Analysts have counted the seven initiatives of ex-President Medvedev, which are curtailed by the current president. One of them is the abolition of the conversion of clock hands to winter time. The next time reform affecting Russia was carried out in the summer of 2011. By presidential decree, the whole country, in the spring, having transferred the clock to daylight saving time, remained in it forever. After the reform, the difference between the time on the watch dials and the astronomical one was two hours. But such a difference, instead of the expected economic effect and a beneficial effect on the health of citizens, introduced a number of inconveniences and became the reason for discussion. Practice has shown a mixed perception by people of the change in the time regime that has become habitual. Opinion polls show that many Russians, especially in the eastern regions, consider the constant transition to daylight saving time to be inappropriate.
Citizens express their dissatisfaction on the basis of personal feelings and impressions. Many are not satisfied with the fact that they spend daylight hours at work, but leave home and return in the dark. The abolition of the transition to winter time has caused chronic lack of sleep and fatigue. Official science does not voice reliable information about the negative impact of summertime life on the health of citizens. But, nevertheless, many people recognize such a temporary regimen as uncomfortable and advocate approaching the average biological rhythm. These include the president of Russia.
Undoubtedly, adaptation to constant seasonal changes in the time cycle during the transition from summer to winter time negatively affects the population. It is difficult to find at least one person who has not felt the “charms” of adaptation on himself. Moreover, according to doctors, in the first days after the transition to a new hourly schedule, the number of emergency calls increases, stress resistance decreases, and the number of heart attacks increases. At the same time, the transition to daylight saving time and back does not give a special economic effect. But the two-hour difference with biological and standard time does not cause optimism.
Precisely because such a reform of the time did not justify itself, in September 2012 a draft new law was submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, and subsequently redirected to the government. The cancellation of daylight saving time was initiated by the chairman of the committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation S. Kalashnikov. The bill, as its author notes, is relevant and requires speedy consideration and support. The chief sanitary doctor of Russia G. Onishchenko admitted that the return of the country to astronomical time will be most natural for the population. He also expressed the opinion that the transition to seasonal time for the sake of the economy and to the detriment of health is inappropriate. Thus, the abolition of daylight saving time is a matter of time and common sense. Considering that not only comfort, but also the health of citizens depends on the decision of the government, it remains to hope for a comprehensive and in-depth study of the problem by statesmen.
The first persons of the state have already expressed their point of view. The President noted that he does not like living in the summer in summer. He left the consideration of the bill to the competence of the Russian government. And Prime Minister Medvedev, in response to questions from journalists, suggested holding a vote in a number of regions on the feasibility of a new interim system. He also acknowledged that daylight saving is a matter of choice, and if people are in favor of canceling the reform, then so be it.
In the USSR, the seasonal transfer of arrows began to be practiced since 1981. Today, the EU countries, Australia, New Zealand, North America and Mexico do this. A total of 78 states use daylight saving time.