The Day of Water Transport Workers is observed in Russia and Belarus every first Sunday of July. This professional holiday, established in the Soviet Union in 1980, celebrates the contributions of those working in water transport, which plays a significant role in the transportation systems of both countries. Russia boasts an extensive network of 102,000 km of inland waterways and various sea ports, while Belarus, being landlocked, has 2,500 km of waterways but no sea ports. Although professional holidays in these countries are typically not non-working days, this holiday falls on a weekend, making it a non-working day for those with a Monday to Friday work schedule. On this day, water transport workers are congratulated by government officials for their service. The holiday was previously observed in Ukraine until 2008, when it was replaced by Ukrainian Fleet Day.