*Subbotnik (from the Russian word Subbota meaning Saturday) is a day of unpaid labor, usually on a Saturday. Originally it was voluntary and it had the idea of uniting the revolutionary minded masses and promoting the ideas of socialism through labor.

However, as the enthusiasm among the people dwindled, Subbotniks simply became the means for the ruling class to get free work from their employees under the cover of communist ideology. Eventually, subbotniks were reduced to a day or two a year, when people came together for major spring cleaning at their work places or home neighborhoods.

Nowadays subbotniks still take place, but they have lost their ideological aspect and have again become purely voluntary days of labour.