Soviet Union
As Putin’s war in Ukraine continues, historians say it’s crucial to reflect on Stalin’s reign in the Soviet era
For some Georgians, Stalin represents a rags-to-riches tale — they see him as the country’s most-famous native son who put Georgia on the map. Others are pushing for a more comprehensive view of the man responsible for millions of deaths.
Twenty years ago in Leningrad, the Soviets developed the Lomo camera as a way to provide Western-style consumer electronics to comrades throughout the Eastern bloc. The Lomo became the standard issue snapshot camera for a generation. A couple of decades later, Western photographers have discovered the versatility of the humble Lomo. Produced by John Stanik.
Cultural Exchange
For a moment during the Cold War — in the decade between Josef Stalin’s death until the Cuban Missile Crisis — something called “Cultural Exchange” formed a warm glow in US-Soviet relations. It started with one pianist in 1955, named Emil Gilels, and led to a sudden mutual discovery of two nations’ best music and […]
Painting in Pre-Glasnost Russia
When we think of Soviet Art, we think of the propaganda posters and the figurative heroic paintings and sculpture that glorified the Soviet leaders. That kind of Social Realism dominated official art in Russia, starting in the 1930’s. But artists found ways to pursue their own styles in secret. They organized private, apartment viewings of […]
Special Guest: Svetlana Boym
Kurt Andersen and the writer Svetlana Boym explore how artists worked in the Soviet Union and what it means to them and to us today. Svetlana Boym is a Harvard professor of Slavic and Contemporary Literature, and the author of The Future of Nostalgia. The book traces nostalgia from its medical diagnosis in 17th-century Switzerland […]
