Military holidays. Day of Russian Peacekeeping Forces. A new holiday will appear in Russia - Peacekeeper Day History of the holiday International Day of UN Peacekeepers

On November 25, 2018, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will celebrate a new holiday - the Day of the Russian Military Peacekeeper, established by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin of August 1, 2018. Protecting peace is an important and serious profession. Military peacekeepers are responsible for the security of Russia. Therefore, the holiday is only the smallest thing that the government could give to representatives of this profession.

In August 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin established a new holiday - the Day of the Russian Military Peacekeeper. The date of the celebration was chosen for a reason; it was on November 25, 1973 that a Russian group of military personnel flew to Egypt to resolve the acute Arab-Israeli conflict. Soviet peacekeepers became part of the UN mission. Russian military peacekeepers actively monitored the truce in the Suez Canal and the Golan Heights.

The government carefully selected the people who became part of the Soviet peacekeeping contingent with the UN and went on missions abroad. Out of 1,500 officers, only 36 people were selected. To get into the ranks of peacekeepers, it was not enough to be an excellent officer; you had to know foreign languages ​​(fluent in Arabic), have certain qualities and be a patriot of your country.

Over time, more and more people wanted to join the detachment of Russian military peacekeepers. After a short period of time, missions took place in:

• Angola;
• Cambodia;
• Lebanon;
• Sudan;
• Sierra Leone;
• Democratic Republic of the Congo;
• former Yugoslavia;
• Georgia;
• Tajikistan.

For 50 years, Russian military peacekeepers have been keeping order on the banks of the Dniester. Despite the fact that the Moldovan government has tried more than once to expel the Russian Armed Forces from Transnistria, the military personnel confidently withstand the blow and monitor the maintenance of peace. However, every year it becomes more and more difficult to hold on to the war; in fact, the peacekeepers found themselves under blockade.

Thanks to Russian military peacekeepers, it was possible to:

• keep peace in Transcaucasia;
• peacekeeping activities on the Tajik-Afghan border;
• resolution of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict;
• maintaining peace in Burundi;
• maintaining peace in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic;
• end the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.

Serious difficulties in carrying out the mission arose in Georgia; the Georgian government neglected the peaceful intentions of the Russian Armed Forces. Georgian officials have tried to portray Russian troops as violators of international law.

At the moment, the question of fulfilling the mission of Russian military peacekeepers in the territory of Donbass is acutely raised. However, Ukraine and Russia cannot come to a common agreement, so there are more questions than answers.

Traditions of celebrating the Day of the Russian Military Peacekeeper

Russian Military Peacekeeper Day is an important professional holiday created for people who are responsible for security and also worthily represent Russia in many parts of the world. In 2018, the holiday will be celebrated on November 25, Sunday. Traditionally, on this day, senior management rewards the best military personnel with awards, certificates, diplomas, gives out bonuses, and also thanks them for their excellent service.

At home, the officers are waited by their relatives who prepare a festive buffet, pleasant congratulations, and symbolic gifts.

Our world is full of dangers and threats, the main source of which is most often the people themselves who inhabit it. Wars, political conflicts, terrorist attacks - all this affects the nervous system of ordinary citizens and destabilizes the situation on Earth even in terms of emotional peace. But, fortunately, there are representatives of Homo Sapiens who are directly involved in the restoration and preservation of peace and security on the planet, as well as within a particular region. Their name is UN peacekeepers. The professional holiday of these specialists falls annually on May 29.

History of the holiday International Day of UN Peacekeepers

The International Day of UN Peacekeepers has been in effect for 12 years. It came into force in 2002, when the General Assembly declared May 29 as the official date of the above holiday. The world began to celebrate the latter only in 2003 as a day of remembrance for peacekeepers who devoted their entire lives to the struggle for peace and justice. The International Day of UN Peacekeepers also applies to those who continue to fulfill their mission for the benefit of society. The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is intended to draw everyone's attention to courageous specialists, their dedication to their work, responsibility and conscientious performance of professional duty, often to the detriment of their own health and time. This holiday is a great opportunity to pay tribute to UN peacekeepers: past, future and present.

The decision to choose a specific date for the International Day of UN Peacekeepers was influenced by another important fact: on May 29, 1948, the United Nations Security Council established the first program to implement peacekeeping goals. Since then, the UN's activities in this vein - to support security - throughout the planet have undergone a lot of changes, many of which are exclusively positive.

Every year, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers is celebrated under a different theme. Last year, in 2013, it read as follows: “UN peacekeeping forces: adapting to new challenges.” At the moment, there are actually 16 operations being carried out on the planet aimed at maintaining the safety of citizens and restoring peace. More than 100 thousand police and military personnel take part in the process of peacekeeping actions. It should be noted that the most important and largest operations to date are taking place today in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan. More than 20 thousand people are involved in them. Those peacekeepers who literally laid down their lives in the field of their activities are awarded posthumously. For this purpose, the UN established a special Dag Hammarskjöld medal. So it was named in honor of the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, who died in 1961 while carrying out peacekeeping operations in the Congo.

