Russia marks Spring and Labour Day

2.5 million members of trade unions have marked the Spring and Labour Day in Russia on May 1. They organized marches in 675 cities and residential areas of the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the country at the Hero of Labour award ceremony, RIA Novosti reports.

About 100,000 people gathered in Grozny to mark Spring and Labour Day at the Glory Alley. Over 5,000 gathered in Ingushetia. Dagestani communists organized a meeting in Makhachkala, participated in by activists, WWII veterans and other residents of the city, according to Mahmoud Mahmoudov, the leader of the parliamentary faction of the Communist Party, RIA Dagestan reports.

About 3,500 people gathered in Nalchik, APA reports.

Thousands of people marked the day in Nalchik. Kabardino-Balkarian Leader Yuri Kokov and the leader of the trade unions of the republic, Fatimat Amshokova, made speeches at the meeting, RIA Kabardino-Balkaria reports.

Raisa Aybazova, the head of the republican association of trade unions of Karachay-Cherkessia, made a speech at the theater square of Cherkessk.

70,000 people took part in demonstrations in Crimea, including 35,000 in Simferopol, according to Crimean Spokesman Sergey Aksenov, TASS reports.

Sochi Mayor Anatoly Pakhomov congratulated the thousands of people celebrating May 1 in his city.