Home front services are undeservedly forgotten. You won’t hear about them in the advertising speeches of military commissars and recruiters. They don’t give grandiose concerts in their honor. But this in no way diminishes the importance of their activities. Not a single branch of the military is capable of conducting active combat operations without the delivery of ammunition, food, fuel, and repair of equipment. Military personnel of the Fuel Service (SF) perform support tasks both in peacetime and in conditions of military operations. The importance of the Service in the context of modern wars is difficult to overestimate. Soldiers and officers celebrate their holiday on February 17th. Historically, the service is still young. On the eve of the coming war, the country's leadership is creating a fuel supply department. The development of tank forces and aviation did not go unnoticed. Timely provision of fuel and lubricants becomes a more important task. Five years before the Great Patriotic War, K. Voroshilov signed an order to create the SG VS. The service was headed during the difficult period of its formation by the Russian military leader Nikolai Nikolaevich Movchin. He led the development of the service structure until the official order. The mobilization strategy he created in subsequent decades formed the basis of the country’s mobilization activities. Unfortunately, Colonel Movchin was arrested in the “Tukhachevsky case” and executed in 1938. The good name of Movchin was restored in the fall of 1956. The military personnel underwent a serious test literally in the first years of the formation of their service. At Lake Khasan, troops consumed 8,000 tons of fuel in two weeks. During the summer of 1939, the service supplied 87,000 tons of fuel and lubricants to the troops at Khalkhin Gol. The winter conditions of the war with Finland required the supply of 217,000 tons. A huge contribution was made to the development of SG in Soviet times by General Nikitin. The permanent head of the service for three decades was able to reform its work, bringing the functionality to automation. Units and divisions have become a complex segment of the support structure. By acquiring additional structures, the service quickly met the growing needs of the armed forces. During the Great Patriotic War, Nikitin headed one of the departments of the Service. It ensured continuous supplies of fuel and lubricants to armies and divisions. The war period showed that the GS military personnel were the same Soviet soldiers, capable of self-sacrifice for the sake of their Motherland. Soldiers and officers performed heroic deeds every day, transporting hot items to the front line under enemy fire. Their contribution to the cause of Victory is no less important than the feat of paratroopers, tank crews, and pilots. Hot food delivered on time sometimes decided the outcome of battles, influencing the general state of affairs at the front. Under General Nikitin, the service began scientific work to improve fuel characteristics. This mainly concerned jet fuels. The general was one of the developers of the pipeline transport system. Through his efforts, such a system was applied in Afghanistan. The joint efforts of the SG and the pipeline troops made it possible to create a transport network with a length of 1200 kilometers. Today, the service is in charge of operational issues of storage and transportation of fuels and lubricants to anywhere in the country or the world. Delivery is carried out by sea, air and land. Military specialists carry out refueling, service warehouses, gas stations and bases for various purposes. The growth in fuel turnover in the army and navy indicates the constant improvement of our defense potential and the readiness of the armed forces to repel any attack by a potential enemy. With a feeling of great respect, we congratulate the veterans, soldiers, and officers of the Fuel Service on their professional holiday!

February 17 is International Spontaneous Kindness Day, a day to express kindness and receive it in return. Sometimes the smallest act of kindness to your neighbor, simply saying please or thank you, can make life so much better. The celebration of spontaneous acts of kindness helps people see the world in a different light, uniting them in goodness. The celebration of spontaneous acts of kindness was first created in Denver, Colorado in 1995. Nine years later, it spread to New Zealand, where random acts of humanity began to include anything from compliments on appearance, words of gratitude, free lunches, paper humanity chains among schoolchildren, or handing out chocolate at the train station. Today the idea of ​​this holiday has spread throughout the world. Even on the worst day, those around you can feel the powerful power of kindness. Research has shown that the very act of doing something for someone gives a person the highest joy chemical. Acts of kindness come in all forms, big and small. How you choose to carry them out is up to you. Some believe that it is enough to throw a few coins into the cup of a homeless person on the street, others take a friend with them for lunch, who for some reason cannot pay for himself. Look around, maybe someone nearby is waiting for your help. Thank you with a smile for the hot coffee or tea on the table, not forgetting to wish you a good day. The simplest smile and kind words can have a profound impact on those around you. On a day of spontaneous demonstration of warmth, help yourself by helping others, with a smile on your face and kindness in your soul, proving that it is worth it. Remember to celebrate and promote kindness in all its forms.

