Up to four million Russian teachers and other state employees are attending protests across the nation today to demand higher wages.
About one million workers are to hold a warning strike, while another three million are expected to take part in public rallies.
State-employed doctors, teachers and cultural workers - including librarians and museum employees - are demanding a 50 per cent increase this year on monthly wages, which currently range between 3,000 and 4,000 roubles (€82-€109). They also want further raises next year.
About 300 teachers turned out in the far east port of Vladivostok, where schools opened and closed early to allow participation in the protest. In Moscow, strikers gathered near the White House - the Russian government headquarters - for a rally that is expected to last most of the day.