May. 1st, 2013

necturus: 2016-12-30 (Default)
Happy International Day of Workers' Solidarity!

Unless I'm mistaken, that building on the right is the Hotel Ukraine on Kutuzovskiy Prospect. I stayed there for several days in June, 1974. It is now the Radisson Royal Hotel.

Second verse, same as the first. This is a Soviet-era May Day demonstration. Note among the red banners and Marxist slogans, the white and blue uniforms, a bit of Great Russian nationalism; white + blue + red = the colors of the traditional Russian flag. The Soviet naval ensign also preserved this color combination.

On May 1, 1886, workers across the United States went on strike demanding an eight-hour work day. That is the origin of May Day as the Interational Day of Workers' Solidarity.

The song "Moscow in May" is of course by the brothers Dmitri and Daniel Pokrass (words by Vladimir Lebedev-Kumach). It ends with the words:

"The blue dawn is reflected in the silent Moscow River, as locomotives whistle their bird songs of the night. As the stars fade and the shadows melt, the Kremlin tower chimes ring out: good-bye yesterday, hello bright new day!"

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