Moscow's Labor Day Parade Draws 100K Marchers
May 1 marks Labor Day in Russia, one of the country's major public holidays.
Cities across the country hold official parades, organized street demonstrations and marches on this day, which celebrates workers and laborers.
More than 100,000 people attended this year's parade in Moscow, according to police estimates.
Here's a look at the celebrations throughout central Moscow:
Cities across the country hold official parades, organized street demonstrations and marches on this day, which celebrates workers and laborers.
More than 100,000 people attended this year's parade in Moscow, according to police estimates.
Here's a look at the celebrations throughout central Moscow:
Marchers hold signs that read "Peace," "Labor" and "May."
Sergei Karpukhin / TASS
Some marchers wore traditional Russian costumes to the parade.
Sergei Karpukhin / TASS
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin joined the event.
Mikhail Tereschenko / TASS
In Russia, red is a symbolic color for trade unions and labor movements, a holdover from the Soviet period.
Sergei Savostyanov / TASS
Today, Labor Day is less political than it was during the Soviet Union.
Gavriil Grigorov / TASS
Attendees flooded Red Square with banners and flags.
Sergei Karpukhin / TASS
A sign of Soviet leader Josef Stalin is held aloft. Stalin himself has seen a popularity resurgence among Russians in recent years.
Valery Sharifulin / TASS
Part of the march route took place on the banks of the Moscow River.
Sergei Vedyashkin / Moskva News Agency
In St. Petersburg, at least 68 protesters were arrested at the authorized May Day march.
vranski_team / Vkontakte
Police brutally detained several people, dragging them into police vans, according to Reuters witnesses.
vranski_team / Vkontakte
Some protesters carried banners saying "For fair elections" and "Petersburg against United Russia," a reference to Russia's ruling party which supports President Vladimir Putin.
vranski_team / Vkontakte
