Russia first observed International Women’s Day in 1913 on the last Saturday in February.
The first Russian observance took place in St. Petersburg in 1913, organized by the Bolshevik movement. At the time, Russia used the Julian calendar, so the last Saturday in February there corresponded to March 8 in the Gregorian calendar used in much of Europe. The distinction explains why the event is often described as both a February and a March observance.
The meeting and demonstration were held under intense police surveillance, and authorities interrupted the event and arrested participants. The occasion remained part of the growing socialist campaign for women’s political and economic rights, even though International Women’s Day did not yet have a single worldwide date.
Russia’s later history gave March 8 special significance. On March 8, 1917, textile workers in Petrograd began protests over food shortages, war, and political oppression. Those actions helped trigger the February Revolution and strengthened the day’s lasting association with Russia.