March 8th (восьмо́е ма́рта) is also known as the International Women's Day (Междунаро́дный же́нский день). This holiday emerged as a political celebration to symbolize the fight of women from all over the world for their rights, full equality with men, democracy and peace. As the time passed, the political motives of the holiday moved to the background and March 8th simply became a women's holiday in Russia and other republics of the former USSR.

March 8th is an official public holiday. This beautiful spring holiday is most often celebrated in the family circle with a festive meal and champagne. Another popular choice to celebrate March 8th is by visiting friends. Men and women give flowers, postcards with poetry, chocolate, and other pleasant gifts to their mothers, wives, grandmothers, sisters and daughters. Some Russian men like to undertake all household duties on this day—starting with washing dishes and ending with cooking dinner and looking after children, so that women can enjoy a full day of rest.

Catalina II de Rusia (Russian: Екатерина Алексеевна Yekaterina Alekseyevna): Also known as Catherine the Great 1729 – 1796), was the most renowned and the longest-ruling female leader of Russia, reigning from 1762 until her death in 1796 at the age of 67.

Valentina Tereshkova (Russian: Валенти́на Влади́мировна Терешко́ва): Born 6 March 1937- is a retired Russian cosmonaut and politician. She is the first woman to have flown in space, having been selected from more than four hundred applicants and five finalists to pilot Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963. She completed 48 orbits of the Earth in her three days in space.

Sofia Kovalevskaya (Russian: Со́фья Васи́льевна Ковале́вская): 1850-1891. Was the first major Russian female mathematician. She was responsible for some important original contributions to analysis, partial differential equations and mechanics. She was the first woman appointed to a full professorship in Northern Europe and was also one of the first women to work for a scientific journal as an editor.

Anna Akhmatova (Russian: Анна Ахматова): 1889 – 1966. Was a Russian modernist poet, one of the most acclaimed writers in the Russian canon.