The 1st of May demonstration: nothing scary

It’s about 22 degrees Celcium in St. Petersburg right now, and it is going to be so in the nearest future, I mean the first decade of May. I want to give you some information on work and off days in Russia in early May since it is different from the rest of the world.

On the 1st of May when you are likely to be working in office, people here will have their holidays. The tradition dates back to the Soviet and pre-Soviet times when people marked this day as a day of the fight of workers for their rights. Paradoxically, the first workers’ movement recorded on the day took place in USA, Chicago, in 1886. USA was seen as a main competitor of the USSR, the Soviet Union, the country which cultivated the 1st day of May the most.

These days, May, 1 is just a celebration of the Day of  Spring and Labour in Russia, but anyway it is a day off. So, this Friday when walking around St. Petersburg you may face a demonstration filled with red flags. The Communist Party usually holds public meetings all over the country. I attended a few ones when living in Irkutsk late 90s.  This year a demostration is also planned. It is to start from the Vosstanya Square and end at 12.00 at the Dvortsovaya Square. Organizators representeting different political movements and trade-unions say they have invited a few thousands of people to be in. Previous years events show the number is reachable, so for the first half of the day the Nevsky prospect, the main walking street, may be not the best place to stroll.