By Ilya Magid

Soviet Vignettes

* *
About Fashion in the Soviet Union

The Communist party did not pay attention to fashion. We had to 'overtake and pass' the industrial power of America. Clothing had to be for work, to cover the body and to keep warm.

The Soviet fashion copied the western fashions but was many years behind and was always inferior to western style.

In the 70's in a newspaper there were articles against 'firmach' (speculators) who stood near the hotels for foreigners and bought any clothing from the foreigners (even old underclothes). The police pursued them. The speculators paid much money to foreigners but they resold illegally to the Soviet people at higher prices.

Such contact with foreigners stimulated the study of foreign languages.

* *
About Communist Dictatorship

For a confirmation of their idealistic theory the Communists conducted experiments with a hundred million people (not with dogs). The experiments continued for 70 years. In the experiments 20 to60 million people were killed or perished in prisons or died from hunger. The experiment wasn't successful.

It was amazing that the experiments were even possible.

There could be only a dictatorship.

*.*
My Impression about Clowns

In the Soviet Union clowns were very popular among kids and adults. The famous clowns are Karandash (pencil), Shulgin, Niculin, etc.

They were often seen on TV. In their jokes they made fun of American imperialism and the American president. They never criticized the Soviet leaders. (The censor checked previously all the jokes.)

Nikulin was an especially famous clown. He appeared in many movies. Right now he is director of the new big permanent circus in Moscow.

* *
About a dinner break in the shop

In the Soviet Union all shops were property of the government and all had a dinner break from 1 to 2 PM or 2 to 3 PM. During the dinner break they were closed. All customers went out from the shops. There often was a line for some food for which there was a shortage (apples, buckwheat, meat, etc.). When shops closed on the dinner break the line formed in front of the closed doors of the shops and waited until the shops opened again.

I had bad luck, when I went down town, when it was necessary for me to shop, the shop was closed on break. One person told me that Americans could not understand that story because they have another mentality.

* *

THE DOG AND FOOD PROGRAM

I saw a big dog with a woman. I told her, "You harm our food program." The Soviet people at that Brezhnev's time lived under the slogan, "Fulfill and over fulfill the food program." (That big dog ate very much.) She began to argue with me.

* *
ABOUT WRESTLING

In the Soviet time the Government decided what was good or bad for the Soviet people, and decided that wrestling (as the abstract art, etc) was bad for them. They did not show that to them. (There was censorship.)

Sometimes the Government showed the Soviet people a fragment on TV as an example of the regression of the western culture.

Only in America I understood that wrestling is not real fighting, but it is an exiting spectacle. I am surprised why some American people go to wrestling matches and support it.

I am surprised that one wrestler was voted governor of Minnesota. I saw that on TV.

* *
Towards the Building of Communism

The Soviet People were living with a dream about the building of communism. Communist propaganda taught us that a principle of communism is "To work according to one's ability, and to receive according to one's needs". The people understand that they can work where they want and do what they want. They can also refuse to work. One's life doesn't depend on your work. If you want, you can live as an American millionaire.

The Soviet people ate and dressed poorly and lived in bad dwellings. The communists called the Soviet people to work and to make many sacrifices so future generations could live under communism.

At last in the 60's Khruschev announced "Our generation will live under communism." Many papers were written on this subject.

Khruschev, unfortunately, did not achieve live under communism, but I achieved what communism had promised.

I am a retired citizen in America.

* *
Do people in the United States ever do things that would be inappropriate in your country?

The USA was considered as the principal enemy of the Soviet Union. The government said: "People of the USA are good, but the Government is bad. The Government is controlled by capitalists." TV showed only the demonstrations of protest, strikes, slums and homelessness.

I was always surprised how people had good clothes and they didn't look hungry.

American writings were printed only when they criticized the USA. Example: "Steinbeck "Grapes of Wrath", Henry "Story" and etc.

* *

"To learn, to learn and to learn"
Lenin

Such a poster always hung on the walls of school and other places in the Soviet Union. It was always emphasized that universal literacy was the most important achievement of the Soviet rule.

Even a very young student wrote on the board: "I like my Soviet homeland" or "Lenin's cause will live forever", etc.

Therefore, there was no more important motivation for teaching literacy than for political indoctrination.

*.*
A Black Man and a Soviet Woman

That was around the year 1960.

That was the period when the relationship between China and the Soviet Union was very bad. I was on vacation. I overheard one conversation. A black young man and a Soviet woman were seated on a bench. I think the black man was a foreign student in the Soviet Union. (The Soviet Union did not have a black population.)

The girl explained to him which Chinese are bad.

The black man spoke in defense of the Chinese.

The girl said, "The newspapers write about the problems with the Chinese government."

The black man answered, "The newspapers tell a lie!"

He often returned to his homeland, Africa, to a free country, and knew the real situation better.

Home | Email Us