MOSCOW - Hundreds of thousands of Muscovites turned out to scrub, paint or sweep the Russian capital over the weekend in the annual "subbotnik" or spring clean.
The Soviet government started mobilising ordinary citizens in 1919 to clean up after Russia's long winter.
The custom of giving up time one spring weekend
to spruce up parks, streets and courtyards survived the fall of communism and, like many aspects of Soviet life, now has nostalgic appeal. Even some Western companies now organise public-spirited cleaning days for their employees.
Saturday's participants appeared to quite enjoy scrubbing Moscow, which is left covered with litter and mud when the snow melts after five months of fierce winter.
"Everyone works for free - we've got about 80 volunteers here and just look how clean it is now," said Natasha, 28, a janitor in a central Moscow park speaking with the distinctive soft accent of her native Ukraine.
"It's only one day, it's not much to give to the state. I just wish we had as much help cleaning up every day."
The spruced-up park was swept clean of litter and the earth around its bushes was freshly dug. Soviet-style banners and even a large painted balloon urged "Everyone to the Subbotnik".
The day got wide coverage on state television, which showed young volunteers painting the metal fences outside schools and parks in jaunty colours, or planting trees in parks.
"There is no need to march off somewhere, just go down into your courtyard and make it cleaner," said an announcement on Moscow city television's website.
According to Interfax news agency, more than a half a million Muscovites were helping clean up - mostly city employees working an extra day but also 100,000 ordinary citizens.
Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov and deputies in the city parliament followed a separate Soviet tradition of taking part ostentatiously for the television cameras.
Conscript soldiers had been mobilised, although not all of them were taking part of their own accord, suggesting the Soviet habit of giving "volunteers" little choice is not entirely dead.
Sergei, 19, was part of a gang of five conscripts clearing trash from between a rickety fence and a derelict house inhabited by stray dogs.
"We are helping the city of Moscow look clean and nice," he said with a wry smile. "They just told us to come here and here we are."
