Posts from How many Soviet republics were there?

Apparently, the USSR wasn't a single state, but rather a collection of many different ones. And those who lived during its time seem to have experienced different realities. Otherwise, how can we explain such a divergence of opinions? Some believe that the USSR was a great power in which socialism was indeed built. For others, it was an "evil empire," a gathering of atheists, and so on. Let's talk about what it actually was.

It was a huge country where it was better not to have your own opinion. People were not allowed to know what the government believed they shouldn't know. They also went too far with religion. Although I don't believe in God myself, I still think that destroying temples and condemning faith is wrong. Also, the USSR was cut off from the outside world and hindered the development of some of its parts, developing others at their expense. In short, I'm glad I only lived there for a year.

I regret that the Soviet Union is gone. Name another country where the state provided an apartment, a dacha, a car, and a stable salary, no lower than the minimum wage. And you could believe in anything. My father told me that in Tashkent, no one even thought about driving believers out of mosques or firing them for their faith.

I live in Ukraine. Here, people weren't persecuted for their faith; they might just be removed from the Komsomol, and that was it, along with general disapproval. My sister was secretly baptized at night. Plus, having dachas, salaries, and cars is good, but the individual's personality has degraded. Now, we live in conditions with roughly the same level of freedom as other countries. Don't you notice how elderly people slow things down? At every turn! (It's frustrating, but my grandmother slows things down terribly.) And it's not just because of old age. Elderly foreigners are completely different. I was a bit surprised when my grandmother, who looked like a goddess, completely crushed me in Mortal Kombat. They are also more lively and quick-witted in communication (although I was a bit slow back then because my English wasn't very good).

And in the West, does personality not degrade? In the Soviet Union, such literary and artistic works were created. Soviet cinema is the best in the world (IMHO). My grandfather freely went to the mosque. My grandmother went to church. My father lived in Mariupol (formerly Zhdanov), and he could listen to the most modern music. And no one harassed him for listening to rock.

I think the individual's personality has degraded. Now we live in conditions with roughly the same level of freedom as other countries.

Well, you're wrong... :D Everything is exactly the opposite...

Don't you notice how elderly people slow things down? At every turn! (It's annoying, but my grandmother slows things down terribly.) And don't say it's because of old age.

It's precisely because of old age... And it's the same in all countries...

Elderly foreigners are completely different. I was a little surprised when a grandmother of divine appearance completely crushed me as a total noob in Mortal Kombat.

Firstly, this is not an indicator of intelligence,
and secondly: there are exceptions everywhere... and there are many such examples...

Everything said above is my Opinion, and No One can Argue with Me.

With respect.

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And in the West, the individual's personality doesn't degrade? In the Soviet Union, such literary and artistic works were created. Soviet cinema is the best in the world (IMHO).

+1 I completely agree with you!

And does personality not degrade in the West? Such literary and artistic works were created in the Soviet Union. Soviet cinema is the best in the world (IMHO). My grandfather went to the mosque quite freely. My grandmother to the church. My father lived in Mariupol (formerly Zhdanov), so he could hear the most modern music. And no one persecuted him for rock.

In any case, that's how everything was painted for me... They also told me about a foreign radio wave that spoke about things they kept quiet about in the USSR and which the people called the "Enemy Voice." It was jammed; the antenna is still standing. But literature is good, though it doesn't slow down like this from the West. They don't have an asceticism that they cannot explain, but firmly know is necessary, even if it makes things worse.

Or maybe it's better to believe in something positive than to know how bad things can be?
In general, people say different things, even though they lived in the same time period and in the same (or not?) country. If we look at statistical data, it turns out that the USSR had enormous potential. But if we consider the outcome, what were the reasons for the collapse of such a country? It's all just questions.

I lived in the USSR for less than two years, and thank Erebus for that!

