When the clock is set forward an hour. Europe changed its clocks to winter time for the last time. Experience from other regions

Every last Sunday of March in many countries of the world, people switch to "summer" time, i.e. they set their clocks one hour ahead. But already on the last Sunday of October, people again switch to "winter" time. Then they return the hands of their clocks to their original position (one hour ago).

Why are clocks being changed?

This is done for several reasons. Firstly, in order to lengthen daylight hours, as well as to combine the resulting result with administrative time. Secondly, it saves energy and resources. According to some reports, such savings amount to almost 2% of energy consumption in one year. It should be noted that the reliability of this fact remains in question. Thirdly, the reason for the clock shift is a certain restructuring of human biological rhythms.

As shown, the third reason worries many citizens of Russia most acutely. After all, the biorhythms of the body are changes in the nature and intensity of certain biological processes and phenomena that repeat periodically. Doctors generally say that human biorhythms of physiological functions are so accurate that they can safely be called "biological clocks." One can imagine the discomfort experienced recently by some who live only in "winter" time.

Why did they stop changing clocks in Russia?

For a long time during each year, before the next shooter, various information sources published reports about the benefits and harms of these biorhythm rearrangements for people. In addition, they found that the energy savings caused by the clock change are so small and negligible that they are not worth it. In the end, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted a bill according to which Russia remained to live in "summer" time.

The reaction to the time law was not long in coming. This caused a whole storm of negative emotions and indignation among specialists of various levels. Under the new law, the entire country is now ahead by an hour. In addition, some Russian regions do it generally two hours ahead. In simple terms, noon in some cities actually comes at 10 am.

Since then, repeated attempts to switch to "winter" time have been tried. For example, in 2012, a draft law was submitted to the State Duma, according to which the hands of clocks in Russia should be moved back one hour, i.e. for "winter" time. However, he did not pass. At the beginning of 2014, the media started talking about the fact that the deputies were developing a bill on the transition of Russia to standard time. The president even promised to conduct a social survey and a study of the opinions of citizens throughout the country, after which they would bring the calculation of time into the desired correspondence. So far, it is difficult to talk about any concrete decisions in this area.

On the night from Saturday to Sunday, October 28, 2018, the countries of the European Union will simultaneously move the arrows back one hour. They will most likely do it for the last time. According to the results of the referendum, the European Commission decided that from 2019 the clock change is no longer performed.

Latest clock change

• Who came up with this?
• Health impact
• The situation in Europe

Until April 2019, each EU country must decide on what time it stays - in winter or in summer. There are fears that the picture of time zones in the European Union will change chaotically. On the other hand, it can, on the contrary, be harmonized if neighboring countries agree with each other.

Who came up with this?

At the Earth's equator, the same duration of day and night is maintained all year round: 12 hours each. There are no problems with sleep disturbances, energy conservation and so on. In winter, sunrise and sunset occur at almost the same time as in summer. Unfortunately, this is not the case at other latitudes. Due to the tilt of the earth's axis, the 23.44° solstices and equinoxes fall at different times of the year. In other words, in the northern hemisphere, summer days are longer than winter days.

Sunrise and sunset times throughout the year with and without daylight savings time in Greenwich (UK). Data from the Daylight Chart program

Hence the idea of ​​​​transferring clock hands to daylight saving time was born. The idea belongs to New Zealand entomologist and amateur astronomer George Hudson. In 1895, he submitted an article to the Wellington Philosophical Society proposing a two-hour clock shift to "preserve daylight." The article was published in 1898.

The idea was noticed in England, where the aristocrat and businessman William Willett became its main propagandist. In 1907, at his own expense, he published and distributed the pamphlet "The Waste of Daylight". According to his proposal, the clock should be moved every Sunday in April by 20 minutes at 2 am (only 80 minutes for April), and on Sundays in September - translated in the same way in the opposite direction. This will save England £2.5 million in lighting costs.

Purely scientific ideas from "nerds" rarely attract the attention of influential political circles. But in this case it happened. Possibly William Willett's acquaintance at the golf club, Parliamentarian William Pierce, introduced the idea to the British Parliament on February 12, 1908, but it was never accepted, although Willett promoted it until his death in 1915.

The German Empire and its ally Austria-Hungary were the first to officially introduce summer time during the First World War in order to save coal in wartime. This significant event took place on April 30, 1916.

The example of the enemy was immediately followed by Great Britain and the allies. Russia and several other countries waited until next year, and the US introduced daylight saving time in 1918.

