Men and women around the world celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th. It is a day when both sexes recognize the social, political, and economic achievements of women as well as the current challenges females face. The holiday is especially important to Russian citizens.
Russian women first observed International Women’s Day in 1913 while holding peace rallies on the eve of World War I. The protests continued into the following year and women throughout Europe, in an expression of women’s solidarity, joined the Russians in decrying the war.
These initial protests were only the beginning. On March 8, 1917, Russian women began striking “for bread and peace” in response to the deaths of over 2 million Russian soldiers in World War I. Their voices helped pave the way for the Czar’s abdication and the leaders that followed agreed to grant Russian women the right to vote. Russian feminist Alexandra Kollontai came to power in the following years and in addition to championing women’s rights and serving as the world’s first female ambassador, she also persuaded Lenin to declare International Women’s a Day a public holiday in the Soviet Union.
In 1965, International Women’s Day became an official holiday in Russia. Businesses, schools, and banks close for the day and hardly anyone has to go to work. Many Russians enjoy celebrating with family, friends, and coworkers.
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