I believe that the USSR had A LOT of good things. Yes, there were undoubtedly negative aspects, but do we not have them now? Who can argue with me? And don't Western countries have them? Of course, they do... The USSR had stability – you knew for sure that in a year, two, three, or ten years, everything would remain the same (in economic terms). This is undoubtedly a plus... The downside was too much control over the individual. But at the same time, the morality and ethics of children did not suffer as much as they do now, when depravity and violence are constantly pouring out of every television! Also, the USSR had remarkable scientists who did not spare money for science. I know – now they will object, saying that everything was only for the military sphere, etc. But now – not for any sphere at all!!!!!! Neither for the military, nor for civilian development... Look – what a STRONG country it was – who was the first to fly into space? Where was the best education in the world (note – it was FREE!!!). Yes, people lived more modestly, there was no abundance of goods... But everyone knew how to do everything with their own hands, their imagination worked... In general, maybe I just love the country where I was born?;)

I don't know, I was young when the USSR existed, but I want something similar—where people had dreams that could actually come true. Think about it: many people lived for an idea; whether it was communism or something else doesn't matter. For the sake of this idea, people went to lay railroads and dig great canals, drained and diverted rivers, and irrigated deserts. And not for insane amounts of money, but because it was necessary, because it would be useful for those who come after you. I feel like a preacher right now, but all you opponents of the USSR, think: are we really living better now??!! I can argue that; my parents, at the age I am now, could afford a bit more than I can. Yes, maybe I'm only talking about the pluses of the USSR; of course there were minuses—it was a tyrannical power, and that's it!!! Many will say there was no choice in food, clothing, or many other things... People, what is the point of the choice we have now?!?! We live with our choice: many are below the poverty line; with our choice, we don't even have a clue what goes into the food we eat every day, and as for clothing... you know, maybe it was right that there was no choice. Imagine how parents feel who cannot afford to dress their child according to fashion—so what if two-thirds of the class dresses like that, money won't just appear in the parents' pockets because of it... That is what I think about the USSR, and here:
"If you were a child in the 60s, 70s, or 80s, looking back, it's hard to believe we managed to survive until today. As children, we rode in cars without seatbelts or airbags. A ride on a horse-drawn cart on a warm summer day was an unspeakable pleasure. Our cribs were painted in bright colors with high lead content. There were no child-proof caps on medicine bottles, doors often weren't locked, and cabinets were never locked. We drank water from the pump on the corner, not from
plastic bottles. It would never have occurred to anyone to ride a bike in a helmet. Horror.
For hours we crafted carts and scooters from boards and bearings from the scrapyard, and when we first raced down a hill, we remembered that we forgot to attach brakes. After crashing into thorny bushes several times, we sorted out this problem. We left home in the morning and played all day, returning when the streetlights came on—where there were any. All day long, no one could find out where we were. There were no mobile phones! Hard to imagine. We cut our hands and feet, broke bones, and knocked out teeth, and nobody
sued anyone. Everything happened. It was only our fault and no one else's. Remember? We fought until we bled and walked around covered in bruises, getting used to ignoring it.
We ate pastries, ice cream, drank lemonade, but no one got fat from it because we were always running and playing. Several people would drink from one bottle, and nobody died from it. We had no game consoles, computers, 165 satellite TV channels, CDs, cell phones, internet; we'd rush to watch a cartoon as a whole crowd in the nearest house, since there were no VCRs either!
But we had friends. We went out of the house and found them. We rode bikes, floated matches down spring streams, sat on a bench, a fence, or in the schoolyard and chatted about whatever we wanted. When we needed someone, we knocked on the door, rang the bell, or just walked in and saw them. Remember? Without asking! By ourselves! Alone in this cruel and dangerous world! Unsupervised! How did we even survive?
We invented games with sticks and tin cans, we stole apples from gardens and ate cherries with pits, and the pits didn't grow in our stomachs. Everyone signed up for soccer, hockey, or volleyball at least once, but not everyone made the team. Those who didn't learned to deal with disappointment. Some students weren't as bright as others, so they stayed back a year. Tests and exams weren't divided into 10 levels, and grades included 5 points theoretically, and 3 points in reality.
During breaks, we splashed each other with water from old reusable syringes!
Our actions were our own. We were ready for the consequences. There was no one to hide behind. The idea that you could bribe the cops or dodge the army practically didn't exist. Parents of those years usually took the side of the law—can you imagine!? This generation produced a huge number of people who can take risks, solve problems, and create something that wasn't there before, simply didn't exist. We had freedom of choice, the right to risk and failure, responsibility, and we somehow just