February 17 is the Day of Russian Student Detachments - the official date established by Presidential Decree No. 86 “On the Day of Student Detachments”. Vladimir Putin signed the document on February 21, 2015. February 17 is considered the date of revival of the activities of modern student teams; on this day in 2004 in Moscow, at the All-Russian Forum dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the student construction brigade movement, the youth all-Russian public movement “Russian Student Teams” was established. Today it is the largest youth organization in Russia, coordinating the temporary work activities of students and developing the sports and creative potential of young people, and the formation of their civic worldview. A student squad is a youth group that voluntarily engages in a single labor activity in their free time from studying; it is a form of organization of students who want to earn money in various industries: manufacturing, construction, service, agricultural, teaching. Working in a detachment provides an opportunity to improve your financial situation and gain experience in social and labor relations. Participation in specialized teams allows you to better study your chosen profession. Socialization and financial well-being of students are undoubtedly an important factor in the life of student groups, but as it turned out, they are not the most important reason that has encouraged young people to set off again and again for decades to work on the next “construction site of the century.” Constant companions: romance, the company of reliable friends, songs with a guitar, the mysterious magic of a fire evoke nostalgia in everyone who has at least once gone on a student work shift, and attract new members to the ranks of the student brigade. Having stood the test of time, short-lived oblivion and hard times, having adopted all the best traditions of construction brigades from the times of the Soviet Union, Russian student brigades were revived and declared themselves loudly and with dignity. Large-scale State projects of the 21st century are being carried out with the active participation of student fighters. The APEC Summit 2012, the World Universiade 2013, the Olympic Games in Sochi involved student workers who built facilities and structures for these events. Construction teams are a school of life. Famous personalities who occupied and are holding high positions, who raised ruined Russia from its knees, went through this school at different times. Surely, the current Russian student groups are nurturing future scientists, diplomats, and government officials who will work with dignity for the good of the Fatherland in the name of the prosperity of Russia.

Primitive people gradually tamed wild animals - a horse, a cow, a dog... One of the latter, according to the legend described by R.D. Kipling became a cat. The wayward and independent animal did not agree to part with freedom for a long time, but nevertheless came to the man in the cave. This representative of the cat family has been brightening up human life with its existence for thousands of years. Graceful and intelligent animals show love and loyalty to their owners, in return demanding respect for their craving for independence. Since 1992, European Cat Day has been celebrated on February 17, a holiday established to help stray animals. The initiator of the creation of Cat Day in Europe was the Italian Claudi Angeletti. The idea of ​​the Tuttogatto magazine reporter was happily supported by activists and animal rights defenders. It is known that in Italy, especially in Rome, Naples, Milan and Turin, there are more than 2.5 million stray cats and kittens. Whenever possible, people take care of and feed homeless animals with mustaches and tails, but this support is not enough. They need more global help, which includes the creation of shelters and charitable foundations. Therefore, on February 17, in honor of Cat Day in Europe, photo exhibitions, conferences and other events are held to raise funds for the needs of stray animals. In ancient Egypt, the cat, a symbol of fertility and the sun, was worshiped as a deity. She was considered a sacred animal, protecting the owner and the house from evil spirits. Cats were associated with immortality. The ancient Egyptians believed that furry quadrupeds were endowed with the ability to reincarnate for 9 lives. They are also treated as sacred animals in Japan, where the holiday in honor of tailed pets is celebrated annually a little later than in Europe - on February 22. However, there have been periods in human history that caused cats to endure pain and suffering from people. These wise and affectionate animals, especially black ones, were exterminated en masse during the Inquisition, because... the church considered them accomplices of witches and evil spirits. Burning cats at the stake led to an outbreak of bubonic plague and other diseases. This happened because the four-legged friends of people could no longer destroy rats and other carriers of infections in sufficient numbers. The date for European Cat Day in 1992 was not chosen by chance and has esoteric overtones. February 17 is ruled by Aquarius, a sign that in the Italian cultural tradition is a symbol of free-thinking and independence. It was this fact that journalist Claudi Angeletti took into account when choosing the date of the holiday. Over the 30 years since the appearance of Cat Day in Europe, the tradition of celebrating the celebration has gradually taken root in other countries. In honor of the meowing four-legged animals, a temple was built in Japan, parades are held in Belgium, museums are opened in Berlin, the Czech Republic, Basel and Minsk, cafes are opened in Moscow and Lvov. Some cat lovers are admired for their self-sacrifice and love for animals. Thus, Jack and Donna Wright from Kingston, Ontario, are listed in the Guinness Book of Records. At the time the record was set, the couple had 689 purring pets. Throughout the year, various holidays are celebrated all over the world dedicated to representatives of the cat family, who have lived side by side with people for thousands of years. One of the most popular is considered to be Cat Day in Europe, which falls on February 17th.

