The Soviet Union did much to promote a positive image of life within its borders both to the Western world and to its own citizens. However, it is hard to deceive someone about the quality of their own life. By … Continue reading →
Category: Red Star
Red Star, Week 11 Posts
The Wolf and the Bear: The First Chechen War
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Chechnya is a small region in the Caucuses that has long resented Russian rule. The Chechens had fallen victims to Stalin’s deportations and purges, and they had a long history being repressed by Moscow. Chechen also objected to Russian rule for religious reasons, as the vast majority of Chechens were Muslims. Therefore, when the Soviet Union fell […]
Red Star, Week 11 Posts
“The Americans”
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For my last blog post, I wanted to write about a TV show that has been airing for a couple of years now. The show is called The Americans, the plot is about two KGB spies living in the US … Continue reading →
Red Star, Week 11 Posts
Russia’s Vietnam
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The late 1980s to mid-1990s was a period that oversaw a profound shift in the geopolitical world order, as the hegemon of the Eastern Hemisphere seemingly collapsed overnight. Although the dismantling of the Soviet Union seemed rapid, in reality it took many years and was characterized by a number of bloody and fractious conflicts. One […]
Red Star, Week 11 Posts
Blogpost: The Sajudis Solution
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With General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev’s introduction of Perestroika in 1986 and Glasnost in 1988, Soviet citizens were able to experience new freedoms for the first time in centuries. A few months later, Gorbachev began replacing old Communist leaders throughout the Soviet…
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Red Star, Week 11 Posts
Home Brewers
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Russia is no stranger to alcohol; in fact, it is known for its consumption of alcohol in day-to-day life, events, and celebrations. Alcohol served as a large portion of state revenue up until 1985 which is when Russia’s entered into a dry period. Mikhail Gorbachev came to power as the General Secretary of the Communist […]
Red Star, Week 10 Posts
Televised Youth
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Globally, television was booming in the 1970s and 1980s, as it became an industry that entertained and often pushed certain political agendas. Similar to the Soviet film culture that historically challenged the values of the Soviet Union, TV shows had the opportunity to weekly immerse viewers in anti-communist satire, and the “signal reached roughly 70% of Soviet territory by 1970″ (KVN Canceled). The Soviet game show that was first broadcast in 1961, Club of the Merry and Resourceful (also known as KVN), was an attempt to combine elements of sport, youthful rebellion, and political satire into a form of entertainment that would attract …
Red Star, Week 10 Posts
Rock Behind the Curtain
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One of the most important effects of the emergence of “Rock & Roll” in the United States during the 1950’s was the social revolution that came along with it. The older generations were shocked by Elvis Presley and the way he shook his hips, the sexual energy of performers like Little Richard, and the personal […]
Red Star, Students' Choice, Week 10 Posts
The Soviet Union’s Vietnam War
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One of the biggest wars of the Cold War took place in Afghanistan. Before the Taliban, UN Forces, and the War on Terror brought this remote country into focus, Afghanistan was a hot-spot in the Cold War, “the only time the Soviet Union invaded a country outside the Eastern Bloc – a strategic decision met […]
Greatest Hits, Red Star, Students' Choice, Week 9 Posts
Czech Yourself
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While the end of the Khrushchev-era meant a turn away from reform in the Soviet Union, not all Warsaw pact states wanted to halt the thaw. In Czechoslovakia, Alexander Dubcek’s leadership and the “Czech Action Programme” led to a period of liberalization across the country. Changes in the Czechoslovakian Communist party regarding secret balloting, set term limits, and … Continue reading Czech Yourself
