The romantic event, to be held on the square near the circus in Perm, will also include various entertainment acts, and the handing out of gifts, Nadezhda Kochurova, the head of the regional youth politics committee, said.
Kochurova said the occasion would help to strengthen the joint identity of young people in the city, home to over a million, and the entire Perm Territory, and show that the region is not merely a source of oil, gas, and other mineral resources, by highlighting the importance of people and their achievements outside industry.
International Women's Day, originally celebrated in Western Europe, became an official holiday in Russia soon after the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. Initially intended to celebrate the achievements of women workers, it remains a popular holiday in former Soviet republics. In present-day Russia, the focus is now on giving flowers and gifts to women.
A previous kissing record was set on St. Valentine's Day in 2004 in the Philippines, when 5,000 couples kissed in Manila, the Philippine capital. The city mayor and his wife were among the couples.
Hungary attempted to break the record the following year, when 6,500 couples kissed in central Budapest for ten seconds. However, the attempt did not receive official recognition for the world record.
