---
title: "Ukraine Proposes Establishing Bible Day on October 31 Without Extra Day Off"
description: "A draft resolution has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada to establish Bible Day on October 31, marking the anniversary of the complete Ukrainian translation in 1903. The day will not be a day off."
date: 2026-10-20T10:27:33.629Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-bible-day-october-31-draft-resolution
tags: [ukraine, bible-day, parliament, ukrainian-language, cultural-heritage, commemorative-date]
author: "Marina Slivenko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukraine Proposes Establishing Bible Day on October 31 Without Extra Day Off

![Man in a black shirt holding a black Bible with Ukrainian inscription](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/20/ukraine-den-biblii-31-oktyabrya-proekt-postanovleniya/ukraine-den-biblii-31-oktyabrya-proekt-postanovleniya-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Draft resolution No. 16166 on establishing Bible Day on October 31 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada
- The date was chosen in honor of the publication of the complete Bible translation into Ukrainian in 1903
- Bible Day will not be a day off — enterprises will operate as usual
- The initiative is at the draft stage and has not yet been adopted by parliament

A draft resolution No. 16166 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine proposing to celebrate Bible Day annually on October 31. RBC-Ukraine reports this citing the text of the document. The initiative is currently at the draft stage: the resolution has not yet been included in the session agenda and has not been adopted by parliament. Nevertheless, the authors have already outlined the key parameters of the future commemorative date and its symbolic significance for Ukrainian culture.

### Why October 31 Specifically

The choice of date is not accidental: on October 31, 1903, the complete translation of the Bible into modern literary Ukrainian was published. Three prominent figures of Ukrainian culture worked on this large-scale translation — Panteleimon Kulish, Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky, and Ivan Pulyuy. Their work became one of the key events in the history of Ukrainian book publishing and literary language, which is why the authors of the project believe that this date most accurately reflects the essence of the proposed holiday.

### What Will and Will Not Happen

A key clarification made by the initiators: Bible Day will not become a public holiday and does not provide for an additional day off. Enterprises, institutions, and organizations will operate normally. If the resolution is adopted, thematic events for this date can be organized in educational institutions, museums, and libraries — lectures, exhibitions, reader meetings, and other formats aimed at promoting the biblical heritage in the Ukrainian linguistic context.

### Goals of the Initiative

According to the explanatory note to the draft resolution, the introduction of the commemorative date is intended to promote the Ukrainian language, the history of publishing, and the country's cultural heritage. The authors also expect that Bible Day will attract youth attention to the history of religion and literature, creating an additional reason for educational and cultural programs in schools and universities. Thus, the initiative is positioned not as a religious holiday, but as a cultural and historical date associated with linguistic and publishing heritage.

### Context: A Wave of New Commemorative Dates

The initiative for Bible Day fits into a broader context of establishing new commemorative and festive days in Ukraine. For instance, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations previously sent the president a proposal to make October 12 a public holiday — Military Chaplain Day. In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree establishing a new military holiday — the Day of Signal Troops and Cybersecurity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to be celebrated annually on August 8. Against this background, the draft resolution on Bible Day looks like another element in shaping the calendar of national and cultural dates.

### Current Stage of the Initiative

As of October 2026, this is exclusively a draft resolution registered in parliament. The document has not passed any committee, has not been submitted to a plenary session, and has not been adopted. For Bible Day to become an official commemorative date, the project must go through the standard procedure: consideration by the relevant committee, voting in the Verkhovna Rada hall, and, if necessary, signing by the president. Meanwhile, October 31 remains a date that the initiators propose to recognize as significant for Ukrainian culture, but which holds no official status.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [В Украине хотят установить День Библии: почему выбрали 31 октября](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ukrayini-hochut-vstanoviti-den-bibliyi-chomu-1792491134.html) - Primary source: draft resolution number (16166), date 31.10.1903, names of translators, absence of a day off, goals of the initiative — all confirmed.
- [Нардепы хотят установить День Библии 31 октября, но без дополнительного выходного](https://sud.ua/ru/news/ukraine/375332-nardepy-khochut-vstanovyty-den-biblii-31-zhovtnia-ale-bez-dodatkovoho-vykhidnoho) - Confirms the key fact: the draft resolution provides only for the establishment of a commemorative date without a day off.

## FAQ

### Has Bible Day become an official holiday in Ukraine?

No. As of October 2026, this is draft resolution No. 16166, which is registered in the Verkhovna Rada but not yet adopted. The commemorative date has no official status.

### Will October 31 be a day off?

No. The project authors explicitly state that Bible Day does not provide for an additional day off. Enterprises and institutions will operate normally.

### Why was October 31 specifically chosen?

On October 31, 1903, the complete translation of the Bible into modern literary Ukrainian, worked on by Panteleimon Kulish, Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky, and Ivan Pulyuy, was published.

### What activities can be held on Bible Day?

If the resolution is adopted, thematic events such as lectures, exhibitions, and reader meetings can be organized in educational institutions, museums, and libraries.