Features of the profession

The holiday of May 29, International Day of UN Peacekeepers, is a great opportunity to talk about the heroes of the occasion.

Persons involved in establishing order on the planet in the sense of preserving and maintaining public safety are called “blue helmets.” The activities of UN peacekeepers are multifaceted and today much more complex than before. In addition to maintaining peace and security throughout the world, the tasks of the Blue Helmets include:

• providing assistance in demobilization and disarmament processes;
• implementation of human rights protection and promotion of this idea;
• organization of elections;
• protection of citizens;

• promotion of political processes;
• implementing reforms in the judicial system and political subdivisions;
• promoting ideas for demining territories;
• providing assistance to refugees in returning them to their homeland.

As you can see, peacekeepers have plenty of functions, and they solve these issues efficiently. At least they are making every effort to do so. Of course, the activities of the “blue helmets” are very, very dangerous. Their lives are constantly under threat. And the point is not only that the work of peacekeepers has a direct connection with being in “hot spots”, it’s just that the employees of this UN unit carry out the duties assigned to them, being completely unarmed. It costs them nothing to be captured, die by being blown up by a mine or dying from a bullet. This is the meaning of the work of the “blue helmets” - to be for the local population, ordinary citizens who have become hostages of the situation, something like “guardian angels”, capable of giving people at least the slightest sense of security. And, I must say, for their dedicated work these professionals receive considerable gratitude: sincere gratitude from mere mortals, expressed in happy smiles, warm words coming from the heart, tears and even kisses.

The profession of peacemaker places quite high demands on the candidate to master it. Firstly, it is stress resistance, absolute mental health. Secondly, diplomacy, sociability, psychological preparation, since the activity of a peacekeeper involves working and communicating with people who find themselves in a difficult situation, practically trapped, as well as with bandits and terrorists. Thirdly, a high level of adaptation to harsh and changing conditions, unpretentiousness. Well, of course, only a brave, bold, courageous person who is not afraid of difficulties and does not give in to danger of any rank can become a peacemaker. The physical training of “blue helmets” is of great importance, because living and working conditions are expected to be difficult and leave much to be desired. With their work, peacekeepers have earned their holiday, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Peacekeepers in Russia

Our country takes a fairly active part in operations aimed at preserving and maintaining global security. This can be traced throughout the history of domestic peacekeeping forces. So in March 1992, Russian “blue helmets” went to the former Yugoslavia, where, by decision of the Supreme Council of Russia, they became part of the UN forces. The withdrawal of peacekeepers from Bosnia occurred only 11 years later - on June 14, 2003. During the entire operation, more than 20 servicemen lost their lives.

On June 13, 1999, 3.6 thousand domestic peacekeepers were sent to Kosovo. The operation ended in the same 2003 at the cost of the death of employees. There were trips to Liberia (2003), and to Sierra Leone (2000), and to other points. And everywhere the operations were successful thanks to the professionalism of the “blue helmets” and their leadership.

The Russian Federation is a member of the UN Security Council, therefore, like other members of this organization, it is responsible for maintaining peace on the planet and restoring and maintaining order. But the “blue helmets” play a special role in the CIS. The Russian military, performing the function of peacekeepers, is part of the peacekeeping contingent of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. This announcement was created in 2007 with the aim of maintaining security within the states that are members of the CSTO.

In today's complex world, situations often arise when there are threats of various armed conflicts. To limit them, extinguish them and perform various tasks, specially trained forces are needed. This is exactly what peacemakers are.

Their main task is to stand guard for the benefit of peace and stability of the entire planet Earth. An international holiday in their honor is necessary to draw attention to the value of the activities carried out not only by military personnel and police, but also by civilian employees of the organization.

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Reconciling warring parties and establishing dialogue, alleviating the suffering of the population, and restoring infrastructure are the main goals of peacekeeping missions. At all times, such actions have always been in demand in many parts of the world. They are carried out faithfully and selflessly by people in blue helmets.

This is interesting:

1. 1948 The UN Security Council approved the first such mission. She was few in number. And now its ranks number more than 125 thousand people.
2. 1988 For its efforts in maintaining peace and exemplary performance of its duties, the UN Armed Forces were awarded the Nobel Prize.
3. 1992 To coordinate all planned actions and operations, it was decided to create the DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations).
4. 2002 The UN General Assembly approved a resolution in which a day was officially chosen on the calendar to honor peacekeepers.
5. 2006 A Peacebuilding Commission was established to assist countries during the transition from war to reconstruction.

Peacekeepers carry out not only operations aimed at ensuring compliance with ceasefire agreements and disengagement of warring parties, disarmament and mine clearance programs. They deliver humanitarian aid, ensure law and order during elections, and protect the rights of citizens.

Russia, under the auspices of the UN, has always taken an active part in the peaceful resolution of conflict situations in many countries. Russian peacekeepers (military and observers) were sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Liberia. Our contingent in Sudan, Chad and other places fulfilled their assigned tasks with dignity.

Traditions

On the eve of the holiday, a message from the UN Secretary General is traditionally published. Conferences are held at global and state venues, where reports are heard on the tasks completed over the past year, on the achievements and losses incurred.

