Poster “Celebration of May 1, 1920. In Soviet Russia there is a subbotnik, the fight against devastation. Abroad – a strike, a struggle for Soviet power.”
1920.
Melnikov D.A.
Paper, fabric, multicolor lithography
53.2×70.7 cm
For the first time May 1 was celebrated as an international labor holiday in 1890 by the decision of the International Congress of Workers. In connection with the centenary of the Great French Revolution the Congress decided to revive the fighting spirit of revolutionary holidays and thereby establish the labor movement as “the true heir “of the revolution. May Day combined struggle and triumph, marking the epochal and worldwide prospects of the labor movement. This tradition was renewed after the victory of the October Revolution in Russia. The task of May Day was to exalt the revolutionary heroics of the victorious proletariat, to demonstrate class solidarity and public enthusiasm in the struggle for a brighter future.