Figure 1.--This is a Russian Mother's Day card showing the children presenting gifts, some handmade, to their mother. The day is called in Russia "Congratulation on Mother's Day" and occurs on March 8th. Officially it is Woman's Day--but of coirse mothing so defines women as mother. The card dates from about 1950 although we don't have a precise date. The illustrator is Andrew Bray. Notice that all three of the children are wearing tan or brown long stockings with supporters. Two of the children are wearing garter waists with the straps and clasps for the long stockings in full view, which seems to have been quite usual in children's clothes during the Soviet period. There is no indication that the children affected felt any embarrassment about this because we see the phenomenon in many illustrations and photos of the period. The oldest child seems to have longer stockings, but perhaps we don't see the garters in her case simply because her dress is a bit longer.

Women's Day (Восьмое марта) is a day off for all Russian women (mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, wives and girlfriends). Vladimir Lenin in recognition of the role women played in the Russian Revolution declared International Women’s Day an official state holiday after the success of the October Bolshevik Revolution. We don't think it is a school holiday for girls, but I am not sure about this. It was originally celebrated as International Women's Day. Russia and several other Communist countries adopted it as a national holiday. They are virtually the only countries where this is an important holiday (Bulgaria, China, Russia, and Vietnam). We were not entirely sure why the Communists embraced International Notably, it is close to Valentine's Day which was discoraged in these countries. It is ironic because the origins of Internatuinal Woman's Day was the Suffregett Movement. The first International Woman's Day was celebrated in the West when wonmen were batteling for the vote, but not as national holidays (1911). It is ironic that the countries which adopted Women's Day as a national holiday were countries when the right to vote and elections had no real meaning. Also these countries all prevent women from rising to any position of national importance. There were many important women in both the Communists and Socialist movements in the West. In Russia and the othef Communist counties, however, there have been no important female leaders. We do not know about the extent to which the holiday in celebrated in modern Russia. A reader tells us, "This is an important holiday. You buy a present for your woman and there are little parties. It is not a holiday now but there is a happy feeling to the day. After work there will be a banquit in praise of woman. Poetry and stories of woman are told. There are quite a few famous woman in Russia not always house hold names in the West. They come from all walks of life. A few are buried in the Heroes cemetry in Moscow."

Celebration

Women's Day (Восьмое марта) is a day off for all Russian women (mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, wives, and girl friends). We don't think it is a school holiday for girls, but I am not sure about this. One source describes it as, "An official holiday marking women's liberation movement, popularly celebrated as a cross between American Mother's Day and Valentine's Day." We are not sure to what extent the historical aspect, meaning the domonstration by women launchinbg the Revolution is played up in the celebrations.

Soviet Origin

Vladimir Lenin in recognition of the role women played in the Russian Revolution declared International Women’s Day an official state holiday after the success of the October Bolshevik Revolution. For that reason it is also known as Demonstration Day. It was not Lenin was in favor of demostration, unless of course the Party organized them. The demonstraton the holiday was commenorating was an anti-war demonstration against the Tsar. Women textile workers in Petrogard demonstration for 'bread and peace' (March 8/February 23). The hungry women demanded bread which had become scarce. Tens of thousands, mostly women, gathered on the Nevsky Prospekt, the principal avenue in the center of the Russian capital. Banners began to appear. The banners varied. Many were patriotic, but there were demands for change. One read 'Feed the children of the defenders of the motherland'. Another read, 'Supplement the ration of soldiers’ families, defenders of freedom and the people’s peace. Gradually the mood changed. A more radical sntiment emerged after the women textile workers from the Vyborg portion of the city came out on strike, protest bread shortages. They were joined by their husbands. Calls arose, 'Bread!' and 'Down with the tsar!' Soon some 100,000 workers had come out on strike. Clashes with police began as the protesting workers tried to cross the Liteiny Bridge which connect the Vyborg area with the city center. Most were dispersed by the police, but several managed to cross the ice-clogged river Neva. Icensed at the police action, they began looting shops as they moved toward the Nevsky. Unlike many protests, the whole episode as largely spotanreous. One historian points out, “Women were mostly the ones on the breadline, and were the core protesters. In fact, male revolutionaries like [Leon] Trotsky were upset at them, as these disobedient and misbehaving women were going out on this International Women’s Day, when they were meant to wait until May." [Ruthchild] He was referring to the worker’s protests being planned for May 1--May Day. Despite this, the women's protests that began on March 8 grew to daily mass strikes of workers from all sectors demanding bread, better rights and the end to autocracy. Only a week later, the Tsar abdicated, ending the absolutist regime that had ruled Russia for centuries. The downfall of Tsar opened the way for socialism and the rise of the Soviet Union.

International Woman's Day

It was originally celebrated as International Women's Day. The Socialist Party of America held the first Women’s Day demonstration in New York on (February 28, 1909). Socialist Party leader Theresa Serber Malkiel promoted the idea. The International Socialist Women’s Conference expanded the observance (August 1910). It was to inaugurate the general meeting of the Socialist Second International. German socialist Luise Zietz, alongside communists Clara Zetkin and Kate Duncker, established the event as an annual Women’s Day. They moved the date to March for subsequent celebrations.

Communist Holiday

After World War II, other Communist countries adopted it as a national holiday. They are virtually the only countries where this is an important holiday (Bulgaria, China, Russia, and Vietnam). We were not entirely sure why the Communists embraced International Notably, it is close to Valentine's Day which was discoraged in these countries. We have since relaised that it was based on the demonstration that launched the Russian Revolution.

Women and Politics

The first International Woman's Day was celebrated in the West when wo+men were batteling for the vote, but not as national holidays (1911). It is ironic that the countries which adopted Women's Day as a national holiday were countries where the right to vote and elections had no real meaning. Also these countries all prevent women from rising to any position of national importance. There were many important women in both the Communists and Socialist movements in the West before the Communists took power. In Russia and the other Communist counties, however, there have been no important female leaders. The idealism and humanitarianism behind the suffergettes movement included the belief that women voters and policy makers would lead to less violence and war in the internatoinal arena. This was partucularly the case because in cam in many countries at the time of World War I. Ironically, it was women, most notably Russian women, that played a central role in the creation of the world's first and arguably most powerful totalitarian state--the Soviet Union. Which of course had terrible consequences for the world and the violation of human rights on a massive scale.

Modern Russia

We do not know about the extent to which the holiday in celebrated in modern Russia. A reader tells us, "This is an important holiday. You buy a present for your woman and there are little parties. It is not a holiday now but there is a happy feeling to the day. After work there will be a banquit in praise of woman. Poetry and stories of woman are told. There are quite a few famous woman in Russia not always house hold names in the West. They come from all walks of life. A few are buried in the Heroes cemetary in Moscow."

Sources

Ruthchild, Rochelle. Harvard Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies.

Created: 5:38 PM 11/27/2005
Last updated: 11:41 PM 8/26/2018