaign of 1877-1878, providing supplies to the army, having built a separate section of the route for these purposes With the establishment of the Soviet period, after the devastating civil war, the actions of individual corps were aimed not only at military missions, but also at the rise of the country, its development, such as topographic reconnaissance of the BAM, and other global projects of that time The military, together with civilian railway workers, showed courage and organization during the Great Patriotic War The significance of their actions is evidenced by the numbers: 80 thousand km of main routes have been restored; station tracks 29 thousand km; many new railways, communication lines, more than 7 thousand stations and sidings, and a number of other structures were built In the difficult post-war period, the construction of railroad tracks, stations, and bridges proceeded at an accelerated pace In modern times, responsibilities, in addition to defense capability, include eliminating some of the negative consequences of floods, accidents, catastrophes, other emergencies, as well as counter-terrorism operations Since 2004, the special formation has been subordinate to the rear Armed Forces Today, the number of this type of troops is about 25 thousand people, including 10 regular readiness brigades They strengthen the potential of the Russian military sphere, and on August 6, the top management necessarily emphasizes this, congratulating the employees No less importance is attached to technical equipment: a complete re-equipment is planned in the near future Improved samples of high-performance equipment, moreover, domestically manufactured, are constantly being put into operation For example, piling units on a KamAZ truck chassis, performing operations in a temperature regime that is relevant for Russia from + 40 to – 40 degrees A variety of cultural events are designed to preserve the development of military traditions and celebrate the merits of specialists in ensuring the security and defense of the state for more than 165 years To introduce this holiday to the younger generation, quizzes and presentations are held On the territory of railway military units, ceremonies are held: the removal of the flag, the awarding of memorial signs, the opening of the Alley of Heroes, and the obligatory honoring of veterans Large-scale exercises and professional skills competitions are organized - competitions for the title of best specialist and crew The Day of the Railway Troops is important for military specialists and civilian personnel, as an assessment of their activities, namely, faithful service to the national interests of Russia