DAY 1078 RUSSIAN AGGRESSION
On February 5, Ukraine celebrates the Day of the State Special Transport Service.
Additionally, today is the Day of the Erudite, World Nutella Day, World Read Aloud Day, and World Reiki Day for Animals.
The Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Agatha, the holy martyr.
Day of the State Special Transport Service
This day is celebrated annually in Ukraine according to the Decree of the President of Ukraine (No. 14/2025 dated January 6, 2025).
This decision highlights the importance of the service in maintaining the functioning of transport infrastructure, especially in wartime conditions.
The State Special Transport Service (SSTS) is a military formation that has been part of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine since 2017. The service performs key tasks to ensure safety at transport facilities.
SSTS specialists are involved in demining, establishing fortifications, and restoring railway tracks and bridges damaged during the war. Their work is critically important for maintaining the country’s defense capabilities and ensuring the logistics of military transport.
World Reiki Day for Animals
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing practice that emerged in the early 1920s, founded by Mikao Usui. It involves the transfer of life energy through light touch or even at a distance, promoting stress reduction and improved well-being. In the case of animals, Reiki helps them relax, reduces anxiety, and supports and accelerates healing processes.
This day reminds us of the importance of choosing to treat animals with love and compassion, granting them their right to personal space and respect.
Day of the Erudite
The Day of the Erudite, observed on February 5, is celebrated worldwide. This holiday honors intellectually gifted individuals who possess a wealth of knowledge and skillfully utilize it.
World Read Aloud Day
World Read Aloud Day is a global literacy movement celebrated to emphasize the importance of reading aloud and sharing stories. This special day is marked by various events and activities aimed at drawing attention to the power of words and the joy of reading within communities across the globe.
Notable Birthdays:
440 years since the establishment of the Assumption Stavropigian Brotherhood in Lviv (1585);
175 years since the birth of Ostap Stepanovych Terletskiy (1850-1902), Ukrainian literary scholar, publicist, publisher, and social-political figure;
110 years since the birth of Viktor Vladislavovych Adamkevych (1915-1973), artist, graphic designer, and educator;
110 years since the birth of Robert Hofstadter (1915-1990), American physicist and Nobel Prize laureate in Physics (1961);
90 years since the birth of Borys Nikitovych Naryzhny (1935-2006), Ukrainian prose writer, publicist, and historian.
Also on this day:
1904 - U.S. troops left Cuba after six years of occupation. President of the Republic of Cuba, Tomás Palma, thanked the Americans for their friendship;
1917 - The current constitution of Mexico was approved, which was the first in the world to enshrine social rights;
1918 - In Kyiv, at a meeting of the Council of People's Ministers of the Ukrainian People's Republic, a plan was adopted to organize the registered "Free Cossacks" in Ukraine, which was to carry out internal security in the districts, along with a draft law on public works;
1919 - The first regular passenger airline in Europe, operated by Deutsche Luft-Reederei GmbH, connected Berlin and Weimar in Germany;
1924 - BBC Radio began transmitting precise time signals from the Greenwich Observatory;
1928 - German chemist Adolf Windaus first synthesized vitamin D, the deficiency of which causes rickets;
1924 - The Greenwich Observatory started broadcasting hourly sound signals of precise time via radio;
1935 - In New York, professional boxing organizers decided that championship bouts could not last longer than 15 rounds;
1952 - New York became the first city in the world to use three-color traffic lights;
1958 - During military exercises near the coast of Georgia, a hydrogen bomb was lost in an aircraft accident, which has not been found to this day;
1971 - The NASDAQ stock index ("Automated Quotations of the National Association of Securities Dealers of the USA") was introduced;
1977 - Leaders of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, Mykola Rudenko and Oleksiy Tikhyy, were arrested;
1979 - Argentina opened the Antarctic research station Belgrano II;
1989 - The pan-European channel Eurosport began broadcasting;
1991 - The capital of Kyrgyzstan, which had been named Frunze for 65 years, was renamed Bishkek;
1992 - Ukraine established diplomatic relations with Norway;
1999 - Mike Tyson, former world boxing champion, received a one-year prison sentence for assaulting two individuals whose car collided with Tyson's vehicle. The boxer served only 3.5 months;
2009 - For a ransom of $3.2 million, Somali pirates released the ship "Faina," which had a crew of 17 Ukrainians. The vessel had been held captive since September 25, 2008.
Church Holiday:
St. Agatha the Martyr
St. Agatha the Martyr suffered for her faith in 251 AD. She was born into a wealthy family in the city of Panorm (now Palermo). At that time, the local ruler was the cruel Kintian, who had been appointed by Emperor Decius, known for his hatred of Christians. A decree was sent out to persecute all who believed in God.
When St. Agatha came to trial before Kintian, he heard of her wealth and did not immediately condemn her to torture. Initially, she was placed with a wealthy pagan woman named Aphrodisia, hoping that she and her five daughters would lead Agatha astray. Kintian intended to take her as his wife and seize her family's riches. However, neither the fine clothes, nor the feasts, nor the merriment touched the heart of the girl. Agatha was then thrown into prison. The next morning, she was stripped, tied to a tree naked, and brutally beaten. Her breasts were mutilated.
After the torture, the girl was thrown back into prison. That night, the Apostle Paul appeared to her, healed her wounds, and prophesied that Kintian would die and suffer terribly before his death.
When Kintian saw the next morning that Agatha's wounds were healed, he became furious. He began to torture her again, but an earthquake struck the city, causing great fear among the residents. They thought it was the Lord punishing them for the holy martyr. Fearing public unrest, Kintian sent Agatha back to prison, where she died with words to God on her lips.
When the local residents learned of Agatha's death, they came to the prison to take her body for a dignified burial. Suddenly, a young man approached them with 100 beautiful youths and placed a board with the inscription "Immaculate mind, voluntary sacrifice to God, and salvation of the homeland" in the coffin with the girl, then became invisible. The people understood that it was an angel of God.
Kintian, along with his soldiers, went to Panorm to seize Agatha's riches. On their way, they crossed a river, where they all perished.
It is believed that Agatha protects livestock and helps during fires. Therefore, on February 18, peasants try to pamper their livestock, clean the barn, and feed them well.
On February 18, prayers were offered to St. Agatha to protect the home from fire. Candles were also lit before her icons in memory of deceased relatives.
Name Days: Anton, Makar, Mykhailo, Oleksandra, Vasilisa.