World Whale Day is an annual holiday celebrated every third Saturday of February. Whale Day is considered an environmental holiday, which is dedicated to the care and protection of cetaceans, as well as many other mammals living in the seas and oceans. In some cases, environmental organizations dedicate this holiday to certain species that face the threat of complete extermination. This is designed to make people think about the problem of the extinction of some marine animals and stop killing them and catching them for various purposes. World Whale Day was established in 1986 when the International Whaling Commission restricted the killing of whales for the harvest/sale of their meat and oil and other commercial motives. Thus, in countries that are members of the Whaling Commission, you cannot: • Harvest female whales that care for their calves;• Capture the calves themselves, who feed on their mother's milk;• Violate commission-established cetacean harvest quotas;• Exterminate prohibited and endangered whale species. Thanks to this ban, it was possible to preserve tens of thousands of whales, and subsequently hundreds of species of other marine life. 88 countries, including Russia, have agreed to the terms of the International Whaling Commission and are now complying with all established requirements and restrictions. The holiday is mostly common among scientists and members of environmental communities and organizations, but the celebration of World Whale Day is dedicated to attracting society to global problems related to the extinction of cetaceans. On this day, activists hold seminars and conferences where they talk about ways to preserve an increasing number of whales and other marine animals, as well as interesting facts about the life of these mammals in the natural environment. During the holiday, people honor those scientists and members of environmental groups who have made a significant contribution to solving the problem of whale extermination. Every year, new strategies and ideas are put forward that can help stop or reduce the harvesting of marine life and their extinction. People who take part in small environmental clubs organize concerts with competitions and flash mobs on city streets to draw media and public attention to the plight of whales in the wild.

Science knows 8 species of pangolin - an animal similar in appearance and lifestyle to the anteater and armadillo. A distinctive feature of this mammal is the scales that cover the entire body. Translated from Malay, pengguling means “rolls up into a ball,” because this is what the animal does in moments of danger, like hedgehogs. The lizard, which resembles a herbivorous small dinosaur, is hunted by a large number of poachers, putting the entire population at risk. World Pangolin Day is called upon to draw attention to the problem of the disappearance of a unique mammal. World Pangolin Day, which lives in Africa and Southeast Asia, has been celebrated annually since 2012 every third Saturday in February. The demand for pangolin meat and scales, arranged in 18 rows, is especially high in China. In the Middle Kingdom, pangolin dishes are considered delicacies, and keratin plates are considered healing. They are used to prepare drugs to improve lactation, activate blood circulation, treat heart disease, cancer and other pathologies. Rice wine is made from baby lizards, which also amazes the world community and organizations that pay attention to the extinction of the mammal. Pangolins are the most sought-after animals on the global black market, accounting for 20% of wildlife sales. Every year, smugglers and poachers kill up to 2 million pangolins. In order to combat the illegal trade in pangolins, in 2016 the CITES Convention, held in South Africa, banned them from being caught all over the world. Animal meat is considered a delicacy not only in China, but also in African countries. 2 out of 8 pangolin species are endangered. World Pangolin Day draws attention to the participation of these mammals in the biogeocenosis of their habitat. They are very important for the ecosystem because... keep termite and ant populations under control, preventing their uncontrolled reproduction. In the wild, pangolins are often the prey of predators. However, they are saved by the ability to curl up into a ball and move in this form along rocks at a speed of 30 meters in 10 seconds. In addition, in moments of danger, animals secrete a substance with an unpleasant aroma, reminiscent of the smell of skunk secretions. Therefore, most often lizards become victims not of pythons and predatory mammals (tigers, leopards and lions), but of humans. The Chinese non-governmental organization TRAFFIC organized the “Pangolin, Live!” movement in 2018. In order to curb the illegal trade, a group of volunteers collected information on 159 routes for animal smuggling to the black market. Events held during World Pangolin Day draw attention to the lifestyle and reproduction of pangolins. The female gives birth to only 1 cub per year, so there is no talk of a rapid restoration of the population even after measures are taken to protect the animal. However, the organizers of conferences and lectures for World Pangolin Day are confident that they will be able to prevent its extinction and stop the destruction of a unique mammal.

