DAY 1104 RUSSIAN AGGRESSION
On March 3, Ukraine and the world celebrate Writer's Day and the birthday of the National Library of Ukraine named after Yaroslav the Wise.
Additionally, today marks World Wildlife Day, International Irish Whiskey Day, and World Tennis Day.
The Orthodox Church commemorates the Prodigal Son and the Holy Martyrs Eupropius, Cleonicus, and Basiliscus.
World Writer's Day
It is celebrated according to the decision of the 48th Congress of the International PEN Club, which took place from January 12 to 18, 1986.
Editors, journalists, historians, and other wordsmiths can also consider International Writer's Day as their professional holiday. On March 3, all authors have the opportunity to gather for the presentation of their creative works, discussion of literary novelties, and recognition of the best for their writing activities.
On World Writer's Day, let us remember those who perished at the hands of the aggressors. For many, their deaths recalled Ukrainian cultural figures who suffered from repression in the USSR - the "executed renaissance."
Children's writer and poet Volodymyr Vakulenko (1972-2022) was killed by the aggressors during the temporary occupation in Kharkiv region. He participated in the Revolution of Dignity and was injured in Mariinsky Park on February 18, 2014, during clashes with "titushky." His book "I Am Transforming. Diary of Occupation. Selected Poems" was published by Vivat in 2023.
Writer and founder of the literary project "Spirit of the Nation," Yurii Ruf (1980-2022), volunteered to defend Ukraine from the very first days of the full-scale war. He fought as part of the Lviv 24th Brigade. He heroically died in the spring of 2022 in the Luhansk region.
Victoria Amelina (1986-2023) was a talented Ukrainian writer and public figure who devoted much time to documenting the war crimes of the aggressors and researching the war. She joined the human rights organization Truth Hounds, which documents war crimes in the liberated territories of Ukraine. Her life was cut short due to injuries sustained from a missile strike by the aggressors in Kramatorsk in June 2023.
Gleb Babich (1969-2022) was a soldier, poet, and volunteer. Since 2014, he joined the Anti-Terrorist Operation as a volunteer in eastern Ukraine. He went through five years of war and six combat rotations, serving in the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade.
Maxim "Dali" Kryvtsov (1990-2024) was a Ukrainian poet, photographer, public figure, and volunteer. He authored the poetry collection "Verses from the Embrace." This year, "Our Format" published "In the Minefield of Memory" - diaries and notes by Maxim Kryvtsov, which he began documenting as early as 2015.
Maxim Petrenko (1983-2022) was a Ukrainian writer, scientist, inventor, educator, reading promoter, and serviceman of the National Guard of Ukraine, known for his diary-novel "Good Night." He fought since 2014 and was long considered missing in action.
Ilya Chernilevsky (1991-2022) was a Ukrainian poet, singer, composer, and translator. His poetry collection "I Am a Bird Among the Nets" was published a year and a half after his death. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ilya volunteered at the military recruitment office. He was initially turned away due to lack of service experience. He first joined the territorial defense unit, and in early March 2022, he became a member of the Armed Forces, serving in the 110th Brigade. He fought and continued to write. Ilya died in the Donetsk region, near the village of Kamyanka in the Pokrovsk district, on his mother’s birthday. Ilya was the son of Stanislav Chernilevsky, a remarkable poet, film director, and educator.
Birthday of the National Library of Ukraine named after Yaroslav the Wise
Today marks 159 years since the establishment of the National Library of Ukraine named after Yaroslav the Wise in Kyiv (then known as the Kyiv Russian Public Library).
The National Library of Ukraine named after Yaroslav the Wise (formerly the National Parliamentary Library of Ukraine) is one of the largest and oldest libraries in Ukraine, a leading state cultural, educational, and scientific-information institution.
It was founded on March 3, 1866. It suffered during World War II. It serves over 25,000 readers. Since 1958, it has been engaged in international book exchanges. The library compiles recommended bibliographic materials, library science manuals, studies, summarizes, and disseminates best practices in library work.
As of 2015, the library's holdings amounted to approximately 4.7 million items.
World Wildlife Day
It is celebrated annually in accordance with the resolution of the UN General Assembly A/RES/68/205.
This young holiday was first observed in 2013. Since then, the day regularly reminds us of the vulnerability of the animal and plant world and the urgent need for its protection.
International Irish Whiskey Day
International Irish Whiskey Day, celebrated annually on March 3, is a global celebration of Irish spirits. This day is dedicated to honoring the rich history, diverse styles, and unique production methods of Irish whiskey.
World Tennis Day
World Tennis Day is an international tennis celebration observed every year on the first Monday of March. The day was first established in 2013 and is recognized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
On this day, the following were born:
180 years since the birth of Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor (1845-1918), a German mathematician and the founder of set theory;
130 years since the birth of Ragnar Anton Kittil Frisch (1895-1973), a Norwegian economist and Nobel Prize laureate in Economics (1969);
120 years since the birth of Maxim Fedotovich Huliy (1905-2007), a Ukrainian biochemist and Hero of Ukraine (2005);
100 years since the birth of Fyodor Yurievich Palfiy (1925-1996), a Ukrainian biochemist.
Also on this day:
1917 - On March 3-4, the Ukrainian Central Rada (UCR) was organized in Kyiv;
1918 - According to the Treaty of Brest, Soviet Russia recognized Ukraine's independence;
1923 - The first issue of the New York magazine "Time" was published;
1924 - Turkey abolished the Ottoman dynasty, the caliphate, and other religious authorities, initiating secular reforms;
1931 - U.S. President Hoover approved Congress's decision to recognize the poem "The Star-Spangled Banner," written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, influenced by the events of the Anglo-American War of 1812 and later set to the melody of a popular English song "To Anacreon in Heaven," as the official anthem of the United States;
1945 - The Regional State Art Gallery opened in Lviv;
1947 - The first restored unit of the Dnipro HPP, blown up by the NKVD in 1941, generated industrial electricity;
1952 - The general plan for the development of Cherkasy, designed by the Kyiv Institute of Design, was approved;
1991 - Referendums were held in Latvia and Estonia, where the majority of citizens voted for these republics to exit the USSR;
1994 - Ukraine and the USA signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation;
2005 - Steve Fossett completed the first solo nonstop flight around the world in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer;
2020 - The first confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 in Ukraine was announced;
2022 - Georgia officially submitted its application for EU membership.
Church holiday:
The Orthodox holiday on March 3 is the feast day of the Holy Martyrs Eupropius, Cleonicus, and Basiliscus, who perished for their Christian faith.
Eupropius, Cleonicus, and Basiliscus lived in the 3rd-4th centuries in Amasya (modern-day Turkey). Eupropius and Cleonicus were brothers who were friends with Basiliscus, and all three professed Christianity.
For their Christian faith, their mentor and relative Basiliscus - Theodore the Tyro - was executed, and