Flowers for women in Russia, but not all want to celebrate

International Women’s Day, a public holiday in Russia, has a long tradition in eastern European countries and across the former Soviet Union, where men often mark the day by buying flowers or gifts for women. But some women were not in the mood to celebrate almost two weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and focused instead on calling for an end to the fighting. Maria Tunkara, who blogs about feminism and racism, posted on Instagram, “the best gift for March 8 is that we and our loved ones will no longer have to suffer because of what is happening.”