This Wednesday, 17 July, the Avilanian branch of the National Union of Historians of Cuba (UNHIC) will launch a broad set of activities as part of the Provincial Day, which, as is customary at this time of year across the country, will evoke the towering figures who made this branch of the Social Sciences their reason for being.

The activities will extend until the last day of July, but will reach their peak on the first day of the month itself, when at the provincial central ceremony, to be held at the Colonel Simón Reyes Hernández Provincial Museum, a portion of the more than 60 members of the organisation who have accumulated years of uninterrupted membership will be recognised.

According to details given to Invasor by Raymundo Adalberto Ojeda Luis, a member of the UNHIC provincial executive, awards will be given to those who have completed 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 40 years in the ranks, although some of those being recognised who reside in other municipalities will receive their diplomas digitally.

Special moments of the ceremony planned for 1 July will be the presentation to Avilanian associates of the «José Antonio Portuondo Valdor» National Recognition Diploma, the «Tibaldo Herrera Izquierdo» Provincial Award for lifetime achievement, and the «Federico Naranjo Moronta» Provincial Historical Research Award, to those selected by the respective juries created for that purpose on 9 June.

As a recognition of the sustained work of the base section in the municipality of Venezuela, the opening of the day will take place there, while the closing is planned to be held in Florencia, also with outstanding results from its base section.

«Each section of the territory will carry out an activity during the day, preferably on significant dates, in which the work carried out in the year from August 2025 will be assessed and the best associates will be recognised,» Sixto Espinosa Dorta, president of the UNHIC provincial branch, told Invasor.

Since 1996, 1 July has been celebrated as the Day of the Cuban Historian. On that date in 1935, Dr Emilio Roig de Leuchsering obtained the status of Historian of the City of Havana, a position he held until his death on 8 August 1964. Eusebio Leal Spengler, Roig’s successor, died on 31 July 2020.