Moscow, March 27 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia set the country’s clock forward by one hour early Sunday for the last time. The nation would not switch to winter time anymore following a presidential decree signed last month.
Each of Russia’s nine time zones put their clocks forward by one hour at 2 a.m. local time.
Daylight saving time (DST) was introduced in the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1981 to reduce energy consumption by making the most of longer days in summer.
Since then, Russia has been changing to and from DST on the same dates as Europe, moving clocks forward one hour on the last Sunday of March and back one hour on the last Sunday of October.
The first recorded time change in Russia was in 1917. Since then it has undergone several time change reforms.
President Dmitry Medvedev said in February that the decision to switch to ‘permanent summer time’ was made after studies showed that daylight saving puts unnecessary strain on public health.
Doctors, however, argue whether switching to DST and back is harmful to people’s health, with some saying the switch deteriorates the condition of people with cardiovascular diseases and unstable psyche, and others denying that any serious harm could be inflicted.
A poll conducted in February showed that some 60 percent of Russians support the decision to scrap the annual shift to winter time.
The deputy head of the country’s metrology agency – RosStandard – said this might not be Russia’s last time change.
‘Since 1916, countries have been experimenting with time and I think the process is likely to continue,’ Vladimir Krutikov said.