First Daylight Saving Time in Ohio, USA

After the war, most countries abandoned the clock change, but with the outbreak of World War II, it was again used almost everywhere.

Several countries have abolished DST in recent years, including Russia and Belarus in 2011. But in Russia, the reform caused people to complain about the darkness in the mornings, so summer time was returned in 2014. The transfer of arrows was canceled in Argentina, Canada, Kazakhstan, Iceland, Turkey and other countries. Now it's the turn of the European Union.

Health impact

Scientific research shows conflicting results regarding the impact of clock shift on health. Depending on where you live and how you live, turning the arrows can give your body more daylight, which boosts vitamin D production.

On the other hand, moving the arrows increases the risk of a heart attack by 10%, disrupts sleep and reduces its effectiveness. Human biorhythms go astray and adjust to a new schedule within a few weeks (1, 2). Studies show that within a few weeks after the spring switchover, the number of suicides in men increases.

Sleep disturbances are the main negative consequence of the clock change, so now some doctors recommend abandoning DST (daylight saving time). In many countries, disputes on this topic have been going on for decades.

Saving electricity is generally called a myth: studies have shown that lighting costs practically do not change as a result of the clock change. An order of magnitude greater savings comes from switching to LED bulbs and “smart” sensors.

The situation in Europe

In Europe, universal daylight saving time was introduced in 1996: all countries simultaneously moved the arrows forward an hour on the last Sunday in March and back an hour on the last Sunday in October. Now this rule is being abolished. Tweet from European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc:

The transport industry traditionally suffers the most from switching arrows and the need to change schedules, so Violeta's joy can be understood. She hopes that the European Parliament and national governments will quickly coordinate their actions, and calls for the start of "consultations at the state level to guarantee a coordinated approach for all EU members."

Time zones in the European Union

Until April 2019, each EU country must decide on what time it stays - in winter or in summer.

The decision of the European Commission is based on the results of an online survey, which was attended by 4.6 million people in Europe. It is curious that 3 million of them represented Germany, that is, the representativeness of the survey is rather doubtful.

However, 80% of respondents voted for the abolition of daylight saving time. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on ZDF: "People want it, so we will do it." Chancellor Angela Merkel also agreed that it was "a very important issue." published

If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to specialists and readers of our project.

Since 2014, “winter” time has been in effect in Russia and it is no longer necessary to turn the clock hands forward and back an hour every year. Nevertheless, the “temporary” issue remains relevant today, because from the lips of various officials, statements about the return of “summer” time are heard every now and then.

First of all, entrepreneurs are interested in the transfer, they calculated that in this way they can save up to 4 billion rubles due to more rational consumption of electricity. Given this, interest in the issue, will there be a return to summer time in Russia in 2018, does not fade away.

Authorities say that there are no prerequisites for such a transition yet, and, most likely, Russians will continue to live according to "winter" time. This decision is supported by doctors and scientists, according to whom the “summer” time disrupts the daily rhythm of a person and negatively affects the state of health. Ordinary citizens also do not welcome the annual clock change, remembering the inconvenience and difficulties that he dragged along with him.

A bit of history

In the USSR, the concepts of "summer" and "winter" time came from the West: the clock hands were first transferred in England, then in Germany. For the first time, the Russians were introduced to the transition to "summer" time in 1917.

This innovation was actively supported by economists, pointing to energy savings, but ordinary Russians did not like it. Citizens simply forgot to translate the arrows on time, which is why they were late for work and faced other troubles.

Finally, the transition to "summer" and "winter" time took root in 1981, according to a special decree of the government of the USSR. Nevertheless, the Russians did not understand the expediency of such a decision for a long time and could not get used to the change of clocks.

Further "temporary" experiments began already in 2011: at the direction of the then Dmitry Medvedev, the transition to "winter" time was canceled.

But this decision did not last long enough, which was largely influenced by medical research, which proved that "summer" time does not coincide with the daily rhythm of a person. Living in this regime, people were more likely to get sick and feel worse. Because of this, in 2014, the "winter" time was returned, and the Russians again began to prepare for the transfer of arrows an hour ago. But in the same year, the authorities decided again to abandon the transition, but this time to stop at a constant "winter" time.

Considering that the government has changed its mind several times and left the issue of switching to "summer" time open, it is not surprising that citizens are still checking whether it is necessary to translate the arrows.

Will summer time return to Russia in 2018?

The "temporary" changes of 2011-2014 created doubts in the society about the stability of the authorities' position on this issue. Interest in "summer" time was constantly "heated up" by bills that were supposed to return the annual clock change. But none of these initiatives were supported by the government, and officials officially announced in the media that “winter” time in the Russian Federation would remain the only one.

