Symbols of America

[peacetraveler22]

For the past few weeks, Ilya Varlamov has published posts incorporating photos from Moscow in the late 1980's - early 90's. I love these! Amazing to see how the country looked right before the collapse of the USSR. In today's post, I saw this photo from 1990. A massive queue to enter the first McDonald's in Moscow! I can't imagine such a scene, or how this fast food chain symbolized so much to people at that time. In 1990, I was 17. A senior in high school, getting ready to graduate and enter university, and closely following events overseas.

What other places, items and things did Soviet citizens associate with America before the collapse? My aunt visited Russia in the early 1980's, and she told me stories about locals asking her for bubble gum and wanting to buy her Levi's, straight off her body. This is no joke.

This is what makes Russia so fascinating to me - very rich and diverse history, constantly shifting and changing. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Not sure how most Russians feel about the current direction in which Russia is moving...I hope you feel for the better, because it's depressing and sad to live in a place where you feel absolutely no hope or prospect for the future. I have never once felt this way about my life in America...

Comments

[sineglazzka2301.livejournal.com]

Jeans, bubble-gum, Coca-cola, whiskey:)
As for the direction, I have an impression that Russia is not moving, it's just drifting who knows where:(

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Whisky! I didn't know this. :)) Interesting. I can't believe people would wait in such a long line for a horrible tasting hamburger. But we all know it wasn't really about the food. Anyway, if I could enter a time machine, I would definitely wish to travel to Moscow around 1989. Honestly, based on what I've seen during my trips, life in the provinces hasn't really changed that much since Soviet times.

[vasylkivska.livejournal.com]

In the last two sentences you have summarized the whole ideology of Ukraine's revolution and the pora-valit movement in Russia...

I remember McDonald's in Moscow. Imagine marcians landing on Earth and opening a shop where you can buy edible marcian food - one single store on the whole planet. That's what MacDonalds was at the time.

[onkel-hans.livejournal.com]

Yes, you are right.

In your second sentence, I would replace the word Martians with the word Humans.
It was Humans landing in the USSR, and the human food.

[onkel-hans.livejournal.com]

The idea of McDonald's is for Americans to feel everywhere at home.

Once, in Milano, I skipped the lunch in the proper time. I was in a strange part of the city. I felt very hungry and could not find a good place to eat. Then bingo! there was a Wendy's. I confidently wen in and had the same as at hometown. (Not to say that I never visit fastfood at home).

The Russian cuisine has been destroyed by Communists. I only know about it from the classic Russian literature. The eateries that existed under Communists are undespicable. Even expensive restaurants did not serve decent meals. There purpose was to serve costly booze and get the customers stoned. This was called "chic".

So the first McDonald's presented Russians decent food they could have the first time in their lives.
The second reason was what the Communists officially called "cringing before the West"

Russian cuisine has been destroyed by Communists

[elena-88888.livejournal.com]

What do you mean under Russian cuisine? Dishes served at beau monde or at common people - teachers, doctors, and even peasants? In restaurants or at homes? There was and there is big difference between them even in France that is a well-known country by its attitude to delicious food

[1way-to-english.livejournal.com]

I adore this video: music and images

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Wild scene, but a true sense of freedom! :)

[elena-88888.livejournal.com]

We are of the same age approximately.
When I was young I was overfilled with propaganda - of Soviet way of living, of attitude to people, of WWII etc...
And nevertheless I heard conversations of my parents, their friends, other people and due to them we felt some kind of different piece of pie can be in that devil's M :))) As every kind of threat it could be very seductively...

Moreover it wasn't the case when you take a piece of bread in an enemy's home - they came and they are here... And yesss! It was just a common curiosity - who are these Americans that they frightened us with them...

