#The Soviet Union

[countriesgame]

Please reblog for a bigger sample size!

If you have any fun fact about the Soviet Union, please tell us and I'll reblog it!

Be respectful in your comments. You can criticize a government without offending its people.

[hildegardladyofbones]

It is so fucking baffling how little care people have when talking about the ussr, even when they're the same people that are super respectful about imperialism, genocide, etc. Not saying they shouldn't be, I'm just wondering where it all goes when the soviet union comes up. Like sure, we're white people, the world isn't systemically against us, not arguing against that, but that doesn't erase the 51 years of dictatorship that we had to live under.

People that barely even know what was happening behind the iron curtain make jokes about stalin, lenin and brežnev. Whenever someone said the word "us" the replies were always "*communism intesifies*", though luckily thay trend seemed to die out. It was disrespectful nevertheless. And if you're from an ex soviet country and say that you don't mind them, good for you, idc. Your opinion doesn't invalidate mine. This not a joking matter. I'm not calling you a bad person if you like those jokes, but the discussion about what was going on is seemingly non existent and we need to have it! People need to at least be aware when they talk about these topics!

I may not have lived through it, but my mom, and her mom did. My grandma has serious hoarding problems now because of the trauma of not having anything. People were afraid to help each other because if you help the wrong person you'll get labeled a traitor. You couldn't escape because you would ruin the life for people that you left behind, because if a family member was against the system then you couldn't get permits for buying cars, let alone moving. There were fucking book burnings. People got sent to siberia for looking at someone wrong. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

What it was was not communism, it was a dictatorship. So don't call me an anti communist. Instead of doing that, pick up the beauty of history by viivi luik. The English translation is free on the Internet archive. If you can get on your hands on it, read the seventh spring of piece and pay attention because that book you have to read in between the lines.

Tl;Dr respect my (and other people's countries') country's trauma and learn what the school didn't teach you because there's no way that this disrespect would exist if people knew.

[princesssarisa]

Yesterday, on a whim, I watched Soyuzmultfilm's classic 1957 animated film of The Snow Queen four times in a row, each time with different voices. On YouTube I watched each of the three American English dubs that have been made over the years, plus the original Russian version with subtitles.

The version of the movie I first saw when I was little was the 1985 VHS dub. As a '90s kid, I found it at a local video store. That dub changes Gerda and Kai's names to Yvette and John, adds quite a few songs by the group Bullets, and has only three voice actors (two women, one man) voicing all the characters between them. I had no idea then that it was actually a Russian film, or that other English dubs existed with more star-studded casts.

The most famous and widespread English dub seems to be 1959 dub with its voice cast headed by Sandra Dee as Gerda. But I'm sure plenty of people have also grown up with the 1995 dub from Mikhail Baryshnikov's Stories from My Childhood series, which has Kirsten Dunst as Gerda, Kathleen Turner as the Snow Queen, and Mickey Rooney as Ole Lukøje, the narrator elf.

There's also a lesser-known British dub from 1991, which I haven't watched yet, but which is viewable on the Internet Archive.

All the dubs have their strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, I think I like the original Russian best, though there are some aspects of the 1959 and 1995 dubs I prefer. And as much as I loved the 1985 dub when I was little, I have to admit now that it's the weakest one.

But I was just wondering: which dubs of this movie, if any, did other people grow up with?

@ariel-seagull-wings, @themousefromfantasyland, @thealmightyemprex, @the-blue-fairie, @annelovesfairytales, @fairytaleslive, @adarkrainbow, @faintingheroine

[tomorrowusa]

This episode of Ukraine's True History from the Kyiv Independent deals with Russian attempts to suppress the Ukrainian language, and culture in general, for over 300 years.

Russia has been trying to wipe out Ukrainian identity for over 300 years. There is little difference between the tsars, the communists, and Putin. All have been imperialists with the aim of Russian domination.

There are some people, mostly Putinistas and ignoramuses, who claim that Russian and Ukrainian are the same language. For now I will hold off on a linguistic explanation of how they aren't. But if they weren't really different, why would Russia spend three centuries trying to wipe out Ukrainian?

[codesquire]

If you're teaching US History and you mention the Cuban Missile Crisis without mentioning, in the god-damned preface, that the US had put missiles in Turkey, you lose serious credibility.

