Thread: Recommend me some books

On somewhat recent history of Russia (ussr) and culture.
Do people still associate themselves with ussr or the hammer and sickle symbol or red star? Thats sometimes how russians are portrayed here in the west.
I have a tattoo of a hammer and sickle to remember my russian friend who was born in norilsk in 1990 (she's not gone, just a big influence in a time in my life) would any russians get offended by this?

Originally Posted by Rhaab

On somewhat recent history of russia (ussr) and culture.
Do people still associate themselves with ussr or the hammer and sickle symbol or red star? Thats sometimes how russians are portrayed here in the west.

It seems you need something very, very basic, like for 5 years old.

I have a tattoo of a hammer and sickle to remember my russian friend who was born in norilsk in 1990 (she's not gone, just a big influence in a time in my life) would any russians get offended by this?

Sorry, but if you tattoed a hammer and a sickle on your body just to remember a Russian girl who was born in 1990, than you are an idiot.

Originally Posted by Basil77

Sorry, but if you tattoed a hammer and a sickle on your body just to remember the Russian girl who was born in 1990, than you are an idiot.

True, a girl, who was born in 1990 had nothing to do with hammers or sickles, but no need to be rude.

Rhaab, I recommend you to check this forum ('Culture and History', for example) for intersting tidbits about Russian culture and history. It will give you an inside view of it, since real Russians participate in these discussions and share their opinions and recollections. I think that most English-speaking books and articles are rather biased. It seems that while many Russians moved on, many authors who write about Russia are still stuck in Cold war era.

Do people still associate themselves with ussr or the hammer and sickle symbol or red star?

Um. I don't understand what you mean. It was a part of Soviet National Emblem, that symbolised a union between workers and peasants. That's it.
Do people associate themselves with National Emblems? Or with National Emblems that no longer exist? I have no idea.
Presonally I do not feel any "association" with the current National emblem of my country either.

Today it's Russia, before it was Soviet times; those days are gone and forgotten and not even known to anyone under 30 yrs old. The hammer and sickle is an anachronism, I don't think Russians would be offended, rather you would look kind of silly showing off that tattoo.

Originally Posted by sperk

The hammer and sickle is an anachronism

You can see the hammer and sickle on a Victory Banner every year on May 9th in Red Square,



and on every international football/hockey match.

Originally Posted by sperk

Today it's Russia, before it was Soviet times; those days are gone and forgotten and not even known to anyone under 30 yrs old.

Hey, that's not true! I feel a real interest in those days and a sort of sympathy for the cause... In fact, I read somewhere once that the so-called "children of the perestroika" (those who were born around 1985, myself included) feel a sort of pride or something in USSR... It's a bit silly but evidently you might be prone to romaticizing that period a bit if you didn't live in it yourself. I'll try to find that article when I have some free time. It doesn't mean I would ever consider going around waving red flags with hammers and sickles and stuff. Just that I respect our history and don't reject it completely like some people do, because it all happened for a reason.

And unless I'm really missing on something but in 1990 USSR still existed, no?

USSR officially ceased to exist on December 26th of 1991. I don't think that hammer and sickle is a totally alien pictograph for russian people (even younger than 30 y.o.). There are many movies, books, etc that remain. There are many people around who actually lived in Soviet times so this sign is quite recognizable, and of course there are communists who are still using this symbolics.

By the way, the official flags of Vladimir and Bryansk oblast have this symbol too:




Aeroflot air company still uses it as a part of its logo:


As for the communists, I don't know why they continue to use it. The background ideology for this sign is a unity between peasants and industrial workes - the main driving force of the progress according to the Bolsheviks. But it's been almost a century. Industrial workers and peasantry are the 'main driving force' no more. Right now I'd settled for some other symbol like atom, or DNA spiral, or a computer keyboard - something like this.

Klass: How Russians Really Live
June 1987, obviously some things have changed.

by Colin Thubron
Among the Russians 1983 road trip
In Siberia

Just a couple about the late Soviet period by visitors.

Originally Posted by starrysky

Originally Posted by sperk

Today it's Russia, before it was Soviet times; those days are gone and forgotten and not even known to anyone under 30 yrs old.

Hey, that's not true! I feel a real interest in those days and a sort of sympathy for the cause... In fact, I read somewhere once that the so-called "children of the perestroika" (those who were born around 1985, myself included) feel a sort of pride or something in USSR... It's a bit silly but evidently you might be prone to romaticizing that period a bit if you didn't live in it yourself. I'll try to find that article when I have some free time. It doesn't mean I would ever consider going around waving red flags with hammers and sickles and stuff. Just that I respect our history and don't reject it completely like some people do, because it all happened for a reason.

And unless I'm really missing on something but in 1990 USSR still existed, no?

I am not a communist but was an ex-communist. But nowadays one has to pay lip service to Lenin, Marx and the Communist Manifesto. Poverty exists. We cannot deny that fact. It is reality. How are you suppost to explain and champion capitalism to a young girl stricken with full blown AIDS roaming the streets of Moscow. How are you going to explain and champion capitalism to victims of Chernobyl explosion who are now in Cuba undergoing therapy and treatment. Christians throw the argument of 'praying'. To hell with praying. Praying did nothing when the Mongols invaded the Slav republic!! Practice secular humanism. Ingest Marxism-Leninism!!

