Question by : What did the Russian youth think of us Americans during the 80’s cold war?
I remember everything from TV, video games, posters, propaganda, we even had anti-russian stickers in my grocery store. You guys were portrayed as the ultimate source of evil. And I can not lie, I believed it. But I always was secretly interested in Russian culture too. Your jets, those dolls that get smaller and smaller, the language, that crazy Cyrillic alphabet of yours. I was wondering what you thought of us?
Answers and Views:
Answer by backinbowl
The PEOPLE of the USA and the Soviet Union didn’t even know each other, so how could they possibly have felt any animosity toward each other. Rather, it was the LEADERS of both sides who felt it was in their interest to keep both populations antagonistic toward each other so that they could each stay in power under the guise of “protecting their country from the enemy”. In reality, it was all about greed and power (and the greed for power) of “the powers that be” on both sides.
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Kid of the 80's says
I found this site searching for anything on 80's Russian culture for a little game I want to put together about a little Russian kid in the late 80's who has a badass notebook he uses to distract himself from the crapiness of his school (not to give a poor image of Russia in the late 80's because I grew up poor in America in the 80's!).
If anyone knows a site that has information about growing up as a kid in 80's Russia (not related to being poor, just like art, music, fashion, etc), please let me know!
Kid of the 80's says
I didn't know much but there was a stereotype of Russian's loving blue jeans. Other than that we had a couple comedians from Russia and a bunch of movies about it. Spies Like Us and Ruskies were two movies that took away the negative views the government was sometimes pushing on us.
Little did most of us kids know, Russia was a superpower at the time and its people were probably living much better than some of us might've imagined.
smileyfaceee says
those 'dolls' are called matroshkas 🙂
Dana says
At the risk of sounding like a nitpick, the plural is actually Matryoshki. Matryoshka is the singular form of the word. But in general, you're right.
Tim D says
Many Russian young people were fascinated by the US and the lifestyles of its people. Despite state propaganda which portrayed the US as a bad place to live, and its government as evil, great numbers of ordinary Russians–and long before the 1980s–were well aware that Americans were materially much better off, with cars, TVs, fine clothes, "breathtaking" music and so forth. Russians were patriotic but still thought highly of Americans ever since the two nations were allies in WWII.
I speak perfect Engl says
^ Guy above is an example of American propaganda during the time. I'm sure during the same time period many Russians would of like him felt sorry for Americans for not being free and being poor.
monty says
To be perfectly honest when I was growing up in th eighties I felt really sad for the Russian people I was taught that everyone was spying on everyone there was no freedom people were poor and hungry and had very little . The government were cruel and many people were thrown into the gulags and died . I was also under the impression that the Russian people were hard and could survive the harsh Realities that they had to endure, where as the americans had everything that they had far too much money big cars big everything America had everything that you could imagine , huge big portions of food big pizzas big burgers big people huge amusement parks the land of plenty a complete contrast to Russia also a super power nation they were like chalk and cheese.America is new and Russia is an old country steeped in history, complete opposites.as I was growing up many changes have happened for the best the russian people are able to live more freely .