Thread: Anyone proud to have been a SOVIET?

I've recently began to research the cold-war propaganda of the eighties...from vintage soviet posters, to the regan-era super-patrotic movies like rambo and such. My girlfriend and I sat down to watch ROCKY IV and during the scene where they began to sing the National Anthem of the Soviet Union, she began to sing along. I was puzzled because as any young American growing up in the eighties remembers, we were indirectly taught that Russians themselves were having tough times under the Soviet-Socialist system and that after the break-up, Russians were finally a free people (with liberty and justice for all, yadda, yadda, yadda.) My girl went on to explain to me that she was extremely proud of her Soviet Heritage. That they had a great many accomplishments in academics, the military, sports, industry, culture, science and just plain-old MIGHT - she's extremely proud to have been a Soviet. Anyone else feel this way?

" was puzzled because as any young American growing up in the eighties remembers, we were indirectly taught that Russians themselves were having tough times under the Soviet-Socialist system and that after the break-up, Russians were finally a free people (with liberty and justice for all, yadda, yadda, yadda.) "

That's called propaganda and you ate it up like cake. Yes people were having a hard time in the Soviet system, but people all over the world, no matter where from, are having hard times. I'm quite sure she is not alone in her pride.

Within such a broad word as "Soviet" there are of course both good and bad things.

Совет means council.

I think what you are saying is all Soviet citizens hated the USSR and since the collapse it's been one big party, because they are 'free' now.

Loads of Russians think life was better then. Especially old people. The Communist part came second in the last presidential elections (albeit with 15% or something).

The key to your post was "we were indirectly taught that Russians themselves were having tough times under the Soviet-Socialist system and that after the break-up, Russians were finally a free people".

Indirectly?

Many people just felt their lives were better then. Crime was alot less then and such, lots of Jobs. The collapse of the Soviet Union was a bit of an embarassment for Russia.
Remember, all of the Republics of the USSR (i think) were part of the Russian Empire before the formation of the Soviet Union. So effectively Russia was lost alot of it's terrority.

I think they felt more powerful before. Plus you have Russians living outside the RSFSR, and now they live in Ukraine and Kazakhstan and other such places.

But I never went to the Soviet Union, let alone lived there so I couldn't possibly comment.

2CREATIVE, what do you mean by "to have been"? 99% of all the Soviet people are still very Soviet deep in their hearts. And of course are very proud to have lived in the USSR. And those few, that 1%, are considered the lowest life forms on earth.

Originally Posted by VendingMachine

And those few, that 1%, are considered the lowest life forms on earth.

bullshit.

Is it Putin who gave you this statistic?

we were indirectly taught that Russians themselves were having tough times under the Soviet-Socialist system and that after the break-up, Russians were finally a free people (with liberty and justice for all, yadda, yadda, yadda.)

Free Russian people: free from job, free from free medical aid, free from sovereignty, free from good education, free from science etc. I forgot! Russian in Latvia are absolutely free, they don't have even sitizenship becouse all Russian including babies are dread occupants and bitches. They came to Latvia to break noble Hitler's troops and occupate Latvia. And George Bush endorsed it visiting 9 May mainstay of democracy in EU - Latvia. Racism in USA is bad, racism in Latvia is democracy. Did you know it?

VM is right we are Soviet people and it is only one good thing that we have now.

I had a happy childhood in the USSR. It was the best part of my life.

Plus in Russia it used to be free to do sports

Ice skating lessons were free before, and hockey...etc.

Now russian sports are getting expensive like everywhere else.

I didn't like soviet times (I was a child then). My parents and I lived in коммуналка (a flat shared by 2 or more families). Finding good food and clothes was a problem, there was блат everywhere (the thing I hate the most).
The major difference between soviet times and present "capitalist" times is that now you have to work well to make ends meet. Those times there was no such a necessity, but there was also no way to live a better life than certain "average" (which in fact means poor) level. For example, an ordinary man could not buy a car not only because his salary was insufficient for that (and no way to have it raised), but also because cars were made in very limited quantity and were distributed по блату.
I cannot precisely explain in English what блат is, but roughly it means that you have to lick someone's ass very thoroughly to get him to throw you a bone. And блат was in every aspect of social life, as I have already mentioned.
For old people, the crash of communism is of course a tragedy since they are not able to work due to their old age and there is no other way to survive in modern Russian society.

Originally Posted by Biancca

Plus in Russia it used to be free to do sports

Ice skating lessons were free before, and hockey...etc.

Now russian sports are getting expensive like everywhere else.

Yes, there was free stuff like sports, medicine etc. But:
1) Low cost means low quality. It was true even for USSR.
2) Resources are usually available in limited quantities. Low (and fixed) prices produce high demand. Low supply, high demand - it is called a deficit, right? This is what we faced when communism was in agony. I still remember that once (and not only once) I came to the shop and there was nothing on the shelves. Just empty shelves. And then, when prices were released, the great devaluation of money came in.

Originally Posted by Fantomaks

we were indirectly taught that Russians themselves were having tough times under the Soviet-Socialist system and that after the break-up, Russians were finally a free people (with liberty and justice for all, yadda, yadda, yadda.)

Free Russian people: free from job, free from free medical aid, free from sovereignty, free from good education, free from science etc. I forgot! Russian in Latvia are absolutely free, they don't have even sitizenship becouse all Russian including babies are dread occupants and bitches. They came to Latvia to break noble Hitler's troops and occupate Latvia. And George Bush endorsed it visiting 9 May mainstay of democracy in EU - Latvia. Racism in USA is bad, racism in Latvia is democracy. Did you know it?

VM is right we are Soviet people and it is only one good thing that we have now.

