Roulettian Intermezzo -- Photo of the Week

May 9th -- Happy Victory Day in the Great Fatherland War against Fascism, that is to say, WWII.  

This day is one of the most important Russian holidays and is celebrated with parades, fireworks, and presenting those who fought in this dreadful war (noticeable by their age and the numerous medals on their jackets) with red carnations and the phrase "Thank you for victory!"  Thank you indeed! One shudders to think what would have happened had Hitler won the war. In view of the importance of the day, here's one more photo of a respected veteran -- they are becoming so few now....

International Solidarity and Spring and Labor

Happy May Day!

In the United States, the First of May has lost all connection to the struggle of the exploited working class for shorter days and higher pay but in Russia, it's been a symbol of class struggle for a good hundred years. In Tsarist times, workers held annual protests demanding better working conditions and higher wages on this day from 1890 until 1917, when the autocracy collapsed. In 1918, when the class struggle had at least theoretically been won by the proletariat via the Soviet Revolution, May 1 was transformed into the Day of the International Solidarity of Workers.  Most Soviet cities had endless parades during which theoretically joyful workers streamed down main boulevards to show their unwavering support for the USSR. Hurra! Now that Communism in its turn has fallen, the day has been renamed, this time by the Russian Parliament who christened it Spring and Labor Day in 1992.

Meanwhile, I go with my friend Teacher Galya to the Spring and Labor Day Parade that heads down Petersburg's main boulevard, Nevsky Prospect. We're at the front of the parade and Galya looks for her branch of the teacher's union to check in. "We've all been bought, you know," says Galya, "no one wants to come, but they told us, you'll each get ten free theater tickets if you go. So that's why we're here."  

The sun is shining (finally, finally)  and under blue skies, banners wave, balloons bob, music plays from speakers piled on a rather dilapidated bus and generally, even if they are all "bought," most people seem to be in a celebratory mood.

We walk a bit with the teacher's union and then Galya suggests that we stand on the sidewalk to watch the parade go by.

AFter the trade unions come scads of people supporting Putin's United Russia. As one of the soldiers doing duty says, "nothing but United Russia. Geeze."

But then come the communists. Scads and double scads of them. I'd be hard pressed to say who had more people voting with their feet: United Russia or the various Communists factions. 

A red drummer girl in front of a banner reading "For a World without Exploitation"

The Communist van:  "Down with the power of capital! Give power to the majority!"

Why so much support for the Communists?  It's a bit difficult for Americans to understand, but there is a strong nostalgia for the good old Communistic days, when everyone had work but didn't have to work too hard, when no one was rich, when life was stable and settled.  Still, it's a bit hard to explain the nostalgia for Stalin, who made a well-groomed appearance on numerous placards. 

Here's one attempt at an explanation: "Stalin lifted Russia up out of ashes, he created a great power, he destroyed Hitler, saved Russia and humanity."  

More Stalin

And more Stalins

After the great hordes of United Russia and the Communists, lots of little groups trot by promoting various causes.  

Here's one for the NRA:  a small group supporting the right to bear arms.

Then the Tee-Totalers. 

"Sobriety is health!"  and "Sobriety is the Choice of the Strong."

This seemed like a pleasant surprise, Russian youth coming out in support of alcoholic abstinence.  Then I caught their chant:  "Those who don't smoke and don't drink breathe easier and beat up stronger."

Aha.

All Power to the Greens

The Pinks: Women, don't cry. Unite!

The road clear for bicyclists

Finally toward the end of the parade come several hordes of rebellious youth of the type that you might not want to meet in a dark alley at night.

At this point, the parade trickles to an end and Galya and I head to a nearby cafe to relax over coffee and dessert.  Maybe with all of these various grass-roots groups protesting -- who unlike Galya, the Unions, and probably United Russia, were not "bought" there is some hope for democracy in Russia after all?

On the other hand, it seems that while you can blithely carry posters of a mass murderer (Stalin) down Nevsky Prospekt don't think about waving a rainbow-colored flag. Seventeen people were detained before the parade started -- they wanted to protest against the new law forbidding the promotion of homosexual propaganda.