Real USSR » Lena Traer

Happy Birthday Dear USSR! The Great October Socialist Revolution. November 7th 1917.

Lena Traer — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:10:26 +0000

The Announcement of the Soviet Government. By Vladimir Serov, 1918.

The Soviet Union was officially created in 1922, however, if there was a date which could be considered as a birthday of the USSR, that would have had to be November 7th of 1917 — this was the day when in St Petersburg the Bolsheviks — the organised military revolutionaries, who later became the Communist Party of the USSR — came to power. The Russian Provisional Government which were the head of the country after the Tsar Nicholas II had resigned, was overthrown and the Soviets, taking the government buildings one by one, had finally captured the town.

The October Coup, as it was initially called, had later been renamed as we know it now - the Great October Socialist Revolution. Many attribute this change in terminology from a coup to a revolution to have a propaganda underline, as revolution is certainly perceived as having more weight and grandiosity that coup. Interestingly, the term “October” is no mistake: the revolutionary events did take place on the 25th October 1917, yet the calendar style was changed in 1918 from the traditional Julian calendar to the Gregorian style calendar. Thus 25 October 1917 became 7 November 1917, yet the title — the October Revolution — was left unchanged.

The first anniversary. 1918.

It is hard to explain briefly what had lead to these drastic events of 1917. The country was exhausted after the First World War. In March 1917 Tsar Nicholas II abdicated, and the Provisional Government came into power, although many refused to recognise it. The country was in crisis on the economic, social and political levels. Workers of many towns were on mass strikes, demanding better pay and better conditions. In towns the rates of unemployment were rising, while in countryside peasants were rebelling against landowners. The total bankruptcy was inevitable, which was odd, given that less that ten years prior to it, it was one of the most strongest economies in the world. Food shortages were becoming more and more frequent, and numerous conspiracies against the government began. So it was no surprise when the Bolsheviks’ Central Committee voted 10–2 for a resolution saying that “an armed uprising is inevitable, and that the time for it is fully ripe”.

Vladimir Lenin, the brain behind the October Revolution, and the face most often associated with it.

The Provisional Government was residing in the Winter Palace and, when the fall of it was announced, a decree was adopted, giving the power to the Union of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies, thus ratifying the Revolution. The peasants were officially granted the land. The workers were allowed to take control over the factories and now manage them as they saw fit. The banks were nationalised,and all private bank accounts were confiscated. The Church was outlawed, and its properties were seized and later redistributed as cinema theatres, leisure clubs, or any recreational venues. All foreign debts were repudiated, and the wages fixed at an artificially high level. Vladimir Lenin was declared as the head of the State, and the long journey to Communism had officially began.

Seizing of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg by Bolshevik Baltic Sailors. The movie October, 1927.

The Bolsheviks viewed themselves as representing an alliance of workers and peasants and memorialized that understanding with the Hammer and Sickle on the flag and coat of arms of the Soviet Union. So the day was an official public holiday and the tradition to celebrate it with a parade, people marching in the streets with red flags and carrying red balloons and carnations — the official flower of the Revolution — had lingered for almost 70 years. The Red Square access roads in Moscow were re-constructed specifically for the November 7th annual Military parade showing off the latest developments in the Soviet weaponry.

Moscow 1941.

Not even the Military parade of 1941 was skipped, the year Germany invaded into Russia. The Soviet Army tanks were moving that day across the Red Square and straight to the army front. That act itself was as important as a large military operation as the Soviet people were showing their desperate sublime heroism. It is believed that the same day, November 7th 1941, was planned by Hitler as the day of the grand victory march of German troops through the Red Square having conquered Moscow, but it didn’t happen.

Probably one of the most famous images of the Soviet power –tanks in the Red Square in 1941.

Stalin gave a truly inspiration speech that day.

The tradition to commemorate the day of November 7th was spread all over the country. Any town — no matter how big or small — would participate. The attendance often was compulsory.

A parade in the small town of Lyvny, 1954.

Small town of Volzhsky. 1978.

Small town of Usinsk. 1979.

