Dasdraperma

There was a time when children were given such "progressive" names as - Vilior, for example (Vladimir Ilich Lenin and October Revolution) or Vladlen (Vladimir Lenin). The 1st of May was also touched upon - appeared such name as Dasdraperma (in translation - Long Live the First of May). But the name turned out to be dissonant, in no way reflecting the raised May Day mood and, on the contrary, reminding something obscene.

I am talking about it because it seems to me that today's semi-official celebrating of "The Day of Spring and Labour" - is just the case of such Dasdraperma.

If to think it over, the 1^st of May - the Day of the international solidarity of workers is not at all a holiday but is a day of universal protest. Its family tree conducts the beginning from bloody suppression of disorders by the Chicago police on May, 1st, 1886 which started during demonstration of local workers.

On May, 1st, 1886 the Chicago workers organized a strike and demonstration requiring the 8-hour working day. All this ended with bloody collision with police. The police brought down fire on the crowd which led to mass victims among demonstrators.

In three years the Parisian congress of the 2-nd International named the 1^st of May a Day of Solidarity of Workers of all over the world and suggested to celebrate it annually with demonstrations asking for social requirements.

In Russian empire the holiday for the first time was celebrated in 1890 in Warsaw by carrying out of May Day strike of workers. Next year the first outing took place in Petersburg. Since 1897 outings began to acquire political character and to be accompanied by mass demonstrations.

And only in 1917 the 1^st of May for the first time was celebrated openly. In all cities of the country millions workers went to the streets with slogans of the Communist party "All authority to Advice", "Down with Ministers-Capitalists".

Actually, the 1^st of May became a holiday at the Soviet authority - the Soviet workers had something to celebrate.

Meanwhile it's difficult to say what is the reason for joy of workers in modern half-capitalistic-half-feudal Russia. Strictly speaking there is nothing to be pleased with. Especially there is nothing to celebrate for those "ministers-capitalists" victory over whom in 1917 transferred the 1^st of May the day of universal protest into a holiday of workers.

Naturally, in modern Russia they would cancel the 1^st of May as it was done with November, 7th but this day is being celebrated in all capitalist countries as a Day of International Solidarity of Workers - something still depends there from citizens. Only in Russia "sovereign democracy" allows itself to draw any results of elections meanwhile in the "civilized" countries they still vote in the old manner with participation of voters. Therefore it is impossible to cancel the holiday absolutely, the western partners will take offence and will cease to call our "ministers-capitalists" to the summits. Thus the 1^st of May remained "red letter day" in the calendar but in 1997 (we'll note that it was right after ore or less free elections when it was known beforehand who would be elected as the president) it was renamed into a Holiday of Spring and Labour.

As usual it turned out to be nonsense. Well, it's clear why it's a holiday of spring though actually spring begins on March, 1st and already ends to the 1st of May. From calendar events here corresponds only Walpurgis night, however church today having incured functions of an ideological department at Administration of the president, will hardly approve such correlation. Besides, earlier the 1st of May was also called as "Red Easter" but now it looks like everyone celebrates just simple Easter and even representatives of the Communist Party don't feel shy to exchange a triple kiss with their class enemy during the Easter week.

But it's more difficult with a day of labour. What kind of labour? It seems that it's finished with free and liberated labour in the country once and for all, everyone work exclusively for the "owners" and only owners - for themselves.

May be it's a holiday of the Russian union of industrialists and businessmen?

So, in general it's not possible to except the 1^st of May as a holiday. So - let's turn back to original sources, to outings as celebratory processions and demonstrations passes with the increasing efforts at absolute counteraction of authorities. In the number of regions demonstrations haven't take place for a long time, everybody satisfy oneself with meetings and not every time on the central square. It's possible that in the nearest future outings will return to our life as in the books of Gorky.

Not everything is ok with international solidarity. For example, hundred thousand guest workers work in Moscow - Tadjiks, Armenians, Uzbeks, Moldavians, Ukrainians. But whether a lot of them will come today on May Day demonstration? It is necessary to say fairly - not many. Guest workers are evident in a crowd of Muscovites. There will be little of them.

Whether a lot of Moscow workers will come on the 1st of May? Certainly, there will be some but far not in the majority. Today the worker is in a captivity or liberal or (that is more often) nationalist propagation. Practically nobody is engaged in political education of workers, the most exotic ideas about reality exist in a working environment.

Great bulk of holding a meeting in the ranks of communists and left today are pensioners and students. It is serious, but it's not enough.

Today the most mass are official trade unions, for a long time bought by the authority. It is enough to say that "promoted worker" from trade unions in the State Duma today just stamps the most odious bills which have connection to labour and social rights of citizens, to be exact - depriving citizens of the rests of these rights.

But whether there will be in red columns other, alternative trade unions? No, they also are in the majority under influence of other forces. Communists should fight for trade unions, it is necessary that independent trade unions searched for supports from the Communist Party as it used to be during the strike in Vsevolozhsk.

Absence of real working-class movement in the country, certainly, is reflected on a political life of the state, allows petty-bourgeois, conciliatory tendencies to be seen both in the left political movement and among communists. When a party doesn't feel rigid connection with revolutionary class, losses a feeling of revolutionary movement unpleasant and dangerous transformations can happen with it.

That's enough to celebrate! That's enough to revel in applause of true colleagues who will support and will not betray. It is necessary to struggle instead of playing in legal Marxism and to stick in "parliamentary idiocy".

That's enough Dasdraperma!

Long live the 1st of May, day of struggle and victory! Labour should be free! A man is - not "a speaking instrument" but is a measure of all things!

Or, if we recollect analogies to "Red Easter" we shall not forget who said: "He who does not work neither shall he eat!"

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