The transition continues to be advocated by many in the economic sector, pointing to the rational use of daylight and potential resource savings. But this opinion is refuted by numerous studies that prove that the savings are still less than the cost of reconfiguring equipment at enterprises, restructuring public transport schedules and other expenses associated with the transfer of arrows.

The inexpediency of returning "summer" time is also confirmed by medical studies. Doctors unanimously say that the clock shift creates an unnecessary shake-up for the body, as a result of which chronic diseases are exacerbated, sleep patterns are disturbed, attentiveness and concentration are dulled. As a result, an increase in the accident rate and, again, the cost of sick leave for employees of enterprises.

Pros and cons of changing clocks

Many countries, including Russia, have already abandoned the transition to "summer" time, but opinions on this matter are still different. There are many adherents of the clock translation and their arguments are quite weighty. On the other side of the "barricades" there are no less people who consider the annual transition to "winter" and "summer" time to be unnecessary.

Many representatives of the energy sector considered the abolition of "summer" time too hasty and thoughtless. In their opinion, it is unreasonable to refuse the savings that the clock change brings with it, especially today, when the whole world is talking about the need to use energy resources rationally. The power engineers were also outraged by the fact that the authorities made a decision without discussing this issue with them and without giving them the opportunity to prove their position.

Every year there are fewer and fewer adherents of "summer" time, but their number still includes people who, due to their work, are often forced to fly to countries where the clock change is still in effect. Previously, the arrows were translated synchronously, and there was no confusion in flights and meeting times, but now you have to constantly take into account what time another state lives.

Citizens who advocate the most efficient use of daylight hours also complain about the abolition of "summer" time. They believe that the reasons why the USSR decided to move the clocks are still relevant today, and that refusing to switch leads to waste.

It is noteworthy that there are studies that prove that moving the clock forward and backward by 60 minutes helps to "shake" the body and switch it into activity mode.

Doctors remain the main opponents of "summer" time. They have repeatedly proven that the need to get up an hour earlier increases fatigue, knocking people out of their usual “rut”. Weather-sensitive citizens and those who have problems with the cardiovascular and nervous systems are especially affected by this.

According to doctors' research, in order to adapt to a new daily routine, a person needs 1-1.5 months, during which he feels worse and is more prone to various diseases. During this period, the risk of professional "burnout" and stress increases.

Interestingly, representatives of the same energy sector often oppose the return of "summer" time. According to them, in the European part of the Russian Federation, the volumes of energy consumption almost do not change after the clock change, so there is no talk of significant savings. Moreover, you have to spend additional funds to reconfigure the equipment.

Ordinary citizens do not want to return to "summer" time either. Due to the clock change, many citizens not only felt worse, but also suffered significant inconvenience, being forced to “adjust” their work schedule to the new conditions.

Although there is still some talk of a return to daylight saving time, such an outcome is unlikely. The government has long weighed all the pros and cons, and are in favor of a permanent "winter" time. In addition, elections are scheduled for 2018, so it is unlikely that the authorities will want to make another controversial decision during this period that could cause protests among citizens.

On July 14 (July 1, according to the old style), 1917, the transition from "winter" to "summer" time was carried out for the first time in Russia.

The expression summer time (summer time or Daylight Saving Time) means an hour ahead of the time adopted in the given time zone. It is introduced for the summer period in order to save electricity by the governments of a number of countries approximately north of 30 ° north latitude and south of 30 ° south latitude.

Switching clock hands to "summer" time is not advisable everywhere. In tropical latitudes (less than 23.5°), daylight hours vary little throughout the year. In polar latitudes (more than 66.33°) there is a polar day and a polar night. The effect of shifting clock hands to "summer" and "winter" time can take place in the latitude range from 30 to 55 °.

The duration of "summer" time in different countries decreases from north to south, amounting to 20-30 weeks in April-May, summer months and September-October (in the northern hemisphere) and about 20 weeks in November-March (in the southern hemisphere) . With a significant decrease in the duration of daylight hours, the time is transferred back an hour. The mode of life according to the usual zone time in everyday life is called "winter" time.

For the first time, the idea of ​​\u200b\u200btransferring clocks arose in the 18th century with the American public figure Benjamin Franklin (Benjamin Franklin) in order to save candles for lighting, but was blocked by candle manufacturers.

In 1895, New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson submitted a paper to the Wellington Philosophical Society proposing a two-hour shift to preserve daylight.

