On September 30, Adoption Day in Ukraine, All-Ukrainian Library Day, and International Translator’s Day are celebrated.
On September 30, 1946, the sentences of Nazi criminals were announced in Nuremberg.
Adoption Day in Ukraine
This holiday symbolizes the joy of parenthood and family warmth, giving children without a family a chance for a new life. It aims to draw attention to the problem of orphanhood, the importance of family values and the need to provide every child with a loving home.
Interesting facts
Adoption Day coincides with the church holiday of Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia, who are symbols of the main Christian virtues. This emphasizes the importance of spiritual and moral values in family matters.
About a thousand children are adopted in Ukraine every year. Although this is a significant achievement, many children remain in boarding schools and need parental care.
In recent years, reforms have been implemented in Ukraine to facilitate the adoption process. In 2023, an electronic queue for adopters began to work, which made the procedure more transparent and faster.
Due to the war and the difficult situation in the country, the number of international adoptions decreased significantly. However, many Ukrainian families dare to take a responsible step in order to give their child a future in Ukraine.
In Ukraine, there are various state and public initiatives aimed at supporting adopted children and their new families. Among them are psychological help, legal advice, as well as financial support.
All-Ukrainian Day of Libraries
This holiday honors the cultural role of libraries and librarians in society, and also emphasizes the importance of books as a source of knowledge and wisdom. This day is a reminder of the importance of book collections in the preservation and dissemination of information, education and cultural heritage.
Interesting facts
All-Ukrainian Library Day was established in 1998 by the Decree of the President of Ukraine, which emphasizes the importance of libraries as cultural centers. Today, more than 30,000 libraries of various types operate in Ukraine.
In the 21st century, libraries have become multifunctional spaces, where not only books are stored, but also educational lectures, trainings, literary meetings, film screenings and other events are held. They are transformed into important places for the development of communities.
Modern Ukrainian libraries are actively digitizing their collections, providing access to literature online. Such projects as the “Ukrainian Digital Library” contribute to the preservation and popularization of Ukrainian literary heritage in the Internet space.
During the full-scale war in Ukraine, libraries became not only cultural centers, but also centers of support for displaced persons. Many libraries organized humanitarian aid, provided shelter and information support for citizens.
A librarian is not just a profession, it is a vocation. In the modern world, librarians help people find and process information, preserve history, culture, and develop new forms of communication between knowledge and society.
International Translator’s Day
On September 30, the International Translator’s Day is celebrated annually in honor of St. Jerome, the patron saint of translators, who is known for his outstanding translation of the Bible from Hebrew to Latin. This holiday is a recognition of the important role of translators in the world, because it is thanks to their work that cultural and scientific exchange between nations is possible.
Interesting facts
Saint Jerome (347–420) made the most famous translation of the Bible, the Vulgate, which became the official version of the Holy Scriptures for the Catholic Church. His work is considered a model translation with high standards of accuracy and faithfulness to the original.
Translators play a key role in preserving and transmitting the cultural and scientific achievements of mankind. Thanks to their work, classic works of world literature, philosophy and science became available to different peoples.
Translation is not only a mechanical process of transferring words from one language to another. It is an art that requires a deep understanding of culture, tradition and context in order to convey not only the content but also the spirit of the original.
In a globalized world, translators are key figures who facilitate mutual understanding between nations. They help overcome language barriers, promote international cooperation and diplomacy.
Today, translators use not only dictionaries, but also powerful technologies such as machine translation and artificial intelligence. However, despite the development of technologies, the human factor remains indispensable in the process of ensuring high-quality translation.
Historical events on this day
1791 year — the premiere of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s last opera “The Magic Flute” took place in Vienna. This opera became one of Mozart’s most outstanding musical masterpieces and is still considered a classic work of the world opera scene.
1895 year — the island of Madagascar became a protectorate of France, which laid the foundations for the period of French colonial rule on the island, which lasted until the middle of the 20th century.
1929 year — in Germany, the aircraft designer Fritz von Opel made the first flight on a glider equipped with rocket engines, covering 3 kilometers in 75 seconds. It was an important stage in the development of rocket technology and aviation.
1929 year — The British television and radio company “BBC” conducted its first telecast. This event was important in the history of television, ushering in an era of mass television communication that continues to develop to this day.
1933 year — the Soviet stratostat “USSR” reached a height of 19 kilometers, setting a new world record. This achievement was an important step in the development of high-altitude flights and studies of the upper atmosphere.
1939 year — the Government of Poland in exile was created in Paris after the beginning of the Second World War. This government continued to function in London, becoming the voice of occupied Poland on the international stage throughout the war.
