It just so happened that some holidays in Russia are celebrated twice. The people do not mind celebrating both Catholic and Orthodox Christmas, and the New Year in the new and old style is generally taken for granted. Representatives of some professions, due to a combination of circumstances, have more than one holiday. The day of housing and communal services workers is one of the brightest examples, the date of its celebration was postponed several times over half a century, and the service itself was organized in the seventeenth century.
A bit of history
Since the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, and more precisely since April 1649, there has been an order in Russia on the Grad deanery, which was required at the legislative level to maintain courtyard territories in order. Peter the Great in 1721 completely transferred the functions of the so-called “public deanery” to the department of the police already organized by then.
For the first time, the Bolsheviks began to think about the organization of housing and communal services close to the option that exists today, having inherited palaces, mansions and estates from tsarist Russia, which later housed museums and schools, houses of culture, as well as various organizations of the new mode. Parks also demanded care, especially those in whose territory there were fountains.
One can only guess about the quality of the services provided then. On that day, housing and communal services workers practically did not exist. Representatives of the proletariat mastered professions unfamiliar to themselves, without qualified mentors and teachers, the only exception was janitors, whose work did not require special skills.
When and how did Housing and Utilities Workers Day appear
Since 1966, on the fourth Sunday of July, the USSR begins to celebrate the Day of workers in trade, public services and housing and communal services. By this time, the industry is already quite developed and a number of educational institutions are training specialists in relevant professions.
In November 1988, a number of amendments were introduced into the legislation of the USSR concerning professional holidays and memorable dates. Since that time, for communal services, sales workers and service industry representatives, the day of celebration is postponed to the third Sunday of March. Subsequent changes in 2013 related to the allocation of Trade Day as a separate holiday. Now it should be celebrated on the fourth Saturday of July. At the same time, the day of housing and communal services and public services was not postponed; it is celebrated, as before, in March.
Is it easy to be a public service representative
Work related to public services has always been considered difficult. This is partly because, using water or electricity, we simply do not notice it. The mechanism is debugged due to the fact that today there are about 2 million people in the housing and communal services in Russia.
The cleaned house territory, well-maintained flowerbeds, modern playgrounds, a well-functioning elevator, and renovated porches we take for granted. And if suddenly something is wrong, then you can remember about communal services.
A leaking tap or sparkling wiring immediately causes negative emotions. It is at this moment that we recall the existence of communal services. And if the brigade serving a large territory suddenly lingered, then there was no limit to the indignation.
But how we rejoice when the repair is behind. And immediately forget about the utilities until the next breakdown.
Workers in the consumer services sector get much less negativity, because they are going to fix and repair their personal belongings, rather than common property, and they do not need to pay a monthly service fee.
Congratulations for housing workers
Representatives of various specialties celebrate their professional holiday in different ways. Many kind words are heard by the public utilities. The specifics of their work is such that some will have to spend the New Year on the shift, while others will not be home on March 8. There will be among them those whose shift falls on the Day of Housing and Public Utilities of Russia.
And if on this day you meet a plumber or an electrician, or maybe you decide to go check the bills for the services in the management company, do not forget to congratulate those people who care about the improvement of your space on a professional holiday.
What should be the congratulation
How and whom to congratulate, everyone decides independently. It’s not at all necessary to give gorgeous gifts, believe me, people whose work is not visible at first glance will be very pleased to hear any sincere wishes addressed to them. Congratulations can be said in prose or poetry, be serious or comic, they can simply be sent by e-mail to the address from which you receive the service bills, be sure that the utility workers will read every line and try to work even better and better.