P.S. We haven't it in our town till today))) And today I visit it when I'm in Minsk in one case only - when I need to find a restroom :))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

It's really interesting what you said - "who are these Americans that they frightened us with them..." Because sadly it seems Putin's current agenda is to revert Russian mentality back to this state. Where ordinary Americans are seen as evil, barbaric and lacking all sense of values. I say this because I was recently so shocked to read about a current program on Russian news which claimed US parents routinely indoctrinate children with gay themes/porn. If this program was really shown to Russians, it's frightening because it is so completely false!! http://www.vox.com/2014/12/1/7313025/russia-gay-propaganda

Мне стали слишком малы мои потёртые джинсы...

[andrey-kaminsky.livejournal.com]

Then i was indifferent to the jeans, sneakers and L&M cigarettes. Then i loved the classic American fiction, Isaac Asimov, Clifford Simak and others. I started reading Kurt Vonnegut as a science fiction writer, and only then discovered that he was really great.

Re: Мне стали слишком малы мои потёртые джинсы...

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

So you've always been a nerd, with your head buried in a book? :)) I don't even know what L&M cigarettes are! But I've never been a smoker, so it's not surprising.

[ambival.livejournal.com]

Yeah! Indians selling Manhattan ...

[sergechel.livejournal.com]

jeans, bubble-gum, coca-cola, pepsi, disney cartoons, tom&jerry, video games ("Dendy"), lots of "new" movies.

"it's depressing and sad to live in a place where you feel absolutely no hope or prospect for the future" - yes, thats a sad truth.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Tom&Jerry...yes, it's an American classic. :) My favorite cartoon as a child. I do not like Disney. I believe it's very evil.

[krasnogorr.livejournal.com]

У каждого человека своё понимание свободы и перспектив в будущем. Для кого то достаточно макдоналдса и джинсов. А кому то нужно бесплатное образование, медицина и безопасность на улице.

Вот у меня вопрос, вы готовы пожертвовать всеми фаст фудами и джинсами ради того, что бы в стране не было бездомных? А готовы ли вы пожертвовать личным авто, что бы каждый мог бесплатно посетить дантиста?

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

To me, freedom is the ability to live life as I please. To not feel burdened with the chores of everyday life. To constantly feel like there is opportunity to grow as a human being, and I feel all these things in America. Always have. Regarding free dentist, and safety, both exist in America. Do you know how many clinics there are that offer free medical services for the poor? Or how many American and Western doctors volunteer their skills to help the needy? Not only in America, but all over the world. Perhaps a lot of Russian doctors also do this, I'm not sure. I've never had to to deal with Russian medical or health services during any of my visits to Russia. Although I've certainly fallen on the ice and snow and busted my butt many times. :)

[ambival.livejournal.com]

I adored American way of life since my school bench. But after barbaric bombings of Christian Serbian towns. ... All was over. I understood.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Such bombings have absolutely nothing to do with the way ordinary Americans live. And you think I personally authorized that bombs be dropped anywhere in the world? It's always amazing to me when Russians start saying stuff like this. You've never counted or considered the number of people killed at the hands of your nation, including many of its OWN citizens during Stalin's regime. Anyway, the post is not about politics. It's about ORDINARY people and their thoughts, which is what I always focus on in this blog.

[mercibo.livejournal.com]

The main difference of Soviet era is that it was “economics of demand” in contrast of capitalistic “economics of offer”. So while in capitalist world to serve is privilege, in socialist world to get service was a privilege. Every capitalist merchant seeks how to attract customers. He puts up shiny signs, lavishly lights restaurant windows, trains the staff to smile. Soviet restaurants even the fanciest looked more gloomy and basic, that’s why the first McDonald’s was so attractive. Another reason: most of Soviet people had no chances to travel abroad and to see anything different from their everyday life, and ta-dam! ‘abroad’ came by itself!

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I can imagine the curiosity and amazement of something new when you have been chained to the same ideology/location for so long, without the ability to explore or consider anything different or revolutionary. Btw, it seems sometimes that the socialist mentality regarding work/service is still alive and well in present day Russia, at least based on my interactions with workers in the retail sectors during my visits (restaurants, gas/parking attendants, hotel workers, etc.). Hopefully this will change in the future.

