Cultural Abandonment of the USSR

July 31st, 2006 · No Comments

This is abandoning in the cultural sense. Modern Russia is re-forging itself right now, shedding some of its democracy in a bid to becoming an energy superpower, old Russia is just a stones throw away. Culturally this has always been the case. In a series of photos Dutch photographer Bee Flowers shows just how much old Russia is around.

The USSR had a clear sense of purpose; a national idea. Echoes and imprints of the vociferations of the Soviet state linger in the present day, now engaging in a dialogue with signifiers of the emerging commercial culture. Lately, the rumblings and early warning shots of an as yet undetermined future have become apparent.

On the left a Soviet-era poster depicting a young couple in the foreground. Adam and Eve in the Worker’s Paradizzo. He, a soldier, looking distantly with a responsible, slightly worried look, and she a blushing young bride, cheeks blushing wildly, smiling broadly and gazing adoringly at him. Behind them, a lone car cruises down the street. All the trees depicted have foliage, and in the background, every person is accompanied by others. There a family of three, to the left an adult and child. It is easy to conceive of the little silhouettes as this couple in different stages in life. Behind them, blocks of apartments (places to live and raise a family), and behind them, a crane, a sign of more being built. There are small red flags along the street in the background. Link