By Ilya Magid
1997

HOLIDAYS IN THE SOVIET UNION

1. The October Revolution and May

2. The Holiday of the Soviet Army, Women's Day, About Easter and Passover, Holiday of Leaders, The Day of Victory in WW II Day of the Soviet Constitution, New Year Holiday

Editor Steven Siegal

HOLIDAYS IN THE SOVIET UNION

1. The October Revolution and May 1

There were two holidays which were the most important of all Soviet holidays. One marked the victory of the "Great October Revolution" on November 7, 1917. The other marked the anniversary of the killing in the workers' demonstration in Chicago on May 1, 1898. (In the Soviet Union few people knew about the history of that holiday.) It was an international holiday of solidarity observed by the workers of all the countries in the world

For each of these holidays we didn't work two days if the holidays fell in weekdays. There was no extra time off if the Holidays fell on weekend.

1.1 The Holiday of the October Revolution

Two weeks before the holiday, the Central newspaper "Pravda" printed slogans from the Central Committee of the Communist Party to the Soviet People (50 slogans).

For example:"Long live the 55th anniversary of the Great October Revolution", or "Brotherly greeting to the Vietnamese fighting against American aggression", or "Execute food programs ahead of time", etc. These slogans were reprinted in all newspapers of the Soviet Union.

The Party Committees of each plant wrote these slogans on posters (only these slogans.) The party committees designated who carried these posters (who carried a slogan or who carried the portrait of a leader.) The workers carried posters which were illegally paid for by the plant. All people had to go to the parade.*

The party committee and supervisors of the plants required all people to be in the parade.

The high ranks of the region's town committee demanded that from supervisors of the plants. The region's town committee evaluated the ideological work of the plant. This was the most important measure of work of the plants. The assignment of leaders of the plants was confirmed by the regime's town committee.

On the other hand, each worker of the plants took an interest in progress of work, level of pay and percentage of bonus, etc. that the leader and party organization determined.

That was in peaceful times. Other considerations prevailed in "the years of terror".

On the evening of Nov 6, the leader of the Communist Party gave a speech on TV about the October Revolution. Afterwards, there was a holiday concert, in which the best artists in the Soviet Union took part.

The biggest parade was in Moscow. Other cities and towns in the Soviet Union held similar parades.

Early on Nov. 7, maybe at 7 o'clock in the morning, the workers from the plants and state institutions assembled in a special place for each plant (or region.) The people stood in formation for several hours. Those people were not like a herd of sheep. They were dancing and singing.

We could only dream about American portable toilets. However men had fewer problems than women.

At a designated time we began to move in parade formation by district to the center of the city.

All traffic was stopped in the center of the city.

The leading troops in the parade were the region's party and economic leaders with a banner with the name of the region. After those leaders followed the workers from the plants and state institution (schools, institutes, services, etc.) with their banners

It was a big job to organize the parade.

While those in formation are walking I will write about the parade on Red Square near the Kremlin.

The parade was held near Lenin's Mausoleum. It began at 9 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m. Party and Government leaders, generals, and foreign guests stood in the stands at Lenin's Mausoleum.

The parade began at 9:00 a.m. with the military part. The parade demonstrated the military power of the state. At the end the intercontinental missiles passed through the square. Each missile could destroy a city, for example, New York. Other similar equipment also passed through the square.

The parade then continued. The athletes came forward into the square.

Then the formation of the regions passed in front of the Mausoleum. The radio announcer shouted the slogans (from the newspapers). The people passing the stands shouted "HURRAY". Almost all the people of the city in the parade passed the stands. Then the parade was finished. The banners and the portraits of the leaders were packed into cars and delivered to the plants. After that all participants could go home.

The people went home between 3 and 5 p.m.

During the last 10 years attendance at parades was not required. (The Soviet Union existed for 70 years). I think attendance was not required because the government leaders had to stand a very long time.*
__________________________

* However, recently the newspaper Novoye Russkoye Slovo indicated that there was a rest area under the Mausoleum (under Lenin's coffin). There the leaders could rest and dine and later return to the stands.
___________________

Only "representative workers" went to parades. The supervisors of the plant and the people who were very interested in advancing a career went to parades. I think that the number of people who went to parades, decreased to one in five.

1.2 The Holiday of May 1

The holiday of May 1 I was observed the same way. The difference from the holiday of the October Revolution on Nov 7 was only that the workers used to carry the slogan "Long live the holiday May 1, an international day of solidarity of workers of all countries" instead of a banner with the slogan "Long live xx th anniversary of the Great October Revolution". Other banners were similar. In 1965 the military parade on May 1 was abolished. (Maybe the Government decided to show its military power only once in October instead of twice in May and October.)

2. The Holiday of the Soviet Army, Woman's Day, About Easter and Passover, Day of Victory in WWII, Day of the Soviet Constitution, New Year Holiday

2.1. The Holiday of the Soviet Army

The holiday of the Soviet Army we celebrated Feb. 23. On that day in 1918 the Red Army was formed. During WWII they changed the name of the army to Soviet Army. They also changed the Soldiers Uniforms.

That was a working day. The women gave small presents to the men with whom they worked. Also the women gave a greeting card to each of those men. (Very often they gave only a greeting card.)

2.2. Women's Day

The international women's day was celebrated March 8. The Copenhagen conference of the Socialist-democratic party decided to celebrate that holiday in the year 1910. In the Soviet Union on that day all men gave presents to women. Usually the women went home after lunch unofficially. In 1966 the Women's Day became a legal holiday only for women. (Men had to go to work.)

2.3. About Easter and Passover

Easter was an illegal holiday. At night many police went to the churches to control the situation. (Crowd and religious procession with cross and banners.) None of the newspapers wrote anything about that holiday.

In the last years the government showed on television at night good foreign movies in order for people not to leave their apartments to go to churches.

For the Jews, the Passover was also illegal, but the government did not show any movies on that night.

Some Jews bought matzo in only one synagogue in Leningrad. (I and my social circle also did not get any information about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and etc.)

2.4 Holiday of Leaders

Every year, we commemorated the day of the birth (April 25) and day of death (February 21) of comrade Lenin. Newspapers printed and the TV showed many new things about comrade Lenin.

Next the birthday of the General Secretary* of the Communists was recognized. Every succeeding secretary (new) taught us to hate the previous dictators (except comrade Lenin.) So we did not note their birthday and deaths.
___________________________

*The General Secretary had a stronger position than the President of the United States and he was appointed for life, unless he was deposed.
_________________________________________________


2.5. The Day of Victory in WWII

We celebrated that day on May 9. Other allied countries celebrated that victory on May 8. The Soviet Union lost maybe 20 million people. (In the war time Government did not pity people on the way to the victory.) We had a free holiday and praised veterans.

2.6. Day of the Soviet Constitution

Under Soviet governments we had four constitutions. The last two were Stalin's constitution accepted on December 5, 1936 and Brezhnev's constitution accepted on October 7, 1976. Those days were holidays. That was good. The constitutions had good words, but real life was the opposite.

2.7. New Year Holiday

We had a free day also on the New Year, January 1 (one day.) That was a happy holiday. Many people tried to buy a fir tree, but that was not so easy.

For the Orthodox, Christmas was one week later. Nobody was supposed to celebrate that, but some people celebrated that holiday illegally.