The holiday, which is celebrated in Russia, the USA and a number of countries in Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia on the first day of May, is known by several names at once - International Workers' Solidarity Day, Spring and Labour Day or Labour Day. In Soviet times, most Russians called this holiday by its date - 1 May or May Day.

The history of celebrating May Day tradition is linked to events that took place in Chicago, USA. On May 1, 1886, workers organised a strike and a public rally demanding an eight-hour working day. On May 4, as police began to disperse the rally, an explosive device was thrown into the police line, killing at least seven officers. In response, police opened fire on the crowd, killing between 4–6 people, according to various reports. More than one hundred workers were injured.

To commemorate these events, the Second International (the organisation of socialist labour parties, formed in 1889) planned a strike for the 1^st of May and declared this date as the Day of Solidarity of the Workers of the World.

In the Russian Empire, the 1^st of May first celebrated in 1890 in Warsaw (the Kingdom of Poland). Later, mass demonstrations were waged in other cities, they were political actions with slogans such as "Down with autocratical government!", "Long live the republic!". After the February Revolution, May Day marches and demonstrations were held openly for the first time.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the holiday became official. It was enshrined in the Labour Code and was called "Day of the International". Thematic theatre performances were shown during demonstrations. In addition, visual propaganda with various slogans was displayed. Another customary feature of May Day celebrations was the annual parade of recreational athletes. In 1930-1934, the choreographer Igor Moiseyev became the first stage director of athletes’ parades on the Red Square. On May 1, 1933 the first air parade took place over the Red Square. From then on, air parades were held regularly until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, as the integral part. During the Great Patriotic War, parades and processions in honour of the 1st May were not held.

On May 1, 1956, the first television report on the military parade and demonstration of workers in Red Square was organized.

In 1970, the "Fundamentals of Labour Legislation of the USSR and Union Republics" gave the holiday a new name: May 1 and 2 officially became the "Days of International Solidarity of Workers". It was indeed a holiday for workers, who received two additional days off.

Over time, the political colouring of May Day faded, and the opportunity to celebrate the holiday with family or friends came to the fore. Almost until the collapse of the Soviet Union, the tradition of holding festive processions, where congratulations were punctuated by political speeches, was preserved.

The last official May Day demonstration was held on 1 May 1990. Since 1992, this day in Russia has been called the "Spring and Labour Holiday". In the early 2000s, it was decided to reduce the number of holidays: the Labour Code of the Russian Federation stipulates only May 1^st as a day off. Demonstrations, public festivities, fairs, car and motorbike rallies, conventions and other events take place in Moscow and other cities of the country.

According to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (RPORCM) poll for 2023, more than a third of Russians consider May 1 to be the International Workers’ Day of Solidarity, 29% treat the day as an additional day off, and 25% see the day as the Spring Festival.

Whatever the name of the first day of May – Workers' Solidarity Day or the Spring and Labour Festival – for many people May 1 traditionally symbolises the rebirth of nature and arrival of spring. The great emotional charge that it carries is connected not only with the feeling of the blossoming of nature, but also with the perception of May 1^st as a common unifying celebration.

A digitised recording of one of the well-known marches by the Pokrass brothers (Dmitry and Daniil) to the lyrics of Vasily Lebedev-Kumach "Moscow May" is posted in the museum Phonotheque. The song was written in 1937 for the 20^th anniversary of the Soviet period establishment. The song (then called "Moscow") consisted of six rhymed couplets and a refrain.

Barely having sounded in the first recording, the song "Moscow May" became extremely popular and truly beloved. Later, it served as an integral attribute of May 1^st celebrations in the USSR.

The presented recording was digitized from a gramophone record stored in the museum Sound Library. The record was produced by the Noginsk factory "Gramplasttrest" in 1937.

On the cover: Reproduction from a painting by an unknown artist depicting May 1st celebrations in Stockholm. Sweden, Stockholm