[harlampiev.livejournal.com]

For me it was simbol of crushing of my country. In center of the capitol - simbol of the enemy- winner. Hate mcducks till now. All food there smells by carton,that packed by. But they make wonderful coffee, its true.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

American people - we are not your enemy. Never have been, and never will be. Yes, McDonald's has decent coffee. It's the only thing I will order there. :)

[alsh4ka.livejournal.com]

Jeans, bubble-gum, coca-cola. Tom&Jerry, Backto the Future and Star Wars)))

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Back to the Future - it's one of my favorite American film series. :) I wish there was a real time machine! It would be so cool. :)

[harlampiev.livejournal.com]

My aunt visited Russia in the early 1980's, and she told me stories about locals asking her for bubble gum and wanting to buy her Levi's, straight off her body. This is no joke.

It was a good business, called FARTZA. Even little gum could be selled for good money. And real Levi*s be priced like month salary.
If you have interest, I could recommend you good russian film-musicle СТИЛЯГИ оr this humour story http://www.lib.ru/WELLER/fim_bl.txt. In online traslator should be readаble.

[kremlin-curant.livejournal.com]

Yes, it was amazing seeing the American staples in the Russia in those times. But all in Moscow, never in the remote places like Ivanovo where I lived.
In late 80-th Russian people stopped trusting communist's propaganda and lot of Russians got loved the American way of life.
Unfortunately Russian president Boris Yeltsin got moronic onto the end of his last term in the Office and when NATO started the war against Miloshevich clique he used it as a pretext for reviving the old-style anti-american sentiment.
Now under mr. Putin's rule this sentiment got much uglier and abnormal.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I think one of the main McDonald's in Moscow recently closed. I remember seeing some posts about this on LJ. Unfortunately, I believe you're right that a very strong anti-Western sentiment is encouraged in Russian media. This makes me sad, that relations between the countries are going backward rather than forward. Apparently a lot of Russians are completely okay with this, as Putin's approval ratings remain high.

[seadevil001.livejournal.com]

Been there did that. Stayed in line, got my hamburger and apple pie. Hamburger was OK, pie totally tasteless. I was truly surprised by absolute lack of taste. Still do not know how they managed to do it.
Mostly I was driven by curiosity then. At that time I could buy 7-10 full meals at cafeteria for money paid at McD. Not very tasty but whole meals in Russia, but in Uzbekistan they would be very tasty but less whole. 8-)

Actually US is not less changing now, I believe. It is very different country than one I arrived in 1999...

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I also am a very curious person. That's part of the reason I write here in the Russian blogosphere. :) How do you think America has changed since your arrival in 1999?

[maadmike.livejournal.com]

«A massive queue to enter the first McDonald's in Moscow! I can't imagine such a scene, or how this fast food chain symbolized so much to people at that time.»

I can tell you that the queues are the symbol of mentality of Soviet people . It is like when you have all clothes and food similar you should spend something to get something special, but instead of spending extra money because it was illegal, people thought they should spend their time.
My parents asked me every day, when I was around ten years old, to go to shop to buy food in these 90’s, and I hated this entire queue’s matter with all my guts. But what is amazing about this side of Soviet mentality, that when we didn’t have a deficit already, old people made a queue for fresh milk or other not necessary items, when was absolutely no reason. They like all this shit even now, they have a conversation with each other standing in the line, like they should do it. ))

For me even when I was a child, it was always a total mystery why people make such a fuss about McDonald’s. But one good thing Mc brought to Russia, is the toilet in every cafe! ))

«What other places, items and things did Soviet citizens associate with America before the collapse? My aunt visited Russia in the early 1980's, and she told me stories about locals asking her for bubble gum and wanting to buy her Levi's, straight off her body. This is no joke.»

Yes it is not joke, the deficit of overboard items is to blame but even now there are people who buy clothes in Secondhand shops. Craziness not poverty is the reason of such thing…

«This is what makes Russia so fascinating to me - very rich and diverse history, constantly shifting and changing. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Not sure how most Russians feel about the current direction in which Russia is moving...»

