Russia's federal labor chief says the country has too many damned holidays

People in Russia should work more and party a bit less, says Vsevolod Vukolov, the head of the Federal Labor and Employment Agency.

“There are a lot of work holidays. I have great respect for all professions, but it seems to me that we celebrate a lot, and I would advise everyone to spend more time on work,” Vukolov said in a recent interview, when asked what kind of professional holiday Russia lacks. “The more we work, the sooner we’ll [start] going places,” he argued.

Russia’s Labor Code currently recognizes 14 work holidays. The federal government also has the power to reschedule holidays. For example, Eastern Orthodox Christmas in 2018 will take place on January 6 and 7, which is a weekend, so the government has decided to observe these holidays on March 9 and May 2.

Russia also recognizes more than 125 professional holidays when employees are still obligated to go to work.