Today – May 1 is celebrated as International Labor Day in dozens of countries around the world.
Modern.az reports that this date, which once carried great ideological and political meaning in the USSR, including Azerbaijan, now has different meanings in different countries. In one place it is a symbol of the struggle for labor rights, in another it is simply accepted as a day of rest and spring.
The history of May 1 dates back to the labor movement that began in the United States in the late 19th century. In May 1886, thousands of workers in Chicago protested against harsh working conditions and long working hours, demanding that the daily working hours be limited to 8 hours. These actions quickly became a symbol of international solidarity. In 1889, at the Congress of the Second International in Paris, May 1 was declared the day of solidarity of all working people of the world.
In the Soviet Union, this date acquired a special ideological color. May 1 was not only a labor holiday, but also a demonstration of the power of the communist system. As in all republics of the USSR, large-scale parades were held in Azerbaijan on that day, and enterprises, higher education institutions and state bodies were involved in marches. Events accompanied by red flags, slogans, orchestra music and portraits of Soviet leaders were organized in the streets of Baku.
For the Soviet government, May 1 was considered a means of ideological propaganda. The
