International Workers’ Day, also known as Labor Day in some countries and often called May Day, is a holiday of workers and working classes promoted by the international labor movement and occurs every year on May 1 or the first Monday in May. May 1 was chosen for International Workers’ Day to commemorate the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago. In this year, a general strike for an eight-hour working day took place on May 1. On May 4, police dispersed a public rally in support of the strike when an unidentified person threw a bomb. The police responded by shooting at the workers. The incident resulted in the death of seven police officers and at least four civilians; sixty police officers and one hundred and fifteen civilians were wounded. Hundreds of labor leaders and sympathizers were later captured, and four were executed by hanging after a trial that was considered a miscarriage of justice.
Eastern Bloc countries such as the Soviet Union and most Central and Eastern European countries that were under Marxist-Leninist governments held official May Day celebrations in every city, during which party leaders greeted the crowds. Workers carried banners with political slogans, and many companies decorated company vehicles. The largest celebration on May 1 was usually held in the capital of each socialist country and usually included a military parade and the presence of the party president and general secretary.
And so, by some strange coincidence, I was in Warsaw on the first of May 1975. My host’s brother-in-law was employed at the then Faculty of Physical Education. And I was invited to participate in the May Day parade together with the meritorious athletes of Poland. The athletes “we” had our turn towards the end of the parade. Among the first, of course, are the army and celebrated workers. While we were waiting, they proudly introduced me to Kazimierz Górski, the coach of the Polish national football team, which had finished third at the World Cup in Germany the year before. Of course, they had no idea that I wasn’t interested in football at all…
As the procession began to move, I was politely asked not to take photos as we passed the grandstand. But, you know me. The temptation was too great. When we passed by the stands, I secretly, from the hip, took this one and only photo above.
And here they are. Edward Gierek, First Secretary of the Polish United Workers’ Party on the right with Piotr Jaroszewicz, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Poland on the left.
Given the secrecy and position of the camera, the photo is of course slanted. And in the background another symbol, the Palace of Culture and Science. Once the most hated building in Warsaw, as it was a gift from Josef Stalin and as such a symbol of the hated Soviet Union and its dominance in Poland at the time. Its official name was Joseph Stalin’s Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki imienia Józefa Stalina), but in the wake of destalinization the dedication to Stalin was revoked. After the fall of communism, there were ideas to demolish the building. However, due to excessive costs, this idea was abandoned. Since 2007, it has been enlisted in the Registry of Objects of Cultural Heritage.
Fun fact, at the time I had a Soviet-made Zenit camera. It was lent to me by my uncle, who was an officer in the Yugoslav Army. Shot with Orwo black and white negative film. And Orwo was an East German firm. Everything in the communist style …