What was life in Russia like 50 years ago? I invite you to see for yourself with the help of a collection of pictures taken by foreign tourists in Leningrad (today, St. Petersburg) during the 1960s-1970s. During the late ‘50s and ‘60s, the USSR’s slogan was “Thaw”. The leader of the communist party, Krushchev, started to change domestic policy. He eased laws and censorship, and released millions of political prisoners from Gulags. All this followed the death of Stalin in 1956 when Krushchev immediately denounced Stalin, the cult of personality, and the totalitarian regime. As a symbol of good intentions and peaceful coexistence, Krushchev visited Beijing, Yugoslavia, and met with Dwight Eisenhower in the United States. The Thaw welcomed economic and political reforms, opened the borders, and gave opportunity for educational and cultural exchange with foreign countries. International movie festivals, American fashion, music, and literature filled the Soviet Union. The Thaw also allowed for incoming tourists to visit. Many European and American artists and photographers travelled to the Soviet Union in order to capture what everyday life is like in that unknown country and its people. These photos were taken during the period shortly after foreign tourists were first welcomed into Russia. When you’re looking at them, try to imagine what it was like to see these scenes for the first time, in a place that you were previously prohibited from visiting. Moscow, 1959, photo taken by Harrison Forman (USA) Below are vending machines in the Soviet Union, which served soda. They operated similarly the dispensers that you can find in many fast food restaurants today (but without free refills!). Since there weren’t disposable cups, everyone had to use a glass that would be automatically washed by the machine after every use. Since there weren't many opportunities to buy any kind of sweets and candies, children would also wait in lines to get to the "holy water". Nowadays, people that were growing up in Soviet Union are all old men and women, but each of them remembers that excitement of buying soda and amazing taste of the beverage. Sportsmen, marching along the Red Square ( 1959, photo taken by Harrison Forman, USA) In the USSR, one of the main goals of the government was to raise strong and healthy citizens. This is why all schools and kindergartens would start their day with the daily exercises. Parades and marches of athletes were commonplace, and served as an example for other people to strive for. Going to the theater (1959, photo taken by Harrison Forman USA) In the Soviet Union a great deal of attention was paid to children’s education and upbringing. Visits to the local museums and theaters was an essential part of it. Electric bus (1959, photo taken by Harrison Forman, USA) Public transportation in the USSR was extensive. A well-developed subway, bus, and trolley systems were great achievements in the 1950’s. New Zaporozhec cars (N. Rakhmanov, 1960) Public transportation is a nice thing of course, but having your own car is much more convenient. Buying a Soviet car was a chance of a lifetime, cars were not only very expensive, but they were also scarce. So when a family would manage to buy a car, they would celebrate it with all of their relatives and neighbors for a week. These cars were tiny and terribly uncomfortable, they would not start if it was too cold or rainy outside (which was most of the time) and this is why people started calling them by sweet nicknames, such as “Zapor”, which means constipation. Street cleaning (L. Lazarev, 1957) Order and cleanliness was seen as an essential responsibility of the city, so every morning every single street would be washed by the trucks pictured below. To this day, you can still see street-washing trucks passing over the streets of St. Petersburg early in the morning, though they use a newer model of truck now. Swans (E. Umnov, 1963) The ballet school of Russia is famous for its rich history, world-class instruction, and professionalism. In order to secure a good place in the theatre, ballet dancers needed to practice endlessly and maintain an immaculate body, but a little cake once in a while couldn’t hurt. Waiting lines (Unknown photographer, 1970's) Starting from the mid 70's, in Soviet Union people have experienced severe deficit of produce and common goods. Getting a pair of tights, a new chandelier or just a good piece of meat was a big victory for a Soviet woman. As a rule of thumb, people had to wait in lines for 5-6 hours. Leningrad (R. Lipset, 1976) Even though the Thaw brought unprecedented liberalization, the communist party and its ideology was not suspended, it continued to follow citizens throughout their lives. Comrade Lenin “kept watch” over people through ubiquitous banners calling for the proletariat revolution. Note that the second photo shows banners over what is today, The Hermitage museum. If you are curious to see how Russia has changed (and hasn't) since the fall of the Soviet Union, you should look into paying a visit to St. Petersburg. Feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have so we can get started on your perfect Russian experience ! For more information please contact me by email at: [email protected] Or contact us by facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExperienceRussia/
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AuthorHi there! My name is Mila, I have been working as a local guide for six years and I've decided to share with you essential information about St. Petersburg, life in Russia and Russian culture. I hope you will enjoy! Archives
January 2018
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