I remember being a 9 years old kid and living in a Post-Soviet country. Back then sudden exposure to western ideologies was quite a sensation. Everything felt anew. Although I wasn’t quite the kid of Soviet Union, I witnessed the remnants of communist ways. For instance, the first school I went to had those old soviet books with colorful pictures of “pioners” (sort of Soviet Boy scouts) that vigorously proclaimed the Soviet’s truths. The schools themselves were named after Soviet authors, revolutionaries and public figures.
Needless to say that even some of the older propaganda posters still could be found on the streets. However, as the time went these very posters were outnumbered by the new western adds. The difference between those was striking.
First we have a moderately dressed woman that encourages her youngsters to study, and right across the street a huge banner with a Kelvin Klein add that depicts…. Well we all know what’s on those Kelvin Klein adds, don’t we? I mean yeah… The difference was amazing.
As I look back at this time, I can only try to imagine how did the people, good old Soviet people felt about it. Those “heinous, capitalist West” adds weren’t just adds, those were the heralds of the change in the old lifestyle.