Russians Rocking & Rolling
Soviet Rock & Roll music began to emerge in the mid to late 50’s during the cultural thaw. For a
Read moreSoviet Rock & Roll music began to emerge in the mid to late 50’s during the cultural thaw. For a
Read moreLiteracy has been a priority for the Soviet Union for a long part of its history. The emphasis on literacy and the esteem that the Soviet government held literacy too was also rather impressive. As far back as 1919, the government has been pushing the end of illiteracy in its vast empire. When Lenin took power […]
Read moreWhile the long Soviet seventies are sometimes remembered as a time of “stagnation,” they are among the most interesting and under-appreciated periods of the Soviet experience. This week’s post should address the contradictions and unique dynamics of soviet culture and cultural expression in the Brezhnev era. Your post should draw on at least one of the selections in RR pp. […]
Read moreYou can take the Russian Peasant out of the wilderness, but you can’t take the wilderness out of the Peasant. The rush to turn a nation of rural farmers into a nation of urban peasants had been successful. More Russians than ever before lived in urban apartments provided by the government, closer to their factory … Continue reading На Дача!
Read moreIn the late 1950’s, after the death of Joseph Stalin, the USSR was in disarray, despite crackdowns and tightening of communist social standards, many saw Stalin’s death as an opportunity for rebellion and change. Among these were the Stilyagi, the Russian equivalent of America’s hippie movement. The Stilyagi dressed outlandishly, idolized the west and listened […]
Read moreWith the death of Vladimir Lenin, the Soviet experience started to see some drastic changes. From new labor laws to protect works (such as minimum wages, factory and office regulations, and unions) to the beginning of a space program, the new Soviet Union was changing for the better. While many of the changes would remain … Continue reading To the Stars →
Read moreAfter the death of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union saw a period of cultural liberalization that would come to be known as “the Thaw”. During this time, the rights of women expanded, from education becoming more accessible to the ban on abortions being lifted to women taking on more responsibilities in the work force. However, […]
Read moreWhat other man can make crowds move after death thank Stalin? What man can cast fear over his people after h is laid to rest? Stalin can. This man, a man who rose to rule Russia with an iron fist, as well as hide it behind an iron curtain, played his country like a puppeteer. … Continue reading Quit Stalin and Tell Us What You Really Think →
Read moreWith Stalin’s death on March 5th, 1953, the Soviet Union found itself at a crossroads unable to look back on the past, but also uncertain about the future. Gone was the man who had industrialized the nation, won the Great Patriotic War, and turned the Soviet Union into a legitimate world power. After the death […]
Read more“I see no God up here.” These are probably the most famous words Gagarin spoke while in space, words that obviously are quite striking but profound. To understand this first we must understand the man, A simple Russian citizen would would rise to height none had ever achieved. Iurii Gagarin: the first man in space. […]
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