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Most people in Russia view May Day as holiday -- polls
May 1, 2003
ITAR-TASS

May Day is viewed by most people in Russia (58 percent) as "a special, important and significant day". Although many respondents (31 percent) still have fresh memories of the Soviet Era demonstrations, slogans, and red flags, few associate those with the workers' solidarity day, according to the findings of an opinion poll taken by the Public Opinion Foundation. More than one-third of respondents (36 percent) associate the first days of May with prolonged red-letter days while 11 percent associate these days with "spring, bird-cherry trees, warmth and sunny weather". Only 16 percent of people asked mark the festival of spring and labour.

At the same time, nine percent of respondents, mainly elderly people, "from mere old habit" refer to May Day as the Day of Solidarity of the Working People. Another seven percent admitted that they feel nostalgic these days about the past, about their childhood years.

According to the findings of an opinion poll taken by the ROMIR Monitoring centre, only four percent of people in Russia will take part in May Day demonstrations or meetings. Two percent intend to take part in meetings under the banners of the Communists and another two percent are going to join trade unions-led demonstrations.

Forty-two percent of people said they would not participate in any mass activities while six percent do not mark May Day at all.

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