World Post Day is celebrated annually on October 9th . On this day in 1874, the main international postal organization, the Universal Postal Union (UPU), was founded in Bern, Switzerland. At the UPU Congress, held in Tokyo (Japan) in 1969, it was decided to celebrate this date as World Post Day.
The purpose of World Post Day is to promote the role of the postal sector in the daily lives of people and companies and its contribution to the socio-economic development of the country.
The need to receive news from other localities and countries dates back to ancient times and was initially satisfied through the mediation of messengers who brought messages, both oral and written or clothed in symbolic form. In ancient Greece, Persia, Egypt, China, the Roman Empire there was a well-established postal service. In the Middle Ages, there were monastic and university post offices in Europe.
With the development of trade and crafts , city post offices appeared (initially they served merchants and artisans, and then other segments of the population). In the 16th-17th centuries, centralized royal mail appeared in France, Sweden, England and other countries. With the development of industrial relations, the need arose for regular and fast postal communications both within countries and between states. As a result, regular national and international postal services were created using horse-drawn traction. With the opening of the Liverpool-Manchester railway line in Great Britain in 1830, mail began to be transported by rail, first as cargo, and from 1839 in specially equipped mail cars.
In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the exchange of mail between countries was largely regulated by bilateral postal agreements. But by the 19th century, the web of bilateral agreements had become so complex that it hindered the booming trade and commercial sectors. International postal services needed order and simplification.
Formed in 1874, the Universal Postal Union brought together the intricate international labyrinth of postal services and rules into a single postal territory for the mutual exchange of letters. Barriers and boundaries that prevented the free flow and growth of international mail were removed.
The appearance of an airplane at the beginning of the 20th century significantly increased the speed of sending mail. With the invention of electronic mail in the last quarter of the 20th century, the volume of written correspondence sent in the traditional postal system decreased, but it retained the importance of a mass mode of communication for sending material objects.
Today, the UPU includes postal administrations from 192 countries. Around the world, 650,000 branches operate in a single postal system, employing 5.3 million people. The Post also has a public service mandate from many governments.
The Universal Postal Union is one of the oldest and most representative international intergovernmental organizations. It has the status of a specialized agency of the United Nations. The UPU is the main forum for cooperation among Posts and helps provide a one-stop shop for modern postal products and services; performs an advisory, mediating and liaison role; and provides technical assistance when needed. The UPU sets the rules for international postal exchanges, makes recommendations to stimulate the growth of mail, parcels and financial services and to improve the quality of customer service.
Russia was among the founding countries of the Universal Postal Union. Currently, Russian Post is a member of the UPU Postal Operations Council, which is the technical and operational center of the organization. The council’s program of work aims to help postal services modernize and upgrade their postal products and services.
Russian Post includes more than 38,000 branches throughout the country and unites one of the largest labor collectives – about 311,000 postal workers. Post offices today are diversified and multifunctional offices, where in one visit you can solve the maximum number of household issues : receive correspondence, buy groceries, pay for housing and communal services, make a money transfer or purchase insurance.
Every year Russian Post receives about 2.6 billion letters and invoices and processes almost 400 million parcels. The company serves about 20 million subscribers in Russia, who receive more than 500 million copies of printed publications per year. The annual volume of transactions that go through the Russian Post is about 2.6 trillion rubles (pensions, payments and transfers).
Every year, more than 150 countries around the world hold various events dedicated to World Post Day. Many postal authorities are taking advantage of this opportunity to introduce or promote new postal products and services. In addition, some post offices hold World Post Day award ceremonies for their most distinguished employees.
Philatelic exhibitions are held in many countries, issues of new stamps and their special cancellations are organized. Post offices, centers and museums host open days, conferences, seminars and workshops, as well as cultural, sports and other recreational activities.
Each year, World Post Day celebrates a specific theme. The theme for 2022 is “Mail in the service of all the planets”. The theme reveals how the Post, with the largest logistics network in the world, can help accelerate the green transition across the economy.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from Novosti and open sources