“In Germany, when Hitler and his regime brought about so much misery and suffering, they recognized it as a crime. And they strive to make sure it… Read more “Caution:…
Read more →My spelling of the plural version of the name Yuri is criminal, but it cannot compare to the crimes of the children of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, Galina and Yuri. The…
Read more →Music, as with all other art forms, was regulated in the Soviet Union. There was one record label, Melodiya, that published all “official” music in the USSR. Of course though,…
Read more →The Soviet Union doesn’t want you to put on that red light. The Soviet Union doesn’t want you to put that dress on tonight. The real version In the mid…
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The Space Race between the US and the USSR was a critical moment of the 1950s and 1960s. The Soviets took lead in the competition with the successful launch of Sputnik 1. Part 1: Sputnik Sputnik 1 was launched from Kazakhstan on October 4, 1957. It was the first ever earth- orbiting artificial satellite. This … Continue reading Russian to Space →
While the Soviet Century started off with more than just a bang, we unfortunately also watch it go out with less than a whimper. The Soviet Union was defined by the damage of it’s internal contradictions after decades of failed policy and economic liberalization pushed as an over-corrected response to a “socialism” one couldn’t say … Continue reading Death and Dissolution →
The 1980 Summer Olympics! This international sporting event presented an opportunity for the Soviet Union to boast their nation’s capabilities on an world wide platform. However, these Olympic games quickly became a symbol for both international turmoil and politics. Following the Soviet Union’s invasion into Afghanistan in 1979, Gorbachev and his regime supported Babrak Kamal … Continue reading Give It All You Got
In the period of glasnost, or openness, in the Soviet Union, the conversation on prostitution became a public topic (Von Geldern). It wasn’t until 1987 that specific laws prohibiting prostitution were introduced in the Soviet Union. Prior to 1987, prostitution was taboo to many Soviets. I found it interesting that during an American talk show … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Sex →
In the 1980s the Soviet Union found itself caught in a box reminiscent of the U.S. in the early 70s with Vietnam, except this time it was over the mountains of Afghanistan. The Soviets came to Afghanistan for a variety of reasons, the clearest of which is geography. Afghanistan is a central part of the … Continue reading All Along the Watchtower: The Soviet Vietnam
in 1980 the film Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears was published showcasing the lives of three women in the modern…
Much like in the West, the Soviet Union experienced a “sexual revolution” – of a sort. By the 1980s, female sexuality had become a topic of interest, though it still was seen by many as taboo. The beginning of “glastnost,” or openness, led to more awareness of the female body; yet as with any sexual … Continue reading Women’s Sexuality and the Changing Culture of the 1980s →
On the eve of 1980 the USSR invaded Afghanistan with invitation from the ruling body. Quickly the USSR inserted its own leader, Babrak Karmal (Geldern.) This led to a decade long war that robbed the USSR of precious public support, money and resources, and positive international attention. But why did the Soviet Union do this? … Continue reading Why Afghanistan?
In our perspective, the Russians are an alcohol- consuming, and -loving society. We cannot picture them without their beloved Vodka. Didn’t vodka make up for the cold winters in Soviet society? Well, the General Secretary of the Communist party in 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, said “No more alcohol folks!” (-or, at least, from now on, only … Continue reading Bye, Bye Vodka →
Throughout the Carter administration tensions between the United States and Soviet Union were on the rise. The growing power of the Sandinista Communist faction in Nicaragua in 1977-1978 created as sense of urgency in the United States to perpetuate the policy of containment of communist ideology. The idea of containment became a domestic emergency following … Continue reading Guns or Records? What do athletes want? →
My spelling of the plural version of the name Yuri is criminal, but it cannot compare to the crimes of the children of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, Galina and Yuri. The reign of Brezhnev has been labeled as the “age of stagnation” for the vast amount of corruption in the top levels of power. This all …
Continue reading “The Tale of Two Yuri(es): A Story of Corruption and Diamonds”
While the Soviet Century started off with more than just a bang, we unfortunately also watch it go out with less than a whimper. The Soviet Union was defined by the damage of it’s internal contradictions after decades of failed policy and economic liberalization pushed as an over-corrected response to a “socialism” one couldn’t say … Continue reading Death and Dissolution →
In 1980, the Soviet Union was changing and evolving. The Soviet people were experiencing new social freedoms and opportunities that they had never had before. While experiencing social liberation, the Soviet Union was also experiencing economic uncertainty, the unpredictability of the Cold War, and major global backlash over the invasion of Afghanistan. I think the …
