Russian stereotypes of IT employees (with cute pictures)

Source: https://www.behance.net/gallery/31138923/IT-characters

Young pioneer camp outside decorations

I've never been to young pioneer camp. And never wanted to (except famous Artek, maybe, but who would send me there? My family wasn't famous and I didn't play chess like a grand master. No Artek for ordinary Soviet children. And other young pioneer camps? Hell no.

Sleeping in a room full of beds? Eating things I hate? "Having fun" like camp director decided to let us? I'd better crochet at home and read tons of books.

But now, as USSR lays in ruins and some of their buildings lay in the same place, I'd like to share with you pictures from one young pioneer camp in Yekaterinburg (big city on Ural). Its name was "fairy tale". Go figure.

Untamed fashion in USSR

Never heard of 'Untamed fashion in USSR' until now and glad to be able to share this amazing book.

During perestroika, in the second half of the 1980s, designers were permitted to attach their own names to their designs, and clothing stores opened at fashion houses where previously only the Soviet elite could order items. But even this sudden shift could not change the overall situation - it was all too late and in vain. Graphic artist and designer Misha Buster was an active member of the artistic underground movement in the Soviet Union in the 1980s. He organized art-actions and music festivals during 90s. Author of numerous anthropological and critical essays on underground art. The Untamed Fashion in USSR catalog is published on the occasion of the photo exhibition Untamed Fashion in USSR, by Moscow curator Misha Buster as part of Perestrojka!, a festival organised by Maxim Goldfinger and held in Amsterdam between the 8th and 24th of November 2013.

Misha Buster is preparing now for an iPad edition of 'Hooligans of 80s'. That edition will hopefully include English version, too.

'Soviet Bus Stops' and other Soviet Modernism

Nice piece of news for soviet architecture lovers: Fuel Publishing announces on twitter their new book called 'Soviet Bus Stops'.

Also I'd love to recommend you Facebook SOVMOD page. Russian avant-garde architecture and all this amazing stuff: https://www.facebook.com/sovmodavangard

Soviet design 1950-1980's

If you happen to be in Moscow anytime soon, here's a tip: you could visit Moscow design museum. For example, they show beautiful collection of Soviet design pieces.

The USSR was a way of life. Holidays and everyday lives of the people who built communism. Iconic design objects and symbols of the big epoch.

In an interview to foreign journalists on the topic of perestroika Mikhail Gorbachev said, pointing at the famous design of the face of his watch “Raketa” (“Rocket”): “we are starting life from zero again”. But is it really effective to start from the beginning, ignoring the lessons of the past? And what can we learn from Soviet design today?

More pictures: http://www.moscowdesignmuseum.ru/en/exhibitions/1/

What to read offline?

I've promised to tell you if the book I was reading was any good. Actually, I do enjoy it so wanna share the title with you - just in case you're interested.

It is one of the special "Culture Shock" guides where you will not find the address of the most expensive restaurant and photos of the Red Square but you do will find an answer to the question "Why Russians are so weird?". In my opinion, author, Anna, does the great work of explaining mysterious Russian soul.

Here you are: the website of the publisher, the book on the Amazon.

Also, I can recommend another book about real Russia written by Russian author, journalist and GQ-magazine editor Michael Idov. The full name is "Made in Russia: Unsung Icons of Soviet Design". I bought it myself, read it and liked.

They have chapters based on design of toys, mechanisms, ordinary things like vacuum cleaner and radio, but basically these articles are about culture and history. And were written by Russians.

Amazon link, publisher's website