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Forum Index » 'Communist' States » Union of Soviet Socialist Republics » Soviet Life: Magazine sold in USA from USSR embassy
 18 Jun 2020, 01:17
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Life
https://www.marxists.org/history/ussr/c ... /index.htm https://petapixel.com/2017/03/21/can-br ... ne-online/ Thought you might be interested Google Books has full scans of most of the issues. It was part of Cold War diplomacy, the Soviet could sell this in the USA, and Amerika was sold in Russia. https://www.google.com/search?sa=X&hl=e ... 0&dpr=1.25 Kamran Heiss
18 Jun 2020, 01:22
Speak of the devil! I just found these "America" magazines from a guy on Russia's version of Craigslist:
  I'm willing to bet that "Amerika" was more popular than "Soviet Life" in the 80s, unfortunately. "The thing about capitalism is that it sounds awful on paper and is horrendous in practice. Communism sounds wonderful on paper and when it was put into practice it was done pretty well for what they had to work with." -MiG
18 Jun 2020, 02:45
Thanks, I know these magazines were mostly supposed to be apolitical, but I was curious what the US side was like. And it gives a slight idea with the Robin Williams cover
Kamran Heiss
18 Jun 2020, 08:02
I think screening Life According to Garp would just cause a lot of confusion for Soviet audiences. Although something like Moscow on the Hudson would probably be sobering the way InoSMI is today.
 "Bleh, i don't even know what i'm arguing for. What a stupid rant. Disregard what i wrote." - Loz "Every time is gyros time" - Stalinista 18 Jun 2020, 16:48
Yeah actually Moscow on the Hudson is mentioned, and described as this wonderful film showing how America is a nation of immigrants. Also, it's said that Williams took Russian language lessons and became very good at pronunciation.
Also, heiss93, apolitical or not, these magazines spent a lot of time focusing on US political leaders and their families, plus aspects of American mythology - Mama's apple pie, 4th of July, baseball and kids with little red wagons, and material life. I'd say judging by the subject matter covered that one could come to know the US, at least superficially, pretty well. The Williams magazine is from November 1989, so already the America lovefest was well under way, but the rest of the ones in those pictures are from the early-mid 80s, before perestroika. I deliberately wanted to see what a Soviet citizen could see of life in the West during this time period. "The thing about capitalism is that it sounds awful on paper and is horrendous in practice. Communism sounds wonderful on paper and when it was put into practice it was done pretty well for what they had to work with." -MiG
18 Jun 2020, 21:24
Well the Soviet mag wasn't entirely apolitical either, I actually discovered it on Google Books while searching for info on this CPUSA book on the 1981 CPSU Congress, which it gave a very positive review to.
Kamran Heiss
19 Jun 2020, 13:35
I see. Good to know!
"The thing about capitalism is that it sounds awful on paper and is horrendous in practice. Communism sounds wonderful on paper and when it was put into practice it was done pretty well for what they had to work with." -MiG
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