1954 year — the first atomic submarine Nautilus entered service in the USA. This vessel was a revolutionary advance in military technology, as it allowed many of the limitations of conventional diesel submarines to be overcome, providing the ability to remain underwater for extended periods of time without refueling.
1990 year — in Kyiv, on the square near the Republican Stadium, a huge rally took place under the slogan “No to the new Union Treaty!”, in which about 300,000 people took part. The event was sanctioned by the Presidium of the Kyiv City Council and became one of the key events of the protest movement against the continued existence of the USSR.
Announcement of verdicts at the Nuremberg Tribunal
On September 30, 1946, the sentences of Nazi criminals were announced in Nuremberg. 1,000 additional guards were posted around the Palace of Justice. The judges arrived at the palace early in the morning in armored sedans, accompanied by military jeeps with sirens. The verdict was read one by one all day, and its announcement was continued on October 1 from the morning until 1:41 p.m.
The process began on November 20, 1945. Eight judges represented four countries of the Anti-Hitler coalition: the USA, Great Britain, the USSR and France. The indictment, prepared by teams of prosecutors from these countries, contained four main counts: crimes against peace, crimes against humanity, violations of the laws of war, and conspiracy to commit these criminal acts.
The following were sentenced to death by hanging:
- Hermann Goering, Reichsmarschall, commander-in-chief of aviation, Hitler’s closest associate;
- Joachim von Ribbentrop, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fascist Party Commissioner for Foreign Policy;
- Wilhelm Keitel, field marshal, chief of staff of the supreme command;
- Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Obergruppenführer of the SS, head of the Imperial Security Directorate and Security Police, Himmler’s accomplice;
- Alfred Rosenberg, Hitler’s deputy for the ideological training of members of the National Socialist Party, Imperial Minister for Eastern Occupied Territories;
- Hans Frank, Reichsleiter of the Fascist Party, Governor General of the occupied Polish territories;
- Wilhelm Frick, Minister of the Interior, Imperial Commissioner for Military Administration;
- Julius Streicher, Gauleiter of Franconia, ideologist of racism and anti-Semitism, organizer of Jewish pogroms;
- Fritz Zauckel, SS Obergruppenführer, General Commissioner for the Use of Manpower;
- Alfred Jodl, Colonel-General, Chief of Staff of the Operational Directorate of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces (Jodl’s second wife, Louise von Bend, obtained a retrial in Munich in 1953, where Jodl was fully acquitted);
- Arthur Zeiss-Inquart, head of the fascist party of Austria, deputy governor-general of Poland, Hitler’s viceroy in the Netherlands;
- Martin Bormann, since 1941 — Hitler’s deputy from the party, head of the party office, Hitler’s closest accomplice (in absentia).
They were sentenced to life imprisonment:
- Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s deputy from the Fascist Party, a member of the Imperial Council of Ministers of Defense;
- Walter Funk, Minister of Economy, President of the Reichsbank, member of the Council of Ministers of Defense of the Empire;
- Erich Roeder, Grand Admiral, until 1943 — Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces.
They were sentenced to twenty years in prison:
- Baldur von Schirach, organizer and leader of fascist youth organizations in Germany, Hitler’s deputy in Vienna;
- Albert Speer, Hitler’s closest adviser and friend, Imperial Minister of Arms and Munitions, one of the leaders of the Central Planning Committee.
He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison Konstantin von Neurath, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, member of the Imperial Defense Council, Protector of Bohemia and Moravia after the capture of Czechoslovakia.
He was sentenced to ten years in prison Karl Dönitz, Grand Admiral, Commander of the Submarine Fleet, and since 1943, Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces, Hitler’s successor as head of state.
The following were acquitted at the trial:
- Hans Fritsche, the closest employee of Goebbels, head of the internal press department of the Ministry of Propaganda and head of the radio broadcasting department;
- Franz von Papen, one of the organizers of the seizure of power by fascists in Germany, an accomplice of Hitler regarding the “accession” of Austria;
- Helmar Schacht, organizer of rearmament of the Wehrmacht, one of Hitler’s closest advisers on economic and financial issues.
American prosecutor Dodd gave the acquitted Franz von Papen a box of Havana cigars, but Bavarian Prime Minister Wilhelm Högner called it a miscarriage of justice and signed a warrant for the arrest of all the acquitted. Fearing lynching, none of the acquitted left the prison building.
The tribunal recognized the leadership of the National Socialist Party, the SS, the SD, and the Gestapo as criminal organizations, but acquitted the Assault Squads, the General Staff, and the Supreme Command.
The execution of the main war criminals was scheduled and carried out on October 16, 1946. The bodies were cremated, and the ashes were scattered from the plane.
