July 29: holidays and events on this day

On July 29, Ukraine celebrates the Day of the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and in the world – the International Day of Socio-Cultural Diversity and the Fight against Discrimination, the International Day of the Tiger. In 1907, the World Organization of the Scout Movement was created, and in 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was founded.

Day of Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

On July 29, Ukraine celebrates the Day of Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This day is of special importance for our country, because the Special Operations Forces (SOS) play a critical role in ensuring the security and defense of the state. SSOs are elite units that carry out the most difficult tasks, often remaining in the shadows, but their achievements are of enormous importance to our independence and security.

The celebration of this day was established by the decree of the President of Ukraine in 2016. Officially, SSOs were created on January 5, 2016, when the Verkhovna Rada adopted the corresponding law. However, in fact, the history of special forces in Ukraine began much earlier. The units, which can be considered the predecessors of the SSO, were active even during the independence of Ukraine. They took part in peacekeeping missions, anti-terrorist operations and other important tasks.

Interesting facts about SSO

1. High level of training: SSO fighters undergo intensive training, which includes physical and psychological training, special tactical training and training in the use of modern technologies. Their training meets the highest NATO standards.
2. International cooperation: SSO actively cooperates with international partners, in particular with the USA, Canada, Great Britain and other NATO countries. This cooperation includes joint training and exchange of experience.
3. Participation in peacekeeping missions: SSO soldiers participated in many international peacekeeping operations, including in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots. Their experience in these missions helps increase combat readiness and professionalism.
4. Anti-terrorist activities: SSOs play a key role in the fight against terrorism. They conduct operations to neutralize terrorist groups, release hostages, and eliminate threats to national security.
5. Honoring heroes: the SSO has its heroes who gave their lives for the independence and security of Ukraine. Among them are Heroes of Ukraine, posthumously awarded for heroism and self-sacrifice.

One of the famous stories is the feat of lieutenant colonel Oleksandr Petrakivskyi. In July 2014, during an anti-terrorist operation in the east of Ukraine, he was seriously wounded, but continued to lead the unit and ensure the fulfillment of the combat mission. Thanks to his heroism, it was possible to save the lives of many soldiers. Oleksandr Petrakivskyi was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.

July 29 is a day when the whole country expresses its gratitude and respect to these brave soldiers. Their achievements and exploits are role models for future generations.

International Day of Sociocultural Diversity and Anti-Discrimination

Every year on July 29, the world celebrates an important event – the International Day of Sociocultural Diversity and Anti-Discrimination. This holiday aims to draw society’s attention to the problem of discrimination, to spread the ideas of peaceful coexistence and humanism, and to encourage respect for the cultural heritage and diversity of each people.

The importance of socio-cultural diversity

The diversity of cultures provides humanity with an incredible opportunity for self-expression. It makes art multifaceted and unique, because every culture has its own characteristics, traditions, customs and artistic forms. This diversity enriches our world, makes it interesting and colorful.

The problem of discrimination

However, along with this there is the problem of discrimination, which often arises due to a lack of understanding or reluctance to accept other cultures. Discrimination can manifest itself in various forms – from ethnic and religious hostility to socio-economic inequality. It destroys society from the inside, creating barriers between people and preventing them from coexisting peacefully and harmoniously.

Fight against discrimination

The International Day of Sociocultural Diversity and Anti-Discrimination is aimed at overcoming these barriers. It is a day when people from all over the world come together to emphasize the importance of respecting every person, regardless of their cultural, ethnic or religious background. It is a time for educational events, cultural exchanges and discussions that promote better understanding and acceptance of each other.

Interesting Facts

Museum of Humanity: The National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City is considered one of the most diverse museums in the world, representing the cultures of many peoples, from the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica to modern ethnic groups.

Cultural festivals: festivals dedicated to the cultural heritage of various peoples are held annually in different countries of the world. For example, the Festival of Cultures in Sydney, Australia brings together thousands of participants from around the world showcasing their traditions, dance, music and cuisine.

The International Day for Sociocultural Diversity and Anti-Discrimination is a reminder that all of us, regardless of our background, have the right to respect and recognition. This is the day when we have the opportunity to think about our responsibility in creating a more tolerant and just world.

Historical events on this day:

• 1900 – The Italian anarchist Gaetano Breschi killed the Italian king Umberto I with four shots from a revolver in Monza.
• 1913 – Independent Albania was formed.
• 1914 – The first trans-American telephone line between New York and San Francisco was put into operation.
• 1948 – The XIV Summer Olympic Games began in London.
• 1958 – US President D. Eisenhower signed the act establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
• 1974 – The game show “Guess the Tune” debuted on the NBC channel.
• 1987 – French President Francois Mitterrand and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher signed an agreement on the start of construction of the Eurotunnel under the English Channel, which was supposed to connect the two countries.
• 1993 – After seven years of imprisonment, the decision of the Supreme Court of Israel acquitted the Ukrainian Ivan Demjanyuk, a former guard of the Nazi concentration camps.
• 1994 – The Parliament of Ukraine suspended privatization in the republic.
• 1998 – In Los Angeles, the American S. Reed made the longest jump in history from the roof of a 14-story building to the roof of another building on a motorcycle, flying 19.8 meters.
• 2005 – Astronomers announced the discovery of the dwarf planet Eris.
• 2022 – On Earth, the shortest day in the history of the planet was recorded, when the planet took 1.59 milliseconds less than usual to complete a complete revolution around its axis. The cause of this phenomenon could be the Chandler oscillation.

