What is Subbotnik in Russia?

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Subbotnik (or Saturday day in English) is a traditional volunteer and unpaid weekend day in Russia when people go out and help country and their cities to clean courtyards, streets, office territories etc from litter, garbage and other mud. At Subbotnik we also repair and paint some popular public places like children playgrounds, benches, clean hallways, plant trees and do many other useful social things. This tradition goes back to Soviet period; first Subbotnik was organized in early 1920 in Moscow by Communist Party.

 

At that times people believed that it is always good sometimes to work not for money but for idea, society and the good life of all generations, people believed that it is better to build and repair than to destroy, spoil and mess. Subbotnik was one of the methods to promote really all the best what socialism really had. But on another hand for lazy ones Subbotnik could become a problem because it was unoficially obligatory andmissing Subbotnik without strong reason might led to problems at work and to misunderstanding from the part of colleagues and friends. In some cases people were even fired because of missing this special event.

 

Later Subbotniks became an integral Soviet society life. And today we Russians also go out for Subbotniks. Subbotnik today is a social and popular event which is organized by local authorities and some government institutes several times a year, usually at spring. For example at Moscow’s Subbotnikn take part over 500000 citizens. This special social event is good for families and children as well to show and teach our younger generation that it is at all times good to live in clean and cozy cities and villages.

 

Some offices and big companies also organize Subbotnik to stimulate their employees сlean up their working places ant working areas in general.

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Anyway today in modern Russia for most of us Subbotnik has a positive meaning and it is one more way to make something good for our country, city, working area, nature, our children and people around us, even if it steals our official day off.