learned how to use all of it. If you are one of this generation, I congratulate you. We were lucky that our childhood and youth ended before the government bought freedom from the youth in exchange for rollers, mobiles, a star factory, and cool croutons... With their general consent... For their own good...
In reality, there aren't seven wonders of the world, but far more. It's just that you and I have grown used to them and sometimes don't even notice. Isn't it a wonder—the first Soviet aftershave? Remember? Pieces of newspaper?
And such a wonder as tuning a Moskvitch-412 car? Remember? 5-kopeck coins around the perimeter of the windshield, a fur steering wheel, an epoxy gear shift knob with a rose, and, naturally, a police cap on the rear window.
And an underwear elastic band—that's also a wonder! After all, it holds both underwear, tights, and mittens perfectly!
A jam pastry—isn't that a wonder? You can never guess which side the jam will leak out of!
Another inexplicable wonder—please raise your hands, those who had a normal shop teacher... and not an alien?
And such a wonder as a string bag with meat behind the windowpane? Remember: you go to get it—the dumplings fall!
And this wonderful mom's trick: "I'm buying it for you now, but it's for your birthday"?!
Or this magical grandmother's parting phrase: "Just return the jars!"
And remember the ZIL refrigerator, with a handle like that? It's a one-armed bandit!
Pull the handle—the jars tumble out.
Oh, by the way, what is still lying in refrigerators on the side door? No, not eggs. And not ketchup. On the side door lie... medicines!
Free medicine is also a wonder. One doctor, but two queues—one by coupons, and the second by appointment. And there was even a third—"I'm just asking!"
Yes, how many more of them were there, these wonders of the world...
A small window from the kitchen to the bathroom—what is there to look at, explain?
The horse-shaped shoehorn...
Tooth powder—cleans both teeth and silver...
The peeing boy on the toilet door...
The "Rubin" TV—you take pliers and thud-thud-thud!
Swimming trunks with a little anchor... remember?!
Milk in triangular cartons!
And you say: "Seven wonders of the world!"
We used to do many things that wouldn't even cross your mind now. Moreover, if you did something today that you did constantly back then—you wouldn't be understood, and might even be taken for a lunatic.
Well, for example, remember the soda machines. There was a faceted glass there—one for everyone. Today, it wouldn't occur to anyone to drink from a shared glass! (Today it would be stolen five seconds after the machine is installed, exactly three seconds before they haul away the machine itself...) But back then, everyone drank from those glasses... A common occurrence! And no one was afraid of catching some infection...
By the way, local drunks used these glasses for their own purposes. And imagine—just imagine this—they RETURNED the glass to its place! Don't believe it? Back then, it was a common occurrence!
And people hanging a sheet on the wall, turning off the light and muttering something under their breath in the dark? A sect? No, a common occurrence! In every house back then, a ceremony took place called—hold your breath—a slide film! Remember this wonder?! Who has a slide projector working now?
Smoke pours out, an acrid smell throughout the apartment. A little board with inscriptions. What do you imagine? An Indian high priest Aramonetrigal? In reality, it's pyrography. A common occurrence! Millions of Soviet children burned greeting cards for their moms on March 8th—Mommy, congratulations on International Women's Day. I wish you a peaceful sky overhead, and your son—a bicycle...
And also everyone sat in the bathroom, specifically on a closed toilet seat, specifically in the dark—and only a red light shone there... Guessed it? A common occurrence—developing photos. Our whole life is in these black-and-white photographs, printed by our own hands, and not by some soulless guy from Kodak... Well, you remember what fixer is?
Girls, do you remember the rubber bands? Surprisingly, not a single boy in the world knows the rules of this game!
And collecting waste paper at school? The question still haunts me—why? And I actually took my father's entire Playboy archive there. And nothing happened to me for it! Only mom wondered why father had started checking my homework so meticulously?!
Yes, that is how we were, and this is what we became:
1. by mistake, you type your system access password on the microwave
2. you have a list of 15 numbers to contact your family, which consists of 3 people
3. you send an e-mail to your colleague who sits in the next room
4. you lost contact with your friends or family because they don't have an email address
5. after a workday you return home and answer the phone as if you are still at work
7. you fall into a state of panic if you left the house without a mobile phone and you go back for it
8. you wake up in the morning and the first thing you do is connect to the Internet, even before you drink coffee
9. you tilt your head to the side to smile
10. now you are reading this text, you agree with it and smile
11. even worse, you already know who you will forward this message to
12. you are too absorbed to notice that number 6 is missing from this list
13. it took you only a second to run through the Message again and make sure that number 6 is indeed missing...

