You 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 more
In 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 more
With 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 →
With 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 […]
“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. […]
Read moreWhen one pictures cultural rebels in the United States these days, we often think of artistic hipsters who steer away from mainstream standards in music, art, and media. In the 1960s, one might think of these people as the famed…
Read more1956 International Youth Festival The International Youth Festival was a week long event held in Moscow in 1957. The
Read more(The Cranes are Flying film poster depicting a young couple looking to the sky at the cranes.) The Cranes are Flying (1957) is a dramatic war time love story about a young woman who doesn’t know whether or not her beloved boyfriend is alive after being sent off to fight in World War II. […]
Read more