A Glowing Russia Resurrects Soviet-Era Parade After Crimea Conquest

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By Evgeny Feldman2014-05-01 18:10:20 UTC

MOSCOW — Russia revived its Soviet-era May Day parade on Thursday when more than 100,000 people marched on Moscow's Red Square for the first time since 1991, reveling in their country's annexation of Crimea.

Participants raised signs and banners, brandishing slogans such as "Trust in Putin" or "Let's have a holiday [in] Crimea." Other signs mentioned the "fascist regime" in Ukraine. Members of parliament and Moscow's mayor spoke about various local topics, but there was never mention of the current situation in eastern Ukraine, despite widespread nods to Crimea.

President Vladimir Putin, who is still riding high on what he considers a victorious annexation of Crimea, didn't attend the parade, which was organized by trade unions. However, shortly after the march, Putin held a ceremony at the Kremlin that further stirred up Soviet sentiment when he handed out "Hero of Labor" awards. The awards were originally established under Josef Stalin and vanished with the fall of the Soviet Union, but Putin reinstated them last year.

Also on Thursday, the Communist Party held its annual May Day parade shortly after the celebration in Red Square. Photos from both events are below.

Additional reporting by Amanda Wills

Photos from Red Square

Photos from the Communist Party's parade

May Day, also known as Workers' Day, was one of the two main holidays in the Soviet Union. For decades, people in virtually every city held elaborate parades, and Moscow's affair always took place in Red Square. After 1991, the post-Soviet May Day parade largely fell on the shoulders of the Communist Party, which held its own demonstration this year on one of Moscow's main streets a few hours after the Red Square march.

The Communist Party's march had a much greater diversity of opinions. Some in attendance were happy about Crimea, while others demanded Putin's resignation. A few signs welcomed the unrest in eastern Ukraine and carried portraits of Lenin, Stalin and other Soviet figures. Dozens of protesters criticized U.S. politics, and some made racist jokes about President Barack Obama.