CARAVANS & COMMISSARS

In each location throughout Ukraine, the removal of tributes to communism was not just an attempt to modernize the new states. It played an important role in forging each country's new national identity. After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, massive statues of revolutionaries were erected throughout the republics of the U.S.S.R., including the land that is now Ukraine. Cities throughout the Ukrainian socialist republic were once filled with monumental portrait statues of V

Rooted in the past, the Heydar Aliyev Center presents the independent nation of Azerbaijan as both modern and forward looking. Completed in 2012, Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Center has become a defining symbol of new, independent Azerbaijan. It appears on the 200 Manat banknote, the highest value Azerbaijani bill. Its unique form turns away from the architecture of the Soviet Union to embrace local Azerbaijani culture and geography. The curves of Hadid’s building resemble the

In the Caucasus, it is said that “if the head is intact, a papakha should be on it.” The papakha , or papaq , is a spherical sheepskin hat worn by men across the Turko-Persian world, which spans from the Caucasus mountains through the steppes of Central Asia to Afghanistan. Regional variations in the hats resulted from the distinct coloration and qualities of the sheep native to each region. For example, the shaggy papakhas worn in the Caucasus are most commonly made from the

“The physical education of the rising generation is one of the necessary elements of the system of communist education of youth” -Vladimir Lenin, addressing the Third Congress of the Komosomol, October 1920 Historical Background Sambo is a Soviet sport that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s as a hand‑to‑hand combat system developed for the Red Army and security forces. Its movements are drawn from judo, wrestling, and other fighting arts. Its name comes from the Russian phrase “

“Pizza is for everyone.” Mikhail Gorbachev In 1990, Pizza Hut was among the first American restaurant chains to open in Moscow, Russia. The introduction of fast-food restaurants and other western goods were the direct result of President Mikhail Gorbachev’s economic and political reforms termed perestroika (“ restructuring”) and glasnost (“ transparency ”). These market reforms opened the Soviet Union to material and cultural goods from the outside world. In 1998, Gorbache

Children, like soft wax, are very malleable and they should be molded into good Communists - Soviet Educational Theorist The Millionaire (1963), an eleven-minute cartoon, tells the story of a bulldog who becomes rich by inheriting his owner’s estate. Directed by Vitold Bordzilosky and Yuriy Prytkov, the film mocks capitalist ideology and exposes the corruption of Western democracy. The film was produced by the major Soviet studio Soyuzmultfilm as a piece of anti‑U.S. propag

Heading east from the old city of Baku , one enters the city’s modern restaurant district, with restaurants from every corner of the globe. A glance through the windows of one cafe reveals gigantic dumplings hanging from the ceiling. Brought to Azerbaijan by Georgian immigrants, the garlic-shaped meat-filled dumplings are known as khinkali, and they are just one of the many types of dumplings found throughout the post-Soviet states. Today, dumplings can be found from China to

Gaiety is the most outstanding feature of the Soviet Union. – Joseph Stalin Today, post-Soviet states house the remains of buildings designed to promote socialist and communist values. Prior to the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Russian imperial architecture was based upon European Art Nouveau and Baroque styles, which featured highly detailed designs such as scrolls, flowers, and decorative columns. Following the Bolshevik revolution, architecture was streamlin

State sponsored images are rarely produced without a psychological motive. They use fear, anger, hope or pride, to influence populations. Political propaganda became especially prevalent during World War I and World War II to boost morale and dehumanize enemies. Totalitarian states like Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union used posters to control public opinion and eliminate opposition. One subset of images created during Stalin’s rule was designed to prevent the population from