Other important events on July 29:

On July 29, 2022, one of the barracks of the correctional colony in the village of Olenivka in the Donetsk region was destroyed by an explosion. At least 53 of the 193 Ukrainian prisoners of war held there died, including captured defenders from Azovstal. Ukraine called it a mass public execution and a Russian terrorist attack. Russia said that the attack on the colony was carried out by the Ukrainian army using the American HIMARS multiple-launch system.

On January 5, 2023, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres dissolved the mission created to investigate the circumstances of the death of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka, due to the lack of necessary security guarantees for its participants. Exactly one year later, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that the explosion could not have been caused by HIMARS MLRS fire, based on interviews with eight surviving Ukrainian prisoners of war and an analysis of available materials. International investigators or human rights defenders were never allowed into the colony.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin said on this occasion:

“Preliminary conclusions of our international experts indicate that the reason for this killing was the use of thermobaric weapons. These are the preliminary conclusions of several international experts. It was not a missile strike.”

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell placed responsibility for the death of prisoners of war on Russia. French President Emmanuel Macron also accused Russian troops of killing Ukrainian prisoners of war and announced that France had sent a group of forensic experts and a mobile laboratory for DNA analysis to Olenivka. Macron called the event “a massacre committed by the Russian armed forces.” The coordinator of the UN system in Ukraine noted that the death of prisoners of war can be considered a war crime. The bodies of the victims were returned to Ukraine.

On July 29, 1994, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine recognized the work of the State Property Fund as unsatisfactory, expressed distrust of its head and suspended the privatization process in the republic. Disadvantages were considered:

1. Failure to fulfill tasks of the State Privatization Program.
2. Insufficient work on the preparation of the regulatory and legislative framework.
3. Lack of proper control over the privatization process.
4. Violation of the principles and priorities of privatization, in particular – underestimation of the value of the objects to be privatized.
5. Insufficient analysis of the efficiency of the use of privatized property.
6. Ineffective implementation of information and explanatory work about property reform processes among citizens.

World experience of successful privatization of China.

Initially, the focus was not on the sale of state-owned companies, but on increasing the level of competitiveness and management efficiency. The first thing they did was raise the level of self-governance of the public sector and strengthen incentives for increasing their efficiency. State-owned enterprises were given the opportunity to dispose of unplanned profits, and the received funds were directed to raising the level of well-being, investing and paying bonuses to employees (not salaries to managers, but bonuses to employees).

A system of double prices was introduced: planned and market. Enterprises were given the opportunity to conduct an independent personnel policy. The state continued the policy of supporting the viability of the public sector, but at the same time the country’s leadership recognized the need for the presence of different forms of ownership. The “transformation of the management system” (the Chinese name for privatization) began – investors were allowed to become one of the owners of state-owned enterprises. At first there was the principle “Keep the big, let go of the small”. Exchanges appeared for the implementation of privatization agreements. Privatization of large companies began through the sale of state shares on the stock exchange. As a result of only a partial sale of state shares, China was able to bail out 566 billion US dollars. The Chinese thought it was not effective enough. And then China made a bet on improving the quality of personnel and management. They called this the quality of human capital. It became a strategic goal then and now. And the result is obvious.

On July 29, 1864, according to Jules Verne, a bottle with three notes was found in the stomach of a shark caught from the yacht “Duncan”, thrown by the shipwrecked Captain Grant and two sailors. By the way, a message in a bottle or bottle mail is an ancient way of sending messages. The calculation was based on knowledge of currents in the ocean. And if there was no knowledge, then how lucky… Sailors believed that the delivery of correspondence depends on the will of the lord of the sea, Neptune.

According to legend, the inventor of bottle mail was the Greek philosopher Theophrastus, who around 310 BC. threw into the sea several sealed vessels with notes to trace the flow of water from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. A few months later, one of the vessels was discovered on the coast of Sicily. I don’t know if the philosopher was satisfied…

It is written that the pioneer Christopher Columbus sent messages to the Spanish Queen Isabella on his way to India, sealing them in bottles and throwing them into the ocean. In England, the idea was used to send reports from spies. Since the 16th century, there has been a special state department headed by the royal bottle opener – only he had the right to open caught containers and read letters from them. All others faced the death penalty for similar actions. Caught vessels had to be handed over to the right place, and this order existed in Britain until the beginning of the 19th century.

This type of mail is still used by residents of some Indonesian islands.