“One cowboy, two cowboy” is a Soviet animated film released in 1981. Director: Anatoliy Reznikov. Screenwriter: Arkadiy Khait.

The main characters are a cowboy and his cow. It is one of the classic Soviet cartoons. Almost all children in the Soviet Union saw it.

Tags: cartoon · Soviet past

Soviet moviegoer in the 1920ies, during the NEP (the New Economic Policy), was able to watch a lot of not only Soviet, but also foreign films. As a rule, it was purely entertaining films, ideological films were not the biggest part of all the films, as it became later.

The movie posters of these years are of great interest. It was a continuous celebration of avant-gardism, endless experiment with colors, shapes, images. This flashy language of bright colors was coming into collision with the black-and-white world of the silver screen. Pictures by visualhistory

The Battleship Potemkin

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Tags: posters · Soviet past

February 13, Russia marks 140 years since the birth of the great singer Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin, who became a symbol of an era.

Chaliapin, peasant family offspring, who studied music himself had an enormous influence on the Russian and world culture.

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Immediately after the October Revolution, the Soviet government took control of the fashion. In general, the changes occurred mostly in women’s fashion. Clothing was unpretentious, simpler than in the days of the Russian Empire. The woman was to look like as a citizen (“tovarisch”), who can “build” socialism.

However, during the Khrushchev thaw (late 1950s – 1960s), due to more openness in Soviet society, the western style in fashion began to spread. This catalog, published by Leningrad fashion house (Saint Petersburg today) in 1957, gives an idea of this time. Pictures by visualhistory

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Tags: Saint Petersburg city · Soviet past

There is a widespread belief that Stalin’s Soviet Union was a country almost completely closed to foreigners. However, advertising of “Intourist” (organization responsible for foreign tourism in the USSR) created in 1930ies, gives somewhat different look at the issue.

The country was in desperate need of foreign currency for industrialization, so all the ways to lure wealthy foreign tourists to the USSR were used. And it was not just about the major cities – Moscow and Leningrad.

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Tags: posters · propaganda · Soviet past

Even sleeping areas of St. Petersburg may surprise you. Among the usual residential buildings of Moscow district there is a unique museum project – the largest miniature of Russia (total area is about 800 square meters).

Miniature is a collective image of Russia, which has absorbed all of its most characteristic features, and objects. You will be able to find the Moscow Kremlin, Karelian Kizhi, Peter and Paul Fortress, and other sights of Russia here.

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Tags: Saint Petersburg city

“Deep blue sea, light white foam” is a Soviet (Armenfilm) animated short captured by Robert Sahakyants in 1984. It is a musical fantasy on the themes of Armenian folk tales.

In spite of an ancient story, the cartoon is full with allusions to the modern realities. It is especially relevant in the contemporary Russian realities where the main values of many people are only money and power.

Tags: cartoon · Soviet past

Valery Busygin was born in 1952 in Morshansk, small town located in the north of Tambov oblast. In 1972 he graduated from Penza Art College named after K.A.Savitsky. Since 1990 the artist participated in a lot of exhibitions in Russia and abroad.

The paintings of Valery Busygin are exhibited in galleries: “Charles Hecht Galleries” Los Angeles, “Gabreal Franklin Galleries” Santa Cruz, “Richard Thomas Galleries” San Francisco, Monterey, Laguna Beach, (USA) and in private collections in Russia and abroad (more paintings of Valery Busygin).

Tags: churches · Tambov oblast

“Under Yesteryear’s Snowfall” is an animated film made in 1983 by the Soviet filmmaker Alexander Tatarsky based on a script of Sergey Ivanov. The cartoon is performed in the technique of plasticine animation.

It is a funny psychedelic Christmas story about a peasant going to forest in search of a Christmas tree.

The cartoon is distinguished by the fact that the aphoristic remarks of the characters, full of absurdist humor, turned to folk sayings.

Tags: cartoon · Soviet past

Soviet propaganda is propaganda of communist ideas and the Soviet way of life. It was carried out deliberately and centrally under the direction of the Communist Party and was officially called the ideological work, educating the masses, etc.

The propaganda combined the universal values (freedom, social justice), and patriotism. Propaganda was conducted through the media, books, movies, theater, and visual art. Today it is the part of Soviet cultural heritage.

Let’s take a look at how it all began during the Civil War and establishing of Soviet power in 1917-1923.

Death to world imperialism!

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Tags: posters · propaganda · Soviet past