The idea of ​​introducing "summer" time found support in most economically developed countries at the beginning of the 20th century, during the period of mass electrification of industry and everyday life. A more rational use of daylight was supposed to reduce the cost of electricity for lighting the premises.

In Great Britain, in 1909, a bill was drawn up on the introduction of "summer" time, which was repeatedly considered in Parliament, but was not adopted until the First World War.

Many states immediately after the end of the war abandoned "summer" time, others repeatedly introduced this time, then abandoned it, and some countries maintained such a time shift throughout the year.

Transfer to "summer" time was introduced in case of crisis situations, for example, during the Second World War (USA, Great Britain), during the oil crisis of 1973-1974 (USA, Germany and other countries).

In Russia, for the first time, this transition was carried out on July 1 (July 14, according to the new style), 1917, when, in accordance with the decree of the Provisional Government, the hands of all clocks in the country were moved one hour ahead.

They were transferred back on December 27, 1917 (January 9, 1918, according to the new style), already in accordance with the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of December 22, 1917 (January 4, 1918, according to the new style).

The practice of switching from "summer" to "winter" time continued until 1924.

Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR of June 16, 1930 introduced maternity time on the territory of the USSR. Then the hands of the clock were moved one hour ahead of standard time and after that they were not moved back, and the country began to live and work all year round, one hour ahead of the natural daily cycle. The transfer of clock hands to "summer" time was resumed from April 1, 1981, but already relative to the daylight savings time. Thus, in the country "summer" time was two hours ahead of standard time.

In the USSR, and since 1991 in Russia, the introduction of "summer" time was carried out on the night of the last Saturday on the last Sunday of March, and "winter" - on the night of the last Saturday on the last Sunday of September.

In 1996, the period of "summer" time in Russia was "in order to observe a single time regime with other countries. The transition to" winter "time began to be carried out on the last Sunday of October, as in all of Europe.

At the same time, the majority of the Russian population opposed summer time.

July 21, 2014 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Russia's transition from October 26, 2014 to "winter" time. In most constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the clocks were set back an hour, and in the future, the seasonal translation of the hands was not carried out. Five regions of Russia (Udmurtia, Samara Region, Kemerovo Region, Kamchatka Territory and Chukotka Autonomous Okrug) did not switch to "winter" time.

After that, complaints began to come from a number of regions about the lack of sunlight in the evenings. In 2016, the Russian authorities approved laws that made it possible to move the clock forward: in the Republic of Altai, Altai and Trans-Baikal Territories, Sakhalin, Astrakhan, Magadan, Tomsk, Ulyanovsk, Novosibirsk and.

Currently, there is no consensus among experts and the international community on the significant savings in energy resources during the transition to daylight saving time.

In 2017, more than 70 countries and territories implemented the transition to "summer" / "winter" time. Of the former Soviet republics, "summer" time was introduced only by Moldova, Ukraine and the three Baltic republics - Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

In Ukraine, it takes place on the last Sunday of October. To find out when to switch clocks to winter in Ukraine in 2019, just look at the calendar.

The last Sunday in October 2019 falls on the 27th. It means that on the night of 26 to 27 October 2019 there is a transition to winter in Ukraine. The clock needs to be set back an hour.

Where and when to switch the arrows to winter time in Ukraine

The hands of the clock, as a rule, are moved back an hour in advance in the evening. And all modern gadgets, in which the country of location is correctly indicated, independently switch to night.

Where to switch the clock to winter time, many fail to remember. It will be easier to deal with this if you remember that in the fall we turn the clock hands back: in the fall - back, in the spring - forward.

Thanks to the transition to winter time, it gets light earlier in the morning and darkens faster in the evening. Switching to winter time gives us the opportunity to sleep an hour longer in the morning.

How does the transition to winter time affect health

Scientists say that the change of clocks causes stress in the body due to the fact that the circadian rhythm goes astray, and a person gets a mini version of jet lag, although he did not go anywhere and did not change the time zone.

Studies also show that in the first days after the clock change, the risk of heart attacks increases by 10%.

Some people need at least three weeks of adaptation to get used to the new time. To make the transition to winter time 2019 less painful for you, follow a few simple rules:

• three days before the clock changes to winter time, try to go to bed no later than 22:00-23:00;
• at least for a while give up coffee and strong black tea;
• try to go out for an hour walk in the fresh air before going to bed;
• In the meantime, ventilate your home.

Now you know when the clocks in Ukraine are switched to winter time in 2019 and what needs to be done to transfer this transfer painlessly.