On August 6, Russia celebrates the Day of Railway Troops. These troops first appeared under Emperor Nicholas I, according to his personal decree of August 6, 1851. Their task was to protect the railway from St. Petersburg to Moscow and carry out all the necessary repair work.
With the expansion of the railway network in Russia, the number of railway troops also grew. They included conductor, design, telegraph and military-working companies. In wartime, the troops were engaged in the protection and restoration of railway tracks and bridges, and in peacetime they liquidated the consequences of natural disasters, accidents and other emergencies that threaten the railways.
They made an invaluable contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany during the Great Patriotic War. After all, it was by railways that the personnel of the Red Army were delivered to the front line, the overwhelming majority of ammunition, military equipment, fuel and lubricants, food and other goods necessary for warfare were transported. In the most difficult conditions, often under enemy bombardment and shelling, railway soldiers laid new paths, restored damaged ones, repaired bridges and railway crossings. And after the Victory, they had to carry out a titanic work to restore the damaged track and bridges. The enormous scale of this work is eloquently evidenced by statistics: 120 thousand kilometers of railroad tracks (three lengths of the equator) and more than 3 thousand bridges were restored.
Quite recently, in the course of hostilities with separatists on the territory of Chechnya, the railway troops again had to show their professional skills. They made great efforts to ensure the smooth functioning of the region's railways, which made it possible to transport personnel and all the necessary goods without interruption.
According to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, issued in 1996 and 2004, the day of August 6 is considered a professional holiday - the Day of the Railway Troops of Russia.
On this day, concerts, demonstrations and other events in honor of the holiday are held with the participation of dance schools, theater groups. Regional governors and mayors congratulate and reward distinguished railway workers.
