On 27 October, Ukraine celebrates Motorist and Road Worker Day, Ukrainian Writing and Language Day, and the world celebrates World Occupational Therapy Day, World Audiovisual Heritage Day and International Mother-in-Law and Father-in-Law Day.
Day of the Motorist and Road Builder
On the last Sunday of October, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Motorists and Road Builders, an official professional holiday for all those who work in the road transport and road construction industry. This holiday was established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk in 1993 and recognises the significant role of motorists and road builders in the development of the country’s infrastructure, ensuring comfort and safety on the roads.
Interesting facts
Drivers, mechanics, engineers, road builders and repair crews work hard every day to make roads safer and transport more convenient. They ensure the functioning of the transport system, which modern society cannot do without.
The Day of Motorists and Road Builders brings together people whose work not only supports the country’s economy but also creates comfortable conditions for citizens’ daily travel. Without the coordinated work of road and transport workers, the development of cities and villages would be impossible.
Road transport is key to the transport of goods, especially in Ukraine, where road transport accounts for a significant share of the transport sector. This makes the work of motorists and road builders extremely important for business, industry and the overall economic development of the country.
Every year, the road transport and road construction industry is evolving, introducing the latest technologies to improve road quality and traffic safety. From automating road works to using environmentally friendly technologies in vehicles, all these innovations have a positive impact on the working conditions of professionals and the comfort of passengers.
Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language
Every year on 27 October, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language, a holiday that emphasises the importance of the native language and its role in national culture. This day is a great opportunity for Ukrainians to remember the history of their language, its beauty and versatility, and to promote its development and popularisation.
Interesting facts
The Ukrainian language has ancient roots, with a history of over a thousand years. Many historians believe that it originates from the Old Russian language, in which the first chronicles and documents were written.
According to linguists, the Ukrainian language is second only to Italian in terms of melody, which makes it extremely attractive to learn and understand.
The Ukrainian alphabet, which is based on the Cyrillic alphabet, was introduced by Saints Cyril and Methodius, who created the Cyrillic alphabet to translate religious texts. This helped to develop writing in the Ukrainian lands and fostered the development of literature.
The great Ukrainian poet and writer Taras Shevchenko is a symbol and inspiration of the Ukrainian literary language. His works laid the foundations of modern Ukrainian literature and national consciousness, which is an important part of Ukraine’s heritage.
Every year, on the occasion of the Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language, an all-Ukrainian radio dictation of national unity is held in Ukraine. This gives every Ukrainian the opportunity to test their literacy and unite in a common love of their native language.
World Occupational Therapy Day
Every year on 27 October, World Occupational Therapy Day is celebrated to highlight the importance of rehabilitation and restoration of vital functions for people with disabilities or recovering from injuries. Occupational therapy aims to help people make the most of their physical, emotional and social resources, return to active life and improve its quality.
Interesting facts
Occupational therapy helps not only people with physical disabilities. It is also effective for those who have psychological problems or suffer from stress. For example, through occupational therapy, patients with depression can learn coping skills and find motivation for life.
It is believed that occupational therapy as a field originated during the Second World War, when traumatised soldiers were helped to recover not only physically but also emotionally. It was thanks to this field that many soldiers were able to rejoin society.
Occupational therapy has a practical approach – it involves training skills that a person can use in everyday life, such as self-care, cooking, and personal care. This allows patients to adapt faster and become more independent.
Occupational therapy plays an important role not only in the rehabilitation of adults. Children with developmental disabilities and elderly people with age-related mobility limitations also benefit from it. It helps children develop motor and cognitive skills and helps older people maintain independence in their daily lives.
The number of occupational therapists in the world is constantly growing as demand for them increases. Many countries are opening special courses to teach occupational therapy. This is one of the most promising professions in the healthcare sector.
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
This is a holiday that emphasises the importance of preserving and accessing audio and video materials that are part of the historical and cultural heritage of humanity. This day was established by UNESCO to draw attention to the need to preserve audiovisual archives, as they are evidence of important events and cultural achievements that can be lost without proper care.
Interesting facts
One of the main methods of preserving audiovisual materials is their digitisation. Many archives previously recorded on film and analogue media deteriorate over time, and digitalisation is an effective way to preserve them for future generations.
Audio and video recordings capture important events, the voices and images of prominent people, and scenes from the lives of different eras. Thanks to these recordings, we can hear and see the past in details that texts or photos cannot convey.