The stagnation of the agricultural sector during Brezhnev’s tenure was one of the abject failures of his catastrophic regime. The farming question has existed in the USSR since it’s inception, as infrastructure , land realignments, and human capital relocation projects have been attempted to convert this abundance of land into reliable arable farmland. Brezhnev was … Continue reading It’s 1985 and Soviet Farms Still Suck →
In the period of glasnost, or openness, in the Soviet Union, the conversation on prostitution became a public topic (Von Geldern). It wasn’t until 1987 that specific laws prohibiting prostitution were introduced in the Soviet Union. Prior to 1987, prostitution was taboo to many Soviets. I found it interesting that during an American talk show … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Sex →
“In Germany, when Hitler and his regime brought about so much misery and suffering, they recognized it as a crime. And they strive to make sure it… Read more “Caution: Crisis in Chernobyl”
Music, as with all other art forms, was regulated in the Soviet Union. There was one record label, Melodiya, that published all “official” music in the USSR. Of course though, because this is the Soviet Union, there was a lot of underground art produced, and this included music. In the Soviet Union, rock music was … Continue reading Kino and the Underground Music Scene
In the 1980s the Soviet Union found itself caught in a box reminiscent of the U.S. in the early 70s with Vietnam, except this time it was over the mountains of Afghanistan. The Soviets came to Afghanistan for a variety of reasons, the clearest of which is geography. Afghanistan is a central part of the … Continue reading All Along the Watchtower: The Soviet Vietnam
“Ayatollahs in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan” Billy Joel’s reference in his hit song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” was the motivation/inspiration for this blogpost. 1979 was a turbulent year in world politics, especially on this front in central/south Asia. There are a few universally accepted adages through the course of human history. Never invade Russia in … Continue reading “Ayatollahs in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan”
On April, 26, 1986 the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl experienced an explosion which led to a nuclear accident which left the area devastated. According to sources 38 people were killed instantly while up to 100,000 died from the effects of the leaked radiation. Perhaps most disturbing was the fact that if it were not …
in 1980 the film Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears was published showcasing the lives of three women in the modern…
Today, alcohol consumption in Russia remains the highest in the world. The high volumes of alcohol consumption have resulted in serious consequences socially, politically and economically. The public health ramifications have been an ever going issue throughout the years and has led to alcoholism to be thought of as a ‘national disaster’. In the 1970’s, … Continue reading It’s (Not) Five O’Clock Somewhere… →
Much like in the West, the Soviet Union experienced a “sexual revolution” – of a sort. By the 1980s, female sexuality had become a topic of interest, though it still was seen by many as taboo. The beginning of “glastnost,” or openness, led to more awareness of the female body; yet as with any sexual … Continue reading Women’s Sexuality and the Changing Culture of the 1980s →
In 1991, General Secretary Gorbachev “desperately sought to preserve the Soviet Union as a federal state,” as it teetered on the brink of collapse (Freeze 463). The Soviet Union’s unraveling had been coming for decades, but it was sped up by a number of factors. First were the structural flaws of the economy, which had … Continue reading Party Politics No Longer →
The Soviet Union doesn’t want you to put on that red light. The Soviet Union doesn’t want you to put that dress on tonight. The real version In the mid 1980’s, there was a spike in prostitution and freedom with body expression. The women of the USSR did so in the name of ‘glasnost’ and […]
Chernobyl was a disastrous event that holds name recognition no matter who you talk to. When diving a bit deeper into the conflict and analyzing the competing perceptions of the Soviet Union and the West, it develops into something even more interesting. When looking at the New York Times Moscow’s Silence On Disaster Assailed In … Continue reading Chernobyl or Sept of Baelor, Which was worse? →
On the eve of 1980 the USSR invaded Afghanistan with invitation from the ruling body. Quickly the USSR inserted its own leader, Babrak Karmal (Geldern.) This led to a decade long war that robbed the USSR of precious public support, money and resources, and positive international attention. But why did the Soviet Union do this? … Continue reading Why Afghanistan?
In our perspective, the Russians are an alcohol- consuming, and -loving society. We cannot picture them without their beloved Vodka. Didn’t vodka make up for the cold winters in Soviet society? Well, the General Secretary of the Communist party in 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, said “No more alcohol folks!” (-or, at least, from now on, only … Continue reading Bye, Bye Vodka →
