Soviet Union 1951

[Vladimir]

but for fucks sake learn how to develop an argument or even a point.

Its crap, its flawed, its pish, its poxy, pinko, wanky, commie, commie, pram...

Yep, a solid argument there

[My Kitten]

'roo, is there a timescale for the Scotland-USSR Society re-opening? I'd quite like to have a wee nose about being a pinko

Do you have any more of these photographs? Or is it better to visit?

(macca -Ive got an a-z you could borrow to look at the location of mount flo to shawlands )

[Dexter St. Clair]

Aye capitalism has worked wonders since its introduction to the former Soviet Union. Workers in the Fulham Road and Tynecastle area in particular sing praise to the benefits of this perfect economic system.

The economic system in the former Sovet Union and today in China could be better described as State Capitalism rather than Communism. Although using methods proposed by the working class hero we have on board the Soviet Union solved unemployment. What we need now is a type of MaccStasi to shop the slackers.

As for embarassment what about the poor comrades visiting Glasgow; a city whose wealth came via the slave trade and the exploitation of the working classes. They probably toured Castlemilk rather than the Gorbals and saw the museums rather than the sweat shops.

[viceroy]

Could we have some more photographs please? That's what this forum is supposed to be for. I'm fed up reading a stream of unadulterated pish, no matter which end of the political spectrum it comes from.

[Vladimir]

As for embarassment what about the poor comrades visiting Glasgow; a city whose wealth came via the slave trade and the exploitation of the working classes.

But surely we were all taught in school that capitalism is the only system that actually works. Just dont bother (dont dare even) to ask WHO it really works for

This capitalism/communism debate is always repeated but theres not much point really. Communism/socialism will never come back, because we have all been totally brainwashed by the media to believe just that.

Ever seen those people in North Korea that, every time they are asked a difficult question about capitalism for example, instantly talk about the 'great leader' etc etc. I get a very similar response from people in Scotland all the time. Just change around the political perspective and loyalties...

No, political change is taboo here. It really is...

Anyway.

Bring on the photos...

[Socceroo]

Well said Viceroy.

[Pgcc93]

Could we have some more photographs please? That's what this forum is supposed to be for.

How about contributing some then?

[viceroy]

How about contributing some then?

Good question. Funnily enough I visited the Soviet Union twice during the 1970's, unfortunately I have no pictures worth posting. I was thinking more of Socceroo's vast archive. I hasten to add that I went in a non-political capacity, purely as a tourist. My visits were arranged via the Scotland-USSR Society but only in their capacity as agents for Intourist, the Soviet state travel agency.

[viceroy]

I decided to scan a few of the pictures I have from 1977 and here they are. The quality is poor but perhaps they do afford some sort of a glimpse into a vanished empire.

Changing of the guard outside Lenin's mausoleum


Museum of Soviet Achievements in Moscow. The red sign commemorates the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution


Moscow rooftop scene from the Intourist Hotel


Street scene in Kiev with another 60th anniversary sign


Hotel "Dnipro" in Kiev with ancient Volga motorcar trundling across the cobbles


Riga, Latvia - the Old Town


Lastly, a Riga trolleybus ticket

[Vladimir]

Its so unbelievably clean, theres no litter in the streets at all, it was all neat looking! You were lucky to get to go there!

[Vladimir]

These photos were not taken by me, but came from a 1984 Soviet book for tourists called A Tour of Moscow. Apologies for the crap quality as I have no scanner, these were taken using a tripod to keep the camera still with the flash off...







And...



But wait, that last one was Paris 2006, still not beaten!

[Socceroo]

Excellent photographs Viceroy.....mmm....in the Soviet Union for the 60th Anniversary.....Comrade...

Moscow and St Petersburg as it now is have changed a fair wee bit since the Soviet days, but Kiev had a very smooth transition.

Kiev also they took the sensible route of acknowledging Capatilism but without selling off all their transport and local authority infrastructure, as was the case with a lot of the other former Soviet cities who were in a hurry.

[viceroy]

Thanks Socceroo

Strangely enough I've never had much of a hankering to go to Russia as it is today. There is nothing political about this, I was never pro-Soviet or indeed pro any other kind of radical socialism. It was just that in the 1970's the Soviet Union seemed rather an exotic place to go to. It was the attraction of the unknown really. In those days it was pretty much a closed society, largely cut off from the West, with a totalitarian system. To a certain extent you could perhaps compare it with North Korea today [although without the personality cult, that died with Stalin]. I was both fascinated and disturbed by the place in equal measure, but while I was there I did also experience a deep sense of isolation, almost as if I was living on a different planet.

I visited Poland as well, in 1978, at that time also behind the Iron Curtain as it was then called.

The pictures date from my 2nd visit to the Soviet Union, in 1977. I went there for the first time in 1976 and ended up in hospital for 2 weeks in Leningrad [now St. Petersburg of course] after suffering a burst appendix. But that's another story............

[macca734]

Say what you want about their ideaology and their politics but they have the coolest language and symbols of any country in the world. My particular favourite is the one, I think, commemorating the space race. Its a guy apearing from a sweep of bronze going straight up. And the hammer and sickle.

[My Kitten]

Glasgow and Rostov badge

Knew I had it somewhere!