The Presidential Library spotlights the holiday of March 8 celebrated in Soviet times

Sweets, bouquets, wishes of love and beauty and, of course, a day off. International Women's Day is dedicated to the beautiful half of humanity, but not so long ago they congratulated it a little differently.

The tradition of celebrating International Women's Day in our country has Soviet roots. The Constitution of the RSFSR of 1918, adopted after the October Revolution, enshrined the state policy of equal rights for women. The collections of the Presidential Library help to turn over the pages of periodicals that have preserved the expectations and moods of our compatriots of different years with photographic accuracy.

The name of the holiday and its emotional component changed several times. Newspapers of the 1920s and 1930s congratulated women on International Women's Day. The young Soviet state needed labor hands and strength. Therefore, “congratulations” do not sound quite familiar to us: “Long live the new fresh forces of working women who are joining the Communist Party!” The newspaper recalls that "the revolution opened up a wide path for the working woman to build a new life".

Newspapers publish letters from women whose stories were in many ways similar: “marriage, oppression of family life” ... But then “the thunder of the revolution struck. The victory of the working class made it possible to straighten the bent back, they began to reckon with us, women”, - the peasant woman writes in a letter. “When I was at home, I only knew my family and husband. I couldn’t figure it out in life”, - writes another. “When I started attending delegate meetings and talks, the blindfold sort of fell off my eyes”.

How did you plan to celebrate the women's holiday? On this day, workers and peasants of Soviet Russia summed up their work in the "cause of Soviet construction". The headlines called: “Today everyone is on the street, everyone is demonstrating!”

“March 8 should mobilize new masses of working women for active participation in socialist construction in order to strengthen ties with foreign proletarians”, - wrote the Tyumen newspaper Krasnoye Znamya on March 8, 1930.

Women become comrades, like-minded people and, along with men, “join the fighting columns of the proletariat” and “will make even more efforts to strengthen our defense capability, to raise socialist power, to promote the industrialization of the country”.

During the Great Patriotic War, the important role of women in the defence of the country was constantly discussed, and even more so on March 8. The newspaper Za Leninism dated March 8, 1943 congratulates women not on the day of workers, but on the International Communist Women's Day. In this war, the Soviet woman stands in the ranks of active fighters against the German fascist enemies. And what is important, never before have women participated so selflessly in the defense of their Motherland, they have something to defend: the Soviet government brought equality to the working woman in all areas of life, the congratulatory article emphasizes.

The Proletarskaya Pravda of March 7, 1943 wrote that at the front and in the rear, together with men, shoulder to shoulder, women selflessly defend the freedom and independence of their Motherland.

Newspapers tell about the brave heroes of the country: military paramedic Maria Lisova, who carried 21 wounded soldiers with weapons from the battlefield in one day, about sniper Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko, who destroyed over 300 enemies in the battle for Sevastopol, and the commander of the aviation regiment of night bombers Evdokia Bershanskaya.

The Leningradskaya Pravda of March 8, 1944 prints the traditional appeal of the Central Committee of the Communist Party to women. It emphasizes that the celebration of International Women's Day should serve to further mobilize women to strengthen assistance to the front. "Long live the Soviet woman!" - and these are not empty words, they are supported by many examples of the heroic deeds of women who remained in Leningrad. They worked in factories, taught children, saved library and museum collections with the last of their strength...

"Long live the solidarity of working women around the world!", - writes the Belgorodskaya Pravda on March 8, 1958. The family principle, the maternal component of a woman’s personality in the post-war years, is beginning to be given increasing importance. It is in him that the main “strength” of a woman is now seen. “Let the sacred fire of motherly love rise up all over the world against wars, inspire the hearts of all people to fight for peace and friendship, for a bright future for our children, for the triumph of reason and justice!”, - writes the Belgorodskaya Pravda on March 8, 1960.

Gradually, the holiday begins to lose its political component, it becomes more family. The children are taught that March 8th is Mother's Day. This is reflected in the plots of postcards, which it has become customary to send to relatives and give to the family. There are many such postcards in the collections of the Presidential Library. They most often depict children with bouquets of mimosas or tulips.

In 1965, by decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, March 8 became a day off. And in 1975, declared by the UN the "International Year of Women", at the suggestion of the USSR delegation, March 8 received the official status of "International Women's Day".

Today, each reader of the Presidential Library has opportunity to learn about the listed publications and decide for himself whom to congratulate on March 8 - dear ladies, the "weaker sex", reliable comrades who are able to perform the most serious tasks on an equal basis with men, or Women with a capital letter, able to combine all of these components.