The history of the celebration of 1 May. The USSR and Russia.

For many people in Russia, the celebration of May Day is not just a day off, it's also a tradition to go out on a street procession with posters and slogans. This day is associated with the beginning of heat and sunlight. The older generation still remembers the large-scale celebrations of the times of the Soviet Union. The modern young generation refers to May 1 just like a day off. Celebrating May 1 originates in the American city of Chicago, where on May 1, 1886, a mass protest of workers took place. Dissatisfied with difficult working conditions, the working people demanded better conditions and shorter working hours until 8 o'clock. But the meeting not only failed to achieve its goal, but also led to mass riots and casualties among protesters. The US authorities did not intend to reduce the 15-hour working day in time, besides, they ordered the police to open fire at the protesters. As a result, hundreds of people were killed. As a sign of memory and support for these events, such protests began to be held annually. May 1 was celebrated as Labor Day.

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Strike in Chicago. 1886 year.

The history of the celebration of May 1 in Russia dates back to 1890, when the communists marked this date with a demonstration in Warsaw. In the future the Russian proletariat decided to make protest actions annual. Interestingly, the holiday was officially adopted by the authorities and all these processions of the working people looked like mass festivities. Only from 1901 began to appear slogans about the change of power.

Already in 1917, millions of people went to the streets of Russian cities to demand the overthrow of the tsarist government.
During the existence of the USSR, people began to celebrate this holiday broadly and happily. Mass demonstrations took place on the main squares of the major cities of the Soviet Union, folk festivals were accompanied by concerts, congratulations and family feasts.

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In modern Russia, the 1 May holiday is not as large as it was during the times of the USSR, but some people traditionally celebrate it with the same scope and triumph as before.