In 2003, French writer Marc Levy came up with an unusual holiday established in honor of the search for the meaning of life - The point of Life. The playwright invited people all over the world to ask themselves at least once a year, on February 17, the question of the meaning of existence on Earth. Aggression, wars and other conflicts prevent us from showing unity in achieving good goals and caring for each other. World Human Spirit Day, which is celebrated annually on February 17, is intended to draw attention to the importance of inner fullness and a state of harmony. World Human Spirit Day as a holiday is necessary to unite the energies of people and create, with the help of their flows, an information field invisible to the eye. Filled with sincere impulses and good wishes, it will make the world kinder and more harmonious. For the purpose of collective meditation, its participants allocate 2 minutes of time on February 17, spending them in silence and focusing on good goals. The energetic unification of people on World Human Spirit Day occurs at 15.00 EST - US Eastern Time, i.e. at 23.00 - Moscow time. Scientists have long agreed that a person’s thoughts, emotions and actions are controlled not only by the mind. There is a certain ephemeral energy structure that affects the physical and mental health of a person, defining him as a person. Some call the core of an individual a soul, others call it a monad. Despite the difference in names, researchers are unanimous in one thing - this energetic substance is necessary for the existence and learning of all living beings. The human spirit is called to develop and create, to fill the world with gratitude and love. However, interfaith conflicts, national strife and wars between countries prevent this. World Human Spirit Day is an attempt to overcome such obstacles. Mark Levy is convinced that the release of energies as a result of collective meditation on February 17 will inevitably lead to the emergence of harmony, peace and all-consuming love in society. The writer and his supporters believe that one should not underestimate the power of the human spirit, capable of things the understanding of which is beyond the limits of reason. Therefore, universal meditation, despite the fact that it is not an action performed in the material world, is able to change life on the physical level. World Human Spirit Day inspires hope for the best and motivates millions of people around the world to think positively. The holiday helps to believe in the power of collective intention and its implementation thanks to the sincerity of the impulses of everyone who is ready to devote 2 minutes of their life to meditation in honor of World Human Spirit Day.

On February 17 (February 4, old style), according to the folk calendar, the holiday of Nikola Studeny is celebrated. It takes its name from the church date of honoring the Most Holy Nicholas the Confessor, who lived in the 9th century in the Studite monastery. From his youth, Nikolai was raised in a Christian family, then his uncle became his mentor in the Studite temple. When Nicholas took monastic vows and earned the rank of priest, he spread Christianity among people. During his life, the monk suffered many times from cruel persecution of the pagans, but again returned to the path of enlightening the people. The Lord awarded Nicholas with the gift of curing diseases, which passed to his relics after death. And among the people, Nicholas was remembered as the lord of frost and cold. Often on a given day the weather was frosty with strong winds. It was in the wind that healers performed love spell and lapel rituals on their loved ones. To avoid catching a cold, the peasants spent the day indoors. The owners cleaned the house, cleaned the barns and fed the livestock. They also read prayers to protect livestock from attacks by predators in the forest. They prayed to Saint Nicholas himself, asking him to get rid of stomach diseases. It was believed that from the day of Nikola Studeny, mating games among forest predators began. A lone wolf and a she-wolf paired up for life, gradually turning into a pack with their offspring. Foxes ran around in pairs and performed mating dances. Afterwards, the animals prepared a den for future babies in hard-to-reach places. If a blackened forest was noticed on Nikola Studeny, residents were preparing for warmer weather. The branches of the tree inclined to the ground foreshadowed snowfall, those raised higher - a sunny day. Sparrows were observed hiding in straw before severe frosts. A month in the sky with a red tint meant windy weather.