This sort of US aggression abroad, being ignored, is part of how we got to where we currently stand...

I've unfollowed 2 history YTers over this.

This sin of omission is its own form of propaganda.

[get-more-bald]

newest acquisition

[ballpolicy]

Eastern Front (WWII)

[polish-femboy]

I asked Chatgpt to tell me points i can use to convert someone into Communism (i have a version with this with most of the political ideologies) here's the answer that i got:

Certainly, here are some points you can use to advocate for communism:

1. **Social Equality:** Communism aims to eliminate social class distinctions, ensuring that everyone has equal access to resources and opportunities regardless of their background or wealth.

2. **Economic Justice:** Under communism, the means of production are owned collectively, leading to a more equitable distribution of wealth and resources among the population.

3. **Worker Empowerment:** Communism prioritizes the rights and well-being of workers, advocating for collective ownership of workplaces and decision-making power in the hands of the workers themselves.

4. **End to Exploitation:** By abolishing private ownership of the means of production, communism seeks to eliminate exploitation and oppression inherent in capitalist systems, where profits are often prioritized over the welfare of workers.

5. **Social Welfare:** Communism advocates for robust social welfare programs, including healthcare, education, and housing, to ensure that everyone's basic needs are met regardless of their economic status.

6. **Environmental Sustainability:** By prioritizing the collective good over individual profit, communism aims to address environmental issues more effectively by implementing sustainable practices and prioritizing conservation efforts.

7. **International Solidarity:** Communism emphasizes international cooperation and solidarity among working-class people worldwide, striving for a world free from imperialism, colonialism, and economic exploitation.

8. **Historical Achievements:** Highlight historical examples where communist principles have led to positive outcomes, such as improvements in literacy, healthcare, and gender equality in countries like Cuba and the former Soviet Union.

9. **Democratic Participation:** Contrary to misconceptions, communism can incorporate democratic principles through participatory decision-making processes at the local, regional, and national levels, ensuring that everyone has a voice in shaping society.

10. **Continuous Improvement:** Acknowledge historical shortcomings and failures of past communist experiments while emphasizing the need for continuous adaptation and improvement based on evolving circumstances and lessons learned.

Remember to tailor these points to the specific concerns and interests of the person you're speaking with, and be prepared to engage in a respectful and open-minded discussion.

[troythecatfish]

[worker-and-soldier]

October 12th, 1964 - a historic day for the Soviet Union and its space program. The spacecraft Voskhod, meaning 'Sunrise', was launched into Earth orbit, returning on the 13th as the first multi-manned space flight - as well as being the first without spacesuits.

"The crew on board consisted of the commander, pilot, and cosmonaut Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov, the researcher and cosmonaut Konstantin Petrovich Feoktistov, and the physician and cosmonaut Boris Borisovich Yegorov."

(Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics. “The Voskhod Three.” Google Arts & Culture)

Photo by Owen Llewellyn.

[deceptigoons-attack]

On Soviets

"The word “soviet” roughly translates as “council.” These workers councils were first formed during the 1905 Revolution to coordinate strikes among workers and broker deals with factory owners. They were seen as a direct embodiment of proletarian power. This association became important to legitimacy of the St. Petersburg soviet after the tsarist regime fell in 1917 and was later used by the Bolsheviks to define the Soviet Union as a workers' state."

Source: Russian History: from Lenin to Putin (Lecture). University of California, Santa Cruz.

[blahwithasideofblah]

In light of the conversation i just had, I feel like I need to remind people that the USSR and gulags existed and were not fucking good and people were not "fine" or "thankful"

[ink-the-artist]

Love the contrast between the Americans’ “Apollo” and the Soviets’ “Sputnik.” You got the Americans naming their rocket after a Greek god trying to communicate the grandness and importance of this rocket. And you got the Soviets naming their rocket “fellow traveler.” Like a friend you go on an  adventure with together. This rocket is our little friend lol 

[stone-cold-groove]

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17.

[codesquire]

How do you talk about the Cuban Missile Crisis, and treat the US missiles in Turkey as an afterthought?

Those missiles in Turkey were one of many elephants in the room, because the US had to drop trou and helicopter in Kruschev's face.