The USSR was a magical country :) I remember that time, even if only a little. I was young, but I was HAPPY to live in the BIGGEST and MOST BEAUTIFUL country. Of course, it was brainwashing from kindergarten, but now you can't make me love Russia like that anymore :)

Oh yes - I was also an Octobrist ;) Literally the next year, all of that was canceled, and I never became a Pioneer :(

For me, the USSR is my homeland, not in a pompous or ideological sense, but in a human one. I developed as a person within the USSR, and the moral and life values I possess were formed there. Essentially, our generation is a generation of emigrants. Only we didn't go anywhere; the country "left" us. In general, I wouldn't wish being a generation of the "transitional period" on anyone. Millions of broken lives and tragedies. Millions!!
So, what is this phenomenon – the USSR, which gave the world not only a new political system but also a completely new worldview, largely utopian, but surprisingly life-affirming in its essence?
The USSR is a path of human life that has been traversed, in the most direct sense, if we remember the age of this country (1917-1991). This "person of the USSR" "lived" for seventy-four years. And there was everything in this life – ups, downs, mistakes. A turbulent birth, youth with protest against everyone and everything except its own ego, maturity, and senile infirmity. This "person" "walked" and "preached" to the whole world. What did it preach? Itself... its "personality" and "essence." It inspired passion in some, and disgust in others. There were followers – and there still are.
And the essence of this "person" is that there is an idea of "universal well-being and equality among each other." There are no rich, no poor, no differences or hatred based on nationality, but there is science, art, healthcare, and, in general, those human values that are necessary "for everyone according to their needs." That is, the Christian idea of paradise, where all people are happy and there is no hostility, violence, envy, the pursuit of wealth, lust for power, and other vices, was transformed into an earthly idea of human cohabitation (communism). This "person" established these laws within itself in the form of a Constitution and, therefore, subjected itself to these laws.
Well, you might say – laws are laws, but what was it really like in the USSR, everyone knows. Of course, there was everything, but... laws are laws. If laws are violated, even universally and frequently, then this is undoubtedly a violation and, accordingly, punishable as a violation of the law. That's how it was (it really was). No high-ranking official, or his relative, could escape punishment if they were caught violating the law (even the highest-ranking one). Social protection was elevated to the rank of state support, and any signal or complaint about the violation of a citizen's rights was considered, and fairly strict decisions were made regarding officials. That's how it was. Can you imagine? I don't think so. It's not like that now. Now, everything is really not according to the law, but according to "unwritten rules." Everyone looks out for each other, and nepotism thrives. But there is freedom. Well, yes, do what you want and how you want – it's essentially the law of the jungle.
And so it turns out: the "person of the USSR" died, reviled by everyone, but the memory of it lives on. What a paradox.
In general, I think that the more time separates us from this "person of the USSR," the more interest there will be in it because IT WAS. And it WAS LIKE THAT. And it COULD HAVE BEEN LIKE THAT.

About art.
When, during the perestroika period, many so-called "shelf" films were released, I watched them and terribly missed the Soviet artistic councils. How they were criticized in the new era! But it turned out that, in essence, these artistic councils created the level of art that we still remember when we watch "old Soviet films." What of those "shelf" films turned out to be a masterpiece? Nothing, essentially. 90 percent are complete nonsense, and the rest are just "interesting to watch," nothing more. Only a few films (like Intervention) became a discovery. And that's it. And what do we have now? There are no artistic councils, but there is plenty of mediocrity – they're shoving it down our throats.

About art.
When, during the Perestroika period, a multitude of so-called "shelf" films were released, I watched them and became terribly nostalgic for the Soviet artistic councils. How they were criticized in the new era! But it turned out that, in essence, these artistic councils created the level of art that we still remember when watching "old Soviet films." What from those same "shelf" films turned out to be a masterpiece? Well, nothing, essentially. About 90 percent is complete mediocrity, and the rest is just "interesting to watch," nothing more. Only a few films (like Intervention) became a discovery. And that's it. And what do we have now? There are no artistic councils, but mediocrity is being shoved down our throats.

You reason in such a way that it seems as if no art existed before the USSR at all, and there was only Soviet classics and "shelf" films from the Perestroika period. There was no Pushkin, no Lermontov. And before the Soviet regime took power in Russia, there was a whole constellation of the most talented writers, composers, and artists who, for some reason, fled this communist country. Even Mayakovsky wrote his masterpieces while being far outside the Soviet Union.
And all the so-called Soviet film masterpieces, for the most part, are naive, rosy-colored garbage, where not the real state of affairs is shown, but only the ideologically verified opinion of Soviet censors on a particular issue.

in any case, I still enjoy watching many Soviet comedies, but new Russian films are just complete garbage!!!!

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of course, there are exceptions, but they are few and far between.