By the end of 1970s the enthusiasm about this day started to cease. A great deal of years passed since the original Revolution and people stopped feeling that excited about the Soviet state. The celebration march of the Working People was now enforced by factories and other organisations: it was no longer voluntary. This military parade was not as popular anymore, the new generation of the Soviets was not interested in weaponry and the great world power of the Soviet Union. However, from the outside it still looked the same and it was almost impossible to register the tiny changes in the mood.

Town of Ufa, circa 1980.

1986. Town unknown, but could have taken place anywhere.

Small town of Volzhsky. 1986.

Small town of Lyvny. 1988.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union the first Russian president Boris Yeltsin officially renamed the holiday in 1994, giving it a completely different meaning. November 7th became the Day of the Liberation of Moscow from the Polish occupation in the year 1612. The next year he came up with a new name and changed it to the Day of People’s Unity. Almost 10 years later, in the year 2004, Vladimir Putin changed the name again, bringing it back to the original roots: it became the Day of 1941 Military Parade on the Red Square in the city of Moscow in the memory of the 24th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. It stopped being a day off, rather, the Day of People’s Unity sprawled as a new holiday, celebrated nowadays on November the 4th. Who knows what the future holds for this day now.

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Social Advertising on Soviet Matchbox Labels

Lena Traer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:26:07 +0000

Matches in the Soviet Union were an important part of everyday life. Many apartments were not connected to the central gas, power or electricity systems, so people needed matches to light a stove to make food or to boil water to take a bath.

Thus, matchbox labels served as a daily reminder of the socially accepted rules of behavior or life wisdom advice, most commonly in the form of a friend recommendation from the Soviet state. So let’s have a look at this primitive yet very quaint form of social advertising.

Honey is good for doing sports. 1959.

Do not hang onto a handrail outside of a leaving train. 1959. (In case too many people would try to get on the train).

Do not slide the doors open on a moving train. 1959.

The image below is about Kerogas: a type of a portable primus kerosene stove. It was commonly used instead of electric stoves as the energy was too expensive, and the majority of the apartments were not connected to central gas lines. Highly flammable and not that safe as advertised

It will help you more than once, this simple and safe appliance – kerogas. 1959.

Do not let the children cross railway tracks. 1959.

Do not bring highly flammable substances onboard the train. 1959.

A vacuum cleaner is a great buy: to dust and dirt you will say good bye! 1959.

Do not jump off a moving train. 1959.

I praise every home where milk is on the house! 1959.

Vodka. Villainess with a label. 1959.

Riding on the roof of a train is dangerous. 1959.

Forget the way you washed before — now the washer is there for!

Be careful with a lantern! (kerosene lamp) Be careful with a kerogas! (kerosene stove) In case of fire, call 0–1. Know how to use a fire extinguisher! 1959.

One bottle of milk neutralises the harm done by three cigarettes. 1959.

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Technological Advance of the Classic Rocking Horse

Lena Traer — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:35:38 +0000

The Wooden Horse on Wheels

This mythical creature of the Soviet kids’ childhood, something between a Centaur and a bicycle, has come into being within a Soviet manufacturing industry driven by an overpowering desire to “give all the best” to children. Most brilliant minds of the Soviet scientists were working on the creation of the ideal cross-breed. The mutant was officially labeled a “Pedal Horse” and its large-volume production was finally kick-started by the end of 1950s. It became very popular quite fast as it was really exciting to own a “real” horse that could move around in the street, a horse more real than a wooden rocking horse.

The Pedal Horse

However, it took some time for the children to get used to the idea of pushing the sticking out pedals instead of just pushing off the ground, and it took a lot of strength as it was quite hard to turn pedals that were stiff and clumsy. Rare muscular kid could manage the distance of a few meters without getting exhausted or falling down as the whole structure was also uneven. Still, it was so much fun!

The Pedal Car

But what could be even better than having your own horse? Of course, having your own car! The USSR was producing a large variety of pedal cars for children, in each specific time trying to reproduce the actual model of a popular car. Here are some of them.

Blue pedal car – Resembling ‘Zaporozhec’

Red pedal car – Resembling ‘Moskvitch’

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