Great post – I always like the Star Wars theme! It is an interesting contradiction that Aeroflot survived the collapse of communism because the benefits of the communist system allowed it to.
Author: ejrhodes5
Comment on Khrushchev’s War on Religion by ejrhodes5
*cosmonaut poster
Comment on Khrushchev’s War on Religion by ejrhodes5
Awesome post! It’s funny how the Orthodox Church just keeps on going in Russian society, despite massive amounts of historical persecution. It goes to show how deeply it is ingrained in Russian culture. Also, that cosmonaut is fantastic.
Comment on The Theatre Thaw(?) by ejrhodes5
Great post! I’m glad that you mentioned Bertolt Brecht, he’s a very unique and fun playwright. Also, you’re right, it’s important to note how heavily suspected Marxists were persecuted in the U.S. Do you know why Brecht’s works were unwelcome in the USSR during the Thaw?
Comment on Before the West was Cool: Soviet Hipsters in the 1950s by ejrhodes5
It is interesting how these counterculture movements sprang up all around the world at this time. I’m not sure what specific figures and trends initially motivated the stilyagi – that would be interesting to research! I don’t think they played a role in the Cold War, as they were mostly apolitical, but I do think the West considered this movement a sign of discontent within the Soviet Union.
Comment on Before the West was Cool: Soviet Hipsters in the 1950s by ejrhodes5
Thanks!
Comment on Before the West was Cool: Soviet Hipsters in the 1950s by ejrhodes5
Thank you!!
Comment on Before the West was Cool: Soviet Hipsters in the 1950s by ejrhodes5
Thanks! Yeah, not to mention that “music on bones” is such a fun phrase! From what I understand the stilyagi were a big source of inspiration for most Soviet counterculture movements later on, especially in the eighties.
Comment on Before the West was Cool: Soviet Hipsters in the 1950s by ejrhodes5
The Arcade Fire song was how I initially found out about Laika back in high school! They’re definitely one of my favorites, if not my all time favorite band. That’s a really cool essay – what a unique topic! I really liked the movie, it was very fun (although the female characters were a little one-dimensional).
Comment on A Dog Called Laika by ejrhodes5
Great post! I thought about writing on this topic, but decided on a different one. It’s really sad that quite a few dogs died in the Soviet space program. You’d think there would be some form of public outcry against this, but I’m guessing most citizens were afraid of speaking out (or had bigger troubles to deal with).