It is not only Russia is moving to some direction but every country in the world, even if they not moving at all. Your country also took a new direction after 11 September, I guess.

We move to prosperity with all the protective mechanisms we can have, which should help us not to become the slaves, like Ukrainians and many Arabs country became by their only will the slaves of EU and USA now.

«I hope you feel for the better, because it's depressing and sad to live in a place where you feel absolutely no hope or prospect for the future.»

What a bull sh.. I don’t feel any depression only the proud for my country, which only one stands against tyranny of rich and powerful USA and EU. Who will help to Russians and Orthodox Christians around the world if not we Russians? :) I have all the prospect I can think of in Russia. I really don’t understand what you are talking about!? :0

«I have never once felt this way about my life in America...»

My father had a business trip to Boston ten years ago and his business partners made a tour for him around the city with all the precautions. They showed him the Boston’s Metro and some poor districts of Boston, what he saw there touched him so much. He saw the USA segregation in all its beauty...
Make a week vacation to countless Black Ghetto districts of USA without money and telephone. You will feel every miserable sense you can get on Earth. I like the Walk of Shame movie in that perspective… )))

[seadevil001.livejournal.com]

Well, Boston is quite better now. I know places you are talking about.

[left-bank.livejournal.com]

Hello, Shannon. Nice to see your messages again. :) I've read a couple of hours ago an article about our Russia and I want to share it with you. Actually it is one of the best articles about nowadays Russia, I'm sure. I am sorry it is in Russian, but I hope google translator can interpret it.
http://snob.ru/selected/entry/84577

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the article. I read it, but some of my readers feel the exact opposite. Only hope and prosperity ahead for Russia!! So for them I suppose life is much easier each day.

By the way

[fox511.livejournal.com]

In few blocks closer to Red Square from first Moscow McDonald's there is building with higher concentration of USA symbols. 12th floor black glass building near Central Telegraph houses two us corporation - McDonald's at first floor and Boeing at other 11 floors.

Re: By the way

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I've walked in this area many times, but did not know that Boeing had a presence there in Moscow.

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

Never been in this particular McDonalds.
First, I did not want to wait in this huge queue.
Then, people quickly understood that McDonalds food is not the best :)

Yes, your country can make vivid and colourful symbols like jeans, coca-cola, bubble-gum. muscle cars, etc.
We lost the younger generation in the Soviet Union because we did not have a lot of colourful and attractive everyday things.

For example, hooligans from my school went to the Circus where foreigners were common and changed Soviet badges and other artifacts for Western things like pens and such.
I still have a red pen which one of them sold me :)

So, young people then valued every nice thing from the West not saying about status things like jeans.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

What about now? All of these iconic Western things are easily available all over Russia? Not just in big cities? For example, Levi's jeans? Because every time I visit St. Petersburg, my Russian friend wants me to bring him Levi's.

[atlantis555.livejournal.com]

Пора валить Пора отписываться. Сраная американка скатилась в сраное говно.

Вот это и есть ёбаный стыд о котором так много говорят

[andrey-kaminsky.livejournal.com]

Зря ты так, она не делала тебе ничего плохого, не стоило писать эту гнусь :(

[g-kar.livejournal.com]

Compared to standard Soviet canteen (and even restaurant) food, McD was quite tasty - and the food was/is FRESH.
Even now mant people prefer McD to other local fastfood because you won't get food poisoning :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I haven't eaten at many Russian restaurants, only a few. Usually I'm cooking meals with my friend at his home in Moscow when I visit. :)

[rider3099.livejournal.com]

Yep! Jeans, bubble gum and American flag )

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Now you see so many American flags! They are hanging from so many houses in the States. :)

[unis.livejournal.com]

There was a joke in Soviet Union "If you see the queue - don`t ask, stand for it" :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

:)) It's funny. Even today, some of my Russian friends hate standing in line, or waiting for a table at restaurants. Probably a flashback for them to Soviet times.

[a-nimaida.livejournal.com]

1991 -2001 terrible year in Russia ...

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

And now it's better?