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

[nucleosome.livejournal.com]

It's an episode from screen adaptation of popular Russian author - Pelevin and his book "Generation P". I'm sure you heard about this author, but in case you didn't here is what is written in wiki about "Generation P": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_%22%D0%9F%22)

It was translated into English: http://www.amazon.com/Homo-Zapiens-Victor-Pelevin/dp/product-description/0142001813/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books.

The youtube episode I've posted is a kind of quintessence of "russian idea" (although the book was written in 1999, but it gives you a clear picture of "russian" way of thinking, as nothing has changed since then).

It's 2014 and I am reading comments from Russians lika atlantis555 in your lj and I understand that nothing... nothing has changed since 1999.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, sometimes atlantis555 is rude and aggressive for no reason. He simply has a strong dislike for the West, and sometimes takes it out on me. :( Pity, it seems many Russian can't separate ordinary Americans from the politics of our nation. Thanks for the links.