Originally Posted by крупскяа

How are you suppost to explain and champion capitalism to a young girl stricken with full blown AIDS roaming the streets of Moscow.

I think pretty much the same way you'd explain and champion the communism to a similar girl with full blown AIDS roaming the streets of Moscow some 25 years ago.

Originally Posted by крупскяа

How are you going to explain and champion capitalism to victims of Chernobyl explosion who are now in Cuba undergoing therapy and treatment.

I think they know as the Chernobyl catastrophe happened during the Soviet Union and lots of young men were sent to fight the fire without knowing they are going to get the fatal dose of radiation and die. Also, there were no mass evacuations right after the catastrophe so many civilians including young children and babies got their significant doses of radiation.

Unfortunately, you gave very poor examples to justify your point.

[quote=Crocodile]

Originally Posted by крупскяа

How are you suppost to explain and champion capitalism to a young girl stricken with full blown AIDS roaming the streets of Moscow.

I think pretty much the same way you'd explain and champion the communism to a similar girl with full blown AIDS roaming the streets of Moscow some 25 years ago.

Originally Posted by "крупскяа":2dd6539d

How are you going to explain and champion capitalism to victims of Chernobyl explosion who are now in Cuba undergoing therapy and treatment.

I think they know as the Chernobyl catastrophe happened during the Soviet Union and lots of young men were sent to fight the fire without knowing they are going to get the fatal dose of radiation and die. Also, there were no mass evacuations right after the catastrophe so many civilians including young children and babies got their significant doses of radiation.

Unfortunately, you gave very poor examples to justify your point.[/quote:2dd6539d]

Your arguments are well-taken. You have victoriously convinced me. I am just a guy trying to stay alive in the Philippines. Dissent in the Philippines is punishable by death. Who lays down the rule? Jose Maria Sison, Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army. The man who was accused and still suspected of bombing Plaza Miranda where candidates of elections converged to campaign resulting in the death of thousands and blamed them on Marcos and Aquino whom he framed by tipping them off without both knowing what will happen and is pretty much suspected of assassinating Benigno Aquino Jr. for his dictated answer to me in exam: What were Lenin's contribution to socialist theory? I answered through his dictation via cell phone. "Here's Lenin blueprint for socialist development. Lenin nationalized all industries. Removed the profit motive from the vegetable and livestock farmers. The result was wild inflation. Instead of giving their produce to the state, they ate it. As a result the economy collapsed. So Lenin contributed nothing to socialist theory. Ninoy Aquino taught me this. Ninoy!@ Ninoy, I mocked the professor. In one year's time, Ninoy was assassinated by army officers who were paid by PLA and influenced by Joma Sison. Marcos threw a telephone receiver at Imelda Marcos thinking it was her. No! Nobody among the Marcoses, Cojuancos or Vers are responsible. It was Sison directing the PLA! It would be better if you go to Joma's website, crocodile and say that to him. He wouuld not kill you. You know whhy. BEcause Putin would shoot him for killing a Russian citizen. He can only bully me because I am an unarmed Filipino. He threatened me so many times with "We think it over before we kill you, крупсляа!"

Communism is Jose Maria Sison's last ditch effort to "vindicate" himself as a man who is 'going down' and is 'seeking death' by way of dispossessing Jesus Christ, JAZA, capitalist CEO, Ayala Corporation. "JOma Sison knows the weather forecast but does not know the signs of the times"-JAZA. "It's the Day of Judgment".

I have plans of attending military history university. But until I can afford them here are historical subjects which I find interesting. It is like attending a semester by way of mastering these 5 subjects.

1. A History of Russia

2. A Social History of the Soviet Army Officer Corps 1918-1991

3. A History of Medieval Warfare

4. The Art of War in World History

5. History of the Vietnam War

These subjects are comprehensively drawn from various books and bibliographies found in our library. I read them all at the same time alloting 1 hour for each subject. It is indeed very very interesting.

A reading of the first three chapters on the book about the History of the Vietnam War allows me to conclude that the revolutionary communist movement's chances of winning an insurgency war are nil. Yes, there are a few ambuscades and raid of army detachments but they have to strive for more fighting power and number of recruits to attain a revolutionary situation. Given that they grow in numbers, chances are they are to conglomerate in one area or vicinity and it would be easy for US satellite to track them down and finish them off with one or two drones. Just like what happened to the Tamil Tigers, they will be forced to scatter themselves into mountain ridges and ravines once firepower would be used on them until they gather themselves again into a group and then tracked down again either by a US spy plane or drone. If their numbers reach more than what the Vietnamese Army had attained it would redound for the better because they would be more visible to satellite imagery and can be finished off with rocket propelled missiles. So the Armed Forces of the Philippines together with the US Army, Air Force and Nave and Indian Army can finish them off in a few months hoping that the leadership would imitate Indonesia in rooting out the leaders of communist heirarchy. It is a win-win situation for the AFP (Armed Forces of the PHilippines).

Originally Posted by heartfelty

These subjects are comprehensively drawn from various books and bibliographies found in our library. I read them all at the same time alloting 1 hour for each subject. It is indeed very very interesting.

I'm not history scholar, but I'm interested about learning history. I've been reading a lot about history, and what can I say, if you are really want to understand some era or some event you need to read fiction about it.