Thanks to land reclamation, it becomes possible to use lands that were previously inaccessible for economic activities. The very concept of "reclamation" comes from the Latin melioratio - improvement. The Day of the Meliorator was celebrated in the Soviet Union, it is also celebrated in modern Russia.
The day of the meliorator was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 24, 1976. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the holiday was celebrated unofficially for nine years, and in 2000 it was revived by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation. Since then, it has been celebrated every year on the first Sunday in June. In 2012, the day of the meliorator was celebrated on June 3.
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the work of land reclamators, thanks to the work of these people, previously unsuitable or inaccessible lands are introduced into agricultural circulation. Drainage of bogs, watering and irrigation of lands create favorable conditions for farming. The fodder base for livestock raising is increasing, and the yield of agricultural crops is improving. Peat from drained bogs is used as fuel and is added to the soil to improve its structure. After the collapse of the USSR, due to a lack of funding, land reclamation work was significantly reduced, the decline lasted for more than ten years. And only after 2000, the situation began to gradually improve, funds began to be allocated for reclamation work, albeit not too large for now.
On the first Sunday of June, all ameliorators are congratulated on their professional holiday. The most distinguished ones are awarded with mementos and certificates of honor. Those who have worked in land reclamation for fifteen years are awarded the honorary title "Honored Land Improver of the Russian Federation" and are presented with a badge of the same name. Celebratory concerts, exhibitions of photographs and paintings, banquets are timed to coincide with the Day of the Meliorator. The honoring of the meliorators takes place all over the country. In some regions, various competitions related to the profession are held. For example, tractor drivers, excavators can compete. An experienced excavator operator can close a matchbox with a bucket of a multi-ton machine without damaging it. Such demonstrations of mastery always elicit applause from the audience.
