International Women’s Day remains one of Russia’s most beloved holidays, even though its popular meaning has evolved over the years. In the Soviet era, the holiday celebrated the revolutionary struggle for equality, a far cry from today’s flowery celebration of womanhood and femininity.
Though the holiday’s critics blame it for re-enforcing harmful gender stereotypes, March 8 offers an opportunity to improve visibility toward the diverse roles women play in today’s society.
In light of the holiday, we invite you to take the trip down memory lane and take a look at the many faces of Russian womanhood in the 1990s as captured by MT photographers:
