When you think popular music of the Soviet Union, the Beatles might not spring to mind. But in the relatively liberated time after the death of Stalin, and Khrushchev’s opening of some cultural borders, the young people of the Soviet Union soon found themselves in love with the Beatles, much like their western counterparts. … Continue reading Family, Factory, and…Rock and Roll?
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 years following the end of the Second World War, the leadership of the Soviet Union found itself at the head of an increasingly disgruntled nation. A combination of factors led to simmering unrest in several Bloc countries. Firstly, soldiers returning from the war caused shifts in population, and needed care for a variety … Continue reading More Equal than Others
Read more“The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend.” An ancient proverb that was first recorded before Rome stood upon the banks of the Tiber River. This became government policy for the three powers that found themselves in the unenviable position of fighting against the massive war machine of Nazi Germany. Stalin was just managing to … Continue reading The three amigos.
Read moreWaging a modern war requires many things, weapons, ammunition, vehicles, uniforms, supplies, and most of all, soldiers to fight. However, raising a standing military is expensive, and it takes away from the workforce that pays for all of the things needed for war. When the Soviet Union was on the march towards the Second World War … Continue reading Plowshares into Tractors, Swords into Tanks
Read moreTrotsky’s essay on the role of cinema in the revolution gives a unique look into the philosophical foundations for almost ubiquitous policies in the USSR. Firstly, the analysis by Trotsky of the 8 hour work day interested me, because I’d always though of the 9-5 work day being an institution of the western world, whereas … Continue reading Cinema, the new Vodka, the new Church.
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A small outcropping of civilization against the beautiful, but sometimes alien world. Isaac Levitan’s painting, “Over Eternal Peace” is stark and beautiful. Unlike other pieces of the “Wanderers,” there are no visible humans, instead only a lonely church on a hill, overlooking a beautiful, but desolate landscape. However, even without people, this piece still … Continue reading Over Eternal Peace – Isaac Levitan
Read moreWelcome to the KGBlog, there is nothing to see here.
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