The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage highlights the importance of archives and specialised institutions that preserve audio and video materials. These institutions help preserve cultural heritage, support research, and provide access to materials for educational purposes.
On this day, archives, libraries and museums around the world hold various events, such as exhibitions, film screenings, and lectures, to draw attention to the importance of preserving audiovisual heritage. This allows the public to learn more about the value of such materials.
Audiovisual heritage contains unique recordings of national languages, music, dance and traditions that reflect the cultural diversity of the world. Preserving these materials not only helps preserve history, but also promotes mutual understanding and respect between cultures.
International Mother and Mother-in-Law Day
This is a special holiday that provides an opportunity to express gratitude and respect for the mothers of our halves. This day celebrates the significant role of mothers-in-law in family life, their contribution to raising children and upholding family values. The holiday aims to strengthen family relationships by promoting understanding and harmony between generations.
Interesting facts
It is a great opportunity to get together, exchange warm words, thank mothers for their care and support, and show that they are an integral part of the family.
The idea of the holiday originated as a way to show gratitude and respect for mothers-in-law and to change the stereotypes about the complexity of relationships with them. Today, this holiday has become popular in many countries around the world.
Symbolic gifts, flowers or cards with warm words are often given on this day, which is a pleasant surprise for mothers-in-law and fathers-in-law. It helps to build trust and add warmth to family life.
This holiday helps to break stereotypes about ‘difficult relationships’ with mothers-in-law, emphasising mutual support, respect and gratitude, which contributes to family harmony.
Mother-in-law’s Day is not only an occasion to congratulate loved ones, but also an opportunity to strengthen family ties by showing that harmony in the family is a value worth maintaining.
Historical events on this day
1662 – Sale of Dunkirk by England to France
In 1662, King Charles II of England sold Dunkirk, a strategically important port city, to France. This step allowed England to solve certain financial problems, but also drew criticism, as Dunkirk was an important defensive point.
1882 – Birth of the first professional Ukrainian realistic theatre
In 1882, the first professional national realist theatre was founded in Ukraine under the leadership of Marko Kropyvnytskyi. This theatre became the basis for the development of Ukrainian theatre art, focusing on realistic performances and national cultural identity.
1895 – Completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway
In 1895, the first line of the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed. This railway, which stretched across Siberia, became one of the longest railway lines in the world, significantly improving transport links between the European part of the Russian Empire and the Far East.
1904 – Opening of the New York subway
In 1904, the first line of the New York City subway was opened, marking the beginning of the development of the city’s extensive underground transport network. New York’s subway system became one of the largest in the world and is now a key component of urban transport.
1937 – Executions in the Sandarmokh tract
On 27 October 1937, in the Sandarmokh tract, State Security Captain Mikhail Matveyev began the mass executions of 1,111 prisoners of the Solovetsky Special Purpose Prison. Among the dead were many representatives of the Ukrainian intelligentsia, which became a symbol of the Soviet government’s repression of the intellectual elite.
1951 – The use of radiation in cancer treatment
In 1951, radiation was first used as a method of treating cancer. This was an important medical achievement that contributed to the development of radiation therapy and the expansion of cancer treatment methods.
1982 – China announces that its population has exceeded 1 billion
In 1982, China officially announced that its population had surpassed 1 billion. This became an important demographic indicator and had significant socio-economic consequences, affecting the country’s birth control policy.
1984 – Launch of the Baikal-Amur Mainline
In 1984, the Baikal-Amur Mainline was put into operation and became an important transport corridor in Siberia. Its construction took decades and was strategically important for the development of transport and the region’s economy.
1999 – Tragedy in the Armenian Parliament
In 1999, an armed group of people broke into the Armenian parliament and opened fire. The attack killed Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, the Speaker of the Parliament and several MPs, which was a heavy loss for the country’s political leadership.
2008 – Opening of the first metro line in Switzerland
In 2008, the first metro line was opened in Lausanne, Switzerland. This was an important step in the development of public transport in the country and provided more comfortable travelling conditions for city residents.
2016 – Presentation of a nanoscale computing element at UC Santa Barbara
In 2016, researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, presented a functional nanoscale computing element capable of operating in a space smaller than 50 nanometres. This achievement has opened up new opportunities for miniaturisation of computing systems and the development of nanotechnology.
