Christ was first Communist, would have joined us: Russian Marxist leader Zyuganov

Gennady Zyuganov, the Russian Communist Party's chairman, stated on Wednesday that Jesus Christ was the world's first Communist and condemned plans to cancel May Day celebrations due to Orthodox Easter celebrations.

"Christ was the new era's first Communist. He lifted his voice in support of the impoverished, sick, and hungry, as well as everyone else in distress, "said Zyuganov, who has been the party's leader since 1995.

"And he would have joined us if he had been alive," he added.

May Day celebrations would not be cancelled, according to Zyuganov, who said that Orthodox Easter, which occurs on May 1 this year, "does not contradict workers' solidarity."

Many people would prefer to spend Easter with their families, thus a number of Russian areas have announced intentions to cancel their traditional marches and demonstrations on May 1, which is officially known in the country as Day of Spring and Labor.

His remarks come as the Communist Party of Russia campaigns for seats in the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, in the parliamentary election scheduled for September 17-19.

During the Soviet era, when the communist government practised state atheism, such a declaration would have been unheard of.

However, the government has built relations with the Russian Orthodox Church in the post-Soviet years, particularly in the last decade of President Vladimir Putin's administration.

(With inputs from agencies)