‘Eternal’ summer deprives Russians of extra sleep

For the first time in years, Russians will not be setting their clocks back on the last Sunday of October.

Russia is sticking with summer time after President Dmitry Medvedev scrapped daylight-saving time in June.

Following massive studies, the authorities decided that switching clocks twice a year is harmful to people’s health and triggers stress.

The report, published by the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, revealed that when the clocks are changed, the number of heart attacks increases by 1.5 times, the rate of suicides grows by 66 per cent, and many more people call for an ambulance.

Moscow and St. Petersburg will stay at GMT+4 hours all year round, instead of reverting to GMT+3 for the winter period. Mid-winter sunrise in Moscow will occur at around 10 a.m., with an even later daybreak for the northern capital.

Ukraine was going to join Russia, but changed its mind 10 days ago. Now Russian Rail is hastily updating its schedule between the two countries. All ticket sales on routes going through Ukraine have been frozen until December 3.

The idea of daylight-savings time was first put forward in 1895 by New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson. Today, 110 of the world’s 192 countries adjust their clocks twice a year. Iceland is the only exception in Europe. Russia started to use daylight-savings time in 1981.

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