The ancient Greek god Bacchus was depicted as a young man with a wreath of vine leaves and its fruits on his head, holding an ivy-covered staff in his hands. Large-scale celebrations were held in honor of the heavenly patron of harvests and plants of all kinds, called Dionysus and Liber by the Romans. Religious mysteries, or bacchanalia, were distinguished by their particular riot and frenzy, licentiousness and immorality. In honor of the god of winemaking and fertility, abundant libations were poured out, glorification rituals were carried out, and sacrifices were made. Thousands of years later, the ancient tradition of honoring the son of Zeus and Queen Semele is our continuation. On February 17, a funny holiday is celebrated - the Day of Awe of Bacchus. Entire treatises have been written about the benefits of this ancient alcoholic drink. The grapevine, along with the olive tree, were the main agricultural crops of the peoples of the Mediterranean and Black Sea region. Wine had a good effect on the physical and mental state of the ancient Greeks and Romans, helping to overcome depression and other emotional disorders. Juniper and myrtle flowers soaked in the drink were used to treat gastrointestinal diseases; adding honey helped fight anemia. It was wine that saved the world from cholera and dysentery in the Middle Ages. With its help, water was disinfected from pathogenic microbes and treated for fever and other diseases. Peoples with a developed winemaking culture looked at drinking wine as a ritual act with a mystical background. This also included the preservation of the recipe, the sacrament of preparing a sacred drink and the conduct of religious rituals that were supposed to appease the forces of nature and the gods. The Day of Awe of Bacchus suggests treating wine with no less reverence than the ancient Greeks. Therefore, on February 17, an alcoholic drink is consumed not for the sake of drunkenness, but for the purpose of serving one of the gods of Olympus. In honor of the holiday, wine with a rich bouquet and a pronounced aftertaste is purchased. The atmosphere for receiving the drink should be solemn and consistent with the goal - the glorification of Bacchus. The wine is drunk measuredly and leisurely. On this day, the connoisseur of “Dionysian moisture” is invited to get rid of the shackles of everyday life and become like a god in joy. Or, on the contrary, immerse yourself in philosophical reflections about the meaning of existence, move away from solving the issues of earthly life and think about the eternal. A day of awe of Bacchus, spent in the company of other believers, can end in bacchanalia. Whether it is worth feeling awkward or ashamed about this, everyone decides for themselves. Taking wine to the extreme, a person becomes like God in frantic joy and riot, completely falling under his protection. Abundant libations were considered an integral part of the cult of Bacchus in Ancient Greece. Therefore, they are not prohibited and are even encouraged on February 17, the Day of Awe of the God of Winemaking and Fertility.

Orthodox holidays on February 17:

On February 17 (February 4, old style), the Christian world celebrates the day of remembrance of Isidore of Pelusiot (Pelusiot). The Monk Isidore Pelusiot is a disciple of John Chrysostom, a famous exegete, that is, a person who interprets theological texts. Unfortunately, there is very little information about his life: the main points of the reverend’s biography are reconstructed from his own letters. Isidore wrote about ten thousand epistles, but little more than two thousand have survived to this day. In his letters, Isidore interpreted the Holy Scriptures, gave sermons, and gave instructions to monks, soldiers, and even the leading members of the clergy. Isidore was born into a noble family. The boy received an excellent education, was familiar with philosophy, medicine and rhetoric, with classical literature and Scripture. Most likely, he was destined for a career as a lawyer or rhetorician. After completing his studies, Isidore worked as a sophist - a paid teacher of eloquence. It was during this period that he acquired a wide circle of students with whom he corresponded throughout the rest of his life. Isidore then retired to the mountains near Pelusium, an ancient Egyptian city located in swamps and swamps. There he indulged in asceticism (self-restraint), imitating the desert life of John the Baptist. Having met Saint John Chrysostom during a trip to Constantinople, Isidore became his faithful disciple, not hesitating to denounce hypocritical and greedy rulers. However, circumstances were such that he had to return from seclusion to the city and become a church teacher (didaskal). After a conflict broke out with the local bishop, Isidore again fled into the desert. In the desert, the monk lived the life of an ordinary monk who did not break contact with the world: he prayed, copied books, was modest in clothing and food, interpreted Scripture, met with people and answered their spiritual questions. His broad outlook, education, piety and deep faith allowed him to gain fame not only among monks. The emperor himself and the patriarchs turned to him for instructions. Some sources report that during his second stay in the desert, Isidore became abbot of the monastery. Having lived to be a hundred years old, Isidore Pelusiot became very ill and died. His entourage preserved the saint's clothes as a relic. On the day of remembrance of the Monk Isidore of Pelusiot, you can read his messages, and you can also turn to him with a request for intercession before the Lord.

Memorial Day of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Georgy Vsevolodovich Vladimirsky

Memorial Day of St. Kirill of Novoezersk