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Thousands of people from different cities of Russia come to the “discotheques of the 80s”. At the anniversary concerts of the VIA of the 70s, full houses were sold out. Classics of Soviet cinema, retro music, cafes in the style of a bygone era – all this is now very popular … Why are Russians of different generations so attracted by the culture and realities of a bygone era? Our experts reflect on this topic.
“Find your historical roots or return to youth”
Elena Belinskaya, social psychologist
“Interest in the Soviet past arises at every age for various reasons. Those over 40 return in this way to their youth, when, as you know, the snow was whiter, and people were kinder … We generally tend to idealize the situation in which the choice of life path took place – this allows us to maintain a positive opinion about ourselves . The interest of young people who were born in an era of change and were cut off from the recent past of the country is connected with the search for their historical roots. Among those who belong to the middle generation, people of a certain socio-economic status are oriented towards those times. Those who feel that no matter what they do, they will remain middle managers, “clerks” for life. This is disappointment not so much in oneself, but in those possibilities that were conceived as broader. And, perhaps, the feeling that in the USSR everything would have been different.”
Read more:
- The insignificance and grandeur of life
“Interrupted events continue to worry us”
Nifont Dolgopolov, gestalt therapist
“We tend to remember with sweet sadness about what is gone forever. But the interest in the Soviet times, perhaps, is due to the fact that this era ended too abruptly, and such interrupted, unfinished “gestalts” (events, processes) are better remembered, continue to excite us and give rise to a desire to relive them. In addition, before we were forced to love the Soviet reality, and any coercion, as you know, causes protest. Now, when no one is forcing, true love for the good that was awakens in us.
“Find a foothold in the past to cope with the pace of modern life”
Ekaterina Daichik, narrative psychologist
“The predictability of a past life (with all its cons) is preferable for some of us to the uncertainty of today and the future. It is common for a person living in a situation of rapid social change to seek a foothold in a time of absolute stability – this helps to cope with the pace of modern life. In addition, there are people who really believed in the ideals of the Soviet system. Even among the younger generation, who know about the bygone era from the stories of the elders, there are those who feel the situation of the past years as more just and human.”