You must remember Latvians saw it differently. After being occupied by the Nazis they were liberated by the Soviets. But the Soviets didn't leave so basically occupied them. It took most countries a long time to recognise the Baltic states as part of the Soviet Union.
When you are a small country like Latvia they have inferiority complexes. Latvian language and culture was supressed. So obviously they are gonna resent the Russians.

Why should Russian be the primary language when Russians are in the minority. And when Latvia tried to assert it's independance, the Kremlin said no. And when Latvia did become indepedant, the reason they denied Russians citizenship was to stop them from voting for a pro-Russian government which could see them fall back under the control of the Kremlin.

And don't sniff at Latvia being in the EU, because the EU will make sure they stop the discrimination against Russians, the same goes for Estonia and Lithuania.

And something to remember for the Soviet Union in general, is that it was only 14 years ago that it ended, and it was it's own fault really, it collapsed from within. But it was still recent. Estonia has evolved into an advanced country for the region and is making very good progress, both in economical terms and also social terms with the issue of Russians. If two Russians have a baby in Estonia the baby is now automatically Estonian. And any Russian can become an Estonian citizen now

14 years in a country's history is a small period of time and you need to give countries a chance to reorganised themselves. It's like in 1946 Germans may have said "Look at all this destruction. We got rid of Hitler but Germany is rubbish". Now look at the country 60 years later. The Russian Federation and all the other former republics are finding their feet and still changing. You can't expect instant results.

Generally speaking countries like the USSR, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Austria-Hungary, sort of when you artificially glue countries together, you get ethnic tensions, and stuff and nationalism surfaces, and they break up. The UK had the same problem with Ireland.

What I'm also curious about is the flip side (Russian point of view) to the 80's American propaganda. What were some of the ways Russians viewed America and Americans back in the 80's.

My girlfreinds comments that as a child she grew up being afraid of the United States and Americans. She claims that she was 'taught' that people here were evil, uneducated, lazy, drug-users, with a government hell-bent on taking-over the world.

BTW, I meant "indirectly taught" because I'm one of an entire generation 'raised' by the media and the popular ideal. I was 8 when I first saw ROCKY IV on TV. I have foggy memories of the Berlin Wall coming down. An 8 year-old cannot understand the complexities of politics, but show an 8 year old ROCKY IV and it'll take 10 seconds for them to get the films message of Americans=good guys, Soviets=bad guys. (Apollo Creed VS.
Ivan Drago scene)

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(I'm a movie fan) I happen to own a couple soviet-era films like "Kidnapping Caucasian Style", "Business Love(?)" -- which were a big shock to me because here are representations of people living lifestyles that look absolutely not unlike our own.

Then ofcourse, there's the film "Intergirl" which I've been told was purposely made to scare girls not only out of prostitution, but also from defecting out of the union.

Originally Posted by 2CREATV

My girlfreinds comments that as a child she grew up being afraid of the United States and Americans. She claims that she was 'taught' that people here were evil, uneducated, lazy, drug-users, with a government hell-bent on taking-over the world.

Much of the world see you that way right now, without the help of the Soviet propaganda machine :P

Yes, the US bring that upon themselves. Those Soviets were right about alot of things

hahaha

I was wide open for that one! America surely doesn't have it's best foot forward. Especially with this President at the helm. POLITICS, OY!

I won't go and open a can of worms...

You must remember Latvians saw it differently. After being occupied by the Nazis they were liberated by the Soviets. But the Soviets didn't leave so basically occupied them. It took most countries a long time to recognise the Baltic states as part of the Soviet Union.

And they were really the part of Soviet Union. And what? They were the part of the Russian Impire during 200 years and only 20 years independent. And they went into Soviet Union free in 1940.

When you are a small country like Latvia they have inferiority complexes. Latvian language and culture was supressed. So obviously they are gonna resent the Russians.

Hitler was also resented the Jew. He thought that German culture was surpressed by Jew. Was he right?

Why should Russian be the primary language when Russians are in the minority. And when Latvia tried to assert it's independance, the Kremlin said no.

50% is minority? Where? In EU? And who said no? Best German Gorbachev? Democrat Eltsin? Don't laugh me...

And when Latvia did become indepedant, the reason they denied Russians citizenship was to stop them from voting for a pro-Russian government which could see them fall back under the control of the Kremlin.

Did you hear something about human rights? No? Yes?! But humans and Russians are different things. You are right! You will rather fight for mice and woodpeckers rights then for Russians rights. I think you will protect Russians rights after you protect bugs and bacterium rights. Why? Because Russian in EU can vote for pro-Russian EU government which could see them fall under the control of the Kremlin.

And don't sniff at Latvia being in the EU, because the EU will make sure they stop the discrimination against Russians, the same goes for Estonia and Lithuania.

Why they didn't it already? They will stop discrimination... In next century... And now all together go to protest against hedgehog discrimination somewhere on English isles.

If two Russians have a baby in Estonia the baby is now automatically Estonian. And any Russian can become an Estonian citizen now

What progress! The child of these dirty Russian negrs can have Estonian citizenship! Incredible benevolence! The parents have no rights but baby will be live as free man. I'm so happy from Europian principles!

14 years in a country's history is a small period of time and you need to give countries a chance to reorganised themselves.

You are absolutely right! Give them a chance! But one thing troubles me. Why we didn't give a chance to Hitler. He was young leader and did sometimes bad offencies. But we could wait for instance. I think 20-30 years... German in 1930th has evolved into an advanced country for the region and is making very good progress, both in economical terms and also social terms with the issue of Russians and other Untermenschen. Maybe Hitler will be like Mohatma Gandi. He wanted only to consolidate Europe. And we Russians murdered him. We are killers... This is another fault of barbarian Russian people.

Originally Posted by 2CREATV

Anyone else feel this way?

I do. There were much more good things than bad things.

My husband and relatives also feel that life was better under the soviet government.