May 1 holiday: history and traditions, how to celebrate in 2025

For more than a hundred years, the first day of May in Russia has always been a weekend. However, the name and ideological burden of this holiday have changed more than once. Initially, it was conceived as the Day of the International, but then the Soviet leaders decided to make May 1 a celebration "for internal use" — highlighting the achievements of the CPSU and glorifying its leaders came to the fore. It was only in the early 1990s that this day acquired its modern name - the Holiday of Spring and Labor. When and why festive demonstrations were not held in Moscow, who was the last to congratulate the country on May Day from the podium of the Mausoleum, and what the "world—class firm" has to do with this day - in the Izvestia article.

It started with the anarchists — the history of the May 1 holiday

In 1918, the RSFSR became a state international holiday, dating back to May 1, 1886, when anarchist organizations in the United States and Canada staged a series of demonstrations. It was declared the Day of the International. Izvestia's editorial opened with an extensive article titled "Long live the Proletarian Holiday, May 1st." It is characteristic that its authors addressed representatives of the working population of all countries, and the newspaper itself contained separate materials congratulating communists in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Germany.

By May Day, 1924, the picture had not changed dramatically: the festive issue of Izvestia was dedicated to the so—called May Day demonstrations and gatherings around the world in honor of Labor Day. The famous slogan "Proletarians of all countries, unite" (in all languages of the Soviet republics) appeared for the first time in the upper-right corner of the newspaper's front page, and most of the notes were devoted to supporting workers in Germany, where elections to the authorities of the Weimar Republic were taking place at that time.

The May Day greetings of the Izvestia newspaper, preserved in the archives, clearly reflect the international political situation. For example, the issue of May 1, 1938, is devoted to the situation in Spain and the support of the labor movement — it was at the height of the civil war.

"This year, May 1 in Spain will not be a day of rest, the fighting will not stop. Factory mechanisms where teenagers make bombs will not slow down," Maria Teresa Leon, a writer and freelance correspondent for Izvestia, reported in her article from Madrid.

Not before the holiday

In 1941, it was no longer the foreign proletariat that needed support, but the population of the country. Despite the fact that almost two months remained before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the May Day issue of Izvestia is mostly devoted not to congratulations, but to the orders of People's Commissar of Defense Semyon Timoshenko, where he talks about the excellent condition of the Red Army. On the second page, in a selection of notes "Like in a real battle," Izvestia journalists talk about how the tactics of warfare have changed in connection with the development of the defense industry.

In 1945, Izvestia's May Day editorial was also signed by Joseph Stalin, but its tone became festive.

A new call appeared near the newspaper's logo: "Under the banner of Lenin, under the leadership of Stalin."

Make a "firm"

In 1972, the name of the holiday was changed to International Workers' Solidarity Day — the First of May. The issue, as usual, consisted of photographs and a report from the parade at Lenin's Mausoleum, but the main slogan changed again.: "On all latitudes of the planet Earth, millions of fighters for peace, democracy and socialism marched under the scarlet banners of May Day."

Moreover, very little was said about international celebrations this time, but many enthusiastic lines were published about the decoration of Moscow and Leningrad for the significant day.

In 1990, for the last time in the history of the Soviet Union, an official May Day demonstration was held. A year later, a rally against price increases was held on Red Square, and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev watched it for the last time from the rostrum of the Mausoleum.

The issue of Izvestia dated May 1, 1991 is typical for publications of those years: not a word about the holiday, but on the front page there are tips on "How to become a world-class company." It was only eight years later, in 1999, that a small note appeared in the May 1 issue stating that this time the trade unions and communists would march in different columns.

In 1992, by decision of the government of the Russian Federation, Red May Day was renamed — since then we have been celebrating the Holiday of Spring and Labor. Traditionally, workers' demonstrations are still taking place in the country. In particular, the press service of the Moscow Department of Security told Izvestia that on May 1, 2019, six different demonstrations had been coordinated in the city, and the largest would be an action by the Moscow Federation of Trade Unions, which was attended by about 100 participants.

How to celebrate May 1 in Russia in 2025

Spring and Labor Day in 2025 will traditionally be celebrated with concerts. A spring concert for visitors will be held in the city's Dream Island promenade on Moscow Square.

From 1 to 11 May (with the exception of 7 and 9 May), free themed guided tours will be organized. They will start from three tourist information centers on Tverskaya Square, Poklonnaya Gora and Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street. Detailed information about the routes and the schedule of excursions can be found on the Russpass website. You can also register for the tour there.

An excursion route along Tverskaya Street and boulevards will take you to Arbatskaya Square.

A total of four days off are planned this year for May Day, from the 1st to the 4th, and four days off on May 9th, from the 8th to the 11th.