Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Manhoff Archives: Color photos of Stalin-era USSR taken by a US diplomat

rferl.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 78 posts

Re: The Manhoff Archives: Color photos of Stalin-era USSR taken by a US diplomat

#3

Post by aix1 »

As someone who grew up in the Soviet Union (during a later period), I found it really interesting to look at this photographs.

One thing worth pointing out: Moscow was very different from the rest of the country. It had better housing and infrastructure, the shops were stocked far better than elsewhere in the country, it had more grandiose architecture and richer cultural life and so on.

In many is ways it was the country's showcase city.

Re: The Manhoff Archives: Color photos of Stalin-era USSR taken by a US diplomat

#5

Post by IAmBroom »

aix1 wrote: post #3

As someone who grew up in the Soviet Union (during a later period), I found it really interesting to look at this photographs. One thing worth pointing out: Moscow was very different from the rest of the country. It had better housing and infrastructure, the shops were stocked far better than elsewhere in the country, it had more grandiose architecture and richer cultural life and so on. In many is ways it was the co…

So a Potemkin capital, as it were?

Re: The Manhoff Archives: Color photos of Stalin-era USSR taken by a US diplomat

#6

Post by tokai »

IAmBroom wrote: post #5
aix1 wrote: post #3

As someone who grew up in the Soviet Union (during a later period), I found it really interesting to look at this photographs. One thing worth pointing out: Moscow was very different from the rest of the country. It had better housing and infrastructure, the shops were stocked far better than elsewhere in the country, it had more grandiose architecture and richer cultural life and so on. In many is ways it was the co…

So a Potemkin capital, as it were?

No, cause it wasn't a fake facade. Moscow was (and is) petter on most parameters than the rest of the country.

Re: The Manhoff Archives: Color photos of Stalin-era USSR taken by a US diplomat

#7

Post by sherr »

aix1 wrote: post #3

As someone who grew up in the Soviet Union (during a later period), I found it really interesting to look at this photographs. One thing worth pointing out: Moscow was very different from the rest of the country. It had better housing and infrastructure, the shops were stocked far better than elsewhere in the country, it had more grandiose architecture and richer cultural life and so on. In many is ways it was the co…

Nothing has changed in that regard. Moscow still receives much more monetary attention than any other city in Russia.

Re: The Manhoff Archives: Color photos of Stalin-era USSR taken by a US diplomat

#10

Post by nephihaha »

aix1 wrote: post #3

As someone who grew up in the Soviet Union (during a later period), I found it really interesting to look at this photographs. One thing worth pointing out: Moscow was very different from the rest of the country. It had better housing and infrastructure, the shops were stocked far better than elsewhere in the country, it had more grandiose architecture and richer cultural life and so on. In many is ways it was the co…

Moscow plus Leningrad plus Vladivostok. The rest fought for the crumbs.
Post reply on HN