RUSSIA: Russian communists rally on Labour Day with mixed feelings of nostalgia and uncertainty for their future

Record ID: 213962

  • Title: RUSSIA: Russian communists rally on Labour Day with mixed feelings of nostalgia and uncertainty for their future
  • Date: 1st May 2013
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (MAY 1, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF STATUE OF SOVIET UNION FOUNDER VLADIMIR LENIN IN SQUARE VARIOUS OF WOMAN SELLING COMMUNIST FLAGS MAN HANDING OUT NEWSPAPERS STUDENT AND COMMUNIST YOUTH ORGANISATION MEMBER YEKATERINA HOLDING BALLOONS, THEN PAN TO BALLOONS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) STUDENT AND COMMUNIST YOUTH ORGANISATION MEMBER YEKATERINA, SAYING: "For me the first of May is the day of labour for all those who labour. It's a holiday. It's really a big holiday, and I'm in a great holiday mood." COMMUNIST NIKOLAI KUZMIN WAVING FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) COMMUNIST NIKOLAI KUZMIN, SAYING: "In Soviet times, people came out on this holiday and were very confident of their future. Today we walk and fight for that future." RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER GENNADY ZYUGANOV WALKING THROUGH CROWD FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER GENNADY ZYUGANOV, SAYING: "If in Russia the authorities turn away from the people, it can't hear, it can't understand, and it can't feel the people, then it's doomed. The question is how it will happen, history shows it's either turbulence or harsh confrontations. The authorities should understand that they are losing people's trust. They cannot save their power thanks to police with rifles, and emergency measures (in political crisis) have never saved anyone." WAR VETERANS VARIOUS OF MARCH IN PROGRESS VARIOUS OF MARCHERS PASSING THE KREMLIN
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA99R0H3QNM1W6YTN3Z1NC27H5G
  • Story Text: Thousands of Russian communists took to the streets of Moscow on Wednesday (May 1) on International Labour Day with feelings of nostalgia for the stability of the Soviet Union and questions about their futures in Russia.
    Marchers gathered at a square in Moscow under the imposing statue of Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin, before marching towards the Kremlin.
    For Communist youth party member Yekaterina, the holiday has always had special meaning.
    "For me the first of May is the day of labour for all those who labour. It's a holiday. It's really a big holiday, and I'm in a great holiday mood," Yekaterina said.
    Nikolai Kuzmin, who waved a red flag, longed for the stability of the past.
    "In Soviet times, people came out on this holiday and were very confident of their future. Today we walk and fight for that future," Kuzmin said.
    As he walked through the crowd, Russian Communist Party Leader and former presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov greeted marchers on the holiday.
    He said the future of the country depended on people taking to the streets to attract the attention of the government.
    "If in Russia the authorities turn away from the people, it can't hear, it can't understand, and it can't feel the people, then it's doomed. The question is how it will happen, history shows it's either turbulence or harsh confrontations. The authorities should understand that they are losing people's trust. They cannot save their power thanks to police with rifles, and emergency measures (in political crisis) have never saved anyone," Zyuganov said.
    Reuters producers and the Moscow interior ministry press service cited in Interfax news agency estimated that around 5000 people took part in the march.
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