May Day

May Day is a big holiday in Ukraine and all former Soviet countries. Every year we get two days off for May Day. It is their equivalent of Labor Day. It was a huge Soviet holiday because it celebrated the workers and it remains popular today. I spent May Day in the village with Heather and we went to the square to see the festivities.

Lots of people and lots of flags!

You can see a lot of Ukrainian flags and you can also see a lot of communist flags. Generally speaking, the communist flags are held by older men. I didn't notice any young people or women holding communist flags. This may be because the older men are the ones who are are most nostalgic about Soviet times.

Here you can see some Ukrainians in their traditional dress. They're waiting to dance, but they have to wait a while. Government officials are talking a lot and giving awards, flowers, etc. to various people. This is very typical of these types of events.

Communism still has life in Ukraine. A block away is a communist party office.

These children are also waiting to perform. There was a lot of dancing and singing and also a lot of socializing. It's a small town, but everyone from the area comes to the event and it's an opportunity to catch up with others in the community. Heather and I didn't stay the whole day, but it's fun to stop by and get a small dose of Ukrainian culture.

All pictures by Heather.