Wreaths are laid and speeches are made in memory of those who died in the line of duty. They are posthumously awarded a special medal, which was established in honor of the deceased UN leader. Each year, attention is focused on a specific topic.

In accordance with this, public organizations and activists organize various events. These include special television programs about operations carried out in the past, and documentaries about new heroes. The media publishes interesting materials about women peacekeepers.

Cultural centers hold educational lectures for children, youth and older people. They are a motivation for participating in actions to collect and send food, medical and essential goods to areas with civil unrest and pogroms, ethnic and military conflicts.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers is a fairly young holiday that is not widely used among the public. But, despite this, it carries a deep meaning and calls to honor the nobility and courage of those people who devoted their lives to good purposes. The USSR, and later Russia, as one of the original members of the UN, has taken an active part in peacekeeping operations throughout history.

Who's celebrating

This holiday provides an opportunity to pay tribute to all peacemakers. Despite the scale of the UN’s activities, in Russia this event, although widely covered by the press, proceeds without pomp. On this day, separate festive events dedicated to the date are held only at the federal level. But this can also illuminate the significance and necessity of the existence of this movement.

history of the holiday

For the first time, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers was celebrated in the calendar in 2003, which was facilitated by the Ukrainian Association of Peacekeepers. Having submitted their proposal to the UN General Assembly a year earlier, they submitted the idea, and soon a resolution was adopted to proclaim such a day (A/RES/57/129 of February 24, 2003). This issue had come up before, but at that time the peacekeeping movement was not as relevant and was not covered by the press with such frequency as over the past two decades.

Today, few people have not heard of peacekeepers. These people serve around the world to achieve reconciliation between enemy sides and provide assistance to victims of conflict. Having in their arsenal good weapons and excellent specialists, among whom are not only professional military men, but also competent psychologists, peacekeepers inspire respect.

But few people know that at the time of the founding of the movement (and this was after the end of the Second World War), the detachments had practically no weapons and were, in fact, independent observers who set up their camps along the border of the conflict. The existence of the peacekeeping movement almost collapsed as unnecessary due to weak authority. But its activists still proved their attachment to a good cause and achieved an increase in funding, which subsequently ensured the peaceful life of more than one thousand people.

Today, about one hundred thousand people serve in the ranks of peacekeepers, of whom approximately one fourth are civilians. This is due to the fact that in addition to conflict resolution, the movement is recognized to provide assistance in restoring infrastructure and rehabilitating residents after hostilities. Thus, people in blue helmets help organize elections, reform the security forces, the judicial and financial systems, and also organize the voluntary disarmament of the population.

SUKHUM, June 21 - Sputnik, Badri Esiava. A rally dedicated to the Day of the Peacekeeping Forces of the Russian Federation in Abkhazia took place in Sukhum on Thursday, June 21.

The solemn ceremony at the monument to Russian peacekeepers was attended by the President of Abkhazia Raul Khadzhimba, the government of the country and members of Parliament, Abkhaz and Russian military personnel, and government officials.

After the anthems of Abkhazia and Russia were played, Colonel of the Russian army Igor Fedorov, opening the ceremony, recalled the history of this date and emphasized that Russian peacekeepers created the conditions for maintaining peace in Abkhazia and won respect from the population.

“Due to the presence of Russian peacekeepers, the armed conflict, as a result of which the opposing sides lost more than seven thousand people, was stopped. A lot of work was done to prevent an armed conflict, clear mines in the area, and provide assistance to the local population,” Fedorov noted.

© Sputnik / Thomas Thaitsuk

Advisor to the President of Abkhazia Vladimir Zantaria called the Day of Russian Peacekeeping Forces a date filled with deep symbolic meaning and an event that has become part of the modern history of the republic.

He is confident that the citizens of Abkhazia appreciate the role of Russian blue helmets in the fate of the independent republic, in the process of strengthening its security and sovereignty.

“We live in an atmosphere of stability, peace, harmony, gradual and confident entry into the mainstream of creation and revival. All this is thanks to the successful leadership of Russia and Abkhazia. We remember well what a long and complex process preceded the adoption of the fateful decision to introduce collective peacekeeping forces into the zone of Georgian-Abkhaz armed confrontation,” Zantaria said.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Abkhazia Alexey Dvinyanin emphasized the existence of an eternal and invisible connection between the exploits of soldiers during the Great Patriotic War and the heroism shown by peacekeepers on Abkhaz soil.

© Sputnik / Thomas Thaitsuk

“Tomorrow is a tragic date for all of us - the beginning of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. That day reminds us of the millions who died, tortured in fascist camps, who died in the rear from hunger and deprivation. This day is called the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow,” recalled Dvinyanin .

The peacekeepers who died while performing their service were honored by the rally participants with a minute of silence and laid flowers at the memorial in their honor. In memory of them, Father Andrei conducted a short church liturgy.

At the end of the ceremony, those present also laid wreaths at the monument to the Unknown Soldier on the Sukhumi embankment.