By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks • Hacker News Board

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#61

Post by anticodon » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 12:29 AM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #13

lordleft wrote: post #3

I'm taking a Russian lit class right now and it’s astonishing how much my Indian mother can follow along with my recounting of various plot points from Tolstoy or Dostoevsky. Russian literature is beloved in India

While I think Russian lit is indeed beloved in India, Nabokov is perhaps yet to get his due appreciation, perhaps Solzhenitsyn also.

I doubt that works of Solzhenitsyn has any value as a literature. He was a tool of political propaganda against USSR. There're numerous lies and exaggerations in his books. In 20-50 years everybody will forget him for good.

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#62

Post by DarmokJalad1701 » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 12:45 AM UTC

I remember reading translated versions of Yakov Perelman's "Physics for Entertainment" as a kid. There were also translations of more "propaganda-ish" works like "Three Fat Men".

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#63

Post by sseth » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 1:12 AM UTC

bibyte wrote: post #2

This is really fascinating. Because even though I am an Indian I didn't know the Soviet Union and India were that close. I wonder if any Indian school books mention this.

It's good to know the history here. For most of 50s and 60s we were roughly equidistant between US and USSR. It was the crass support for Pakistan's Ayub Khan by Nixon and Kissinger before the Bangladesh war in 1971, which forced India to shift a little closer to the Soviet Union. Both Nixon and Kissinger had a visceral hatred of India and Indira Gandhi - see [1].

The USSR did help us with arms and with votes in the United Nations. While this was generally helpful, it led to a shameful episode when India chose to tacitly support the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan. It may surprise many Indians to know that more recently, inspite of our tilt to the West, we have supported Russia's annexation of Crimea, and we were one of the first major countries to recognize the annexation.

[1] https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/indira-gandhi-is-...

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#64

Post by raybon » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 2:50 AM UTC

yantrams wrote: post #38

kobiguru wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have spent so much time with this book growing up. It was THE Book to solve to get the bragging rights that you know your physics.

For REAL bragging rights, you had to solve Krotov :)

Bukhantsov was the real deal. Higher than Krotov

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#65

Post by raybon » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 2:53 AM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #13

lordleft wrote: post #3

I'm taking a Russian lit class right now and it’s astonishing how much my Indian mother can follow along with my recounting of various plot points from Tolstoy or Dostoevsky. Russian literature is beloved in India

While I think Russian lit is indeed beloved in India, Nabokov is perhaps yet to get his due appreciation, perhaps Solzhenitsyn also.

I loved Baba Yaga when I was 8 in South India!

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#66

Post by billfruit » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 8:35 AM UTC

anticodon wrote: post #61

billfruit wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I think Russian lit is indeed beloved in India, Nabokov is perhaps yet to get his due appreciation, perhaps Solzhenitsyn also.

I doubt that works of Solzhenitsyn has any value as a literature. He was a tool of political propaganda against USSR. There're numerous lies and exaggerations in his books. In 20-50 years everybody will forget him for good.

There are books he wrote like August 1914, which isn't about the Soviet Union. I think though he ended up criticizing USSR, he also criticized the west as well.

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#67

Post by yantrams » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 9:07 AM UTC

vishnugupta wrote: post #59

yantrams wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is this the book you are referring to ? - https://sovietbookbugs.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/rassian-c...

Holy mother!!! Never in my dreams could I imagine I'd be seeing it again. You've made my day :-). And, as you'd know surely, how similar/close Kannada and Telugu scripts are I could effortlessly read it! It does bring back a flood of memories. Thanks again :-)

You're welcome :) Memorable tales and gorgeous illustrations. This is one of the few books I managed to keep in absolute mint condition :) I have a scanned version lying around in my collection. Will upload sometime soon on my blog.

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#68

Post by yantrams » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 9:11 AM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #53

yantrams wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here you go :) https://mirtitles.org/2018/11/11/misha-stack/

I think, what made them special was the very smooth, glossy printing, and extremely vivid colours. If you take american comics of a similar time, eg something like Archies: Archies colours look pale and faded, compared with the bright contrasts and lush colours of the Misha.

And the smell was amazing too :)

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#69

Post by yantrams » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 9:16 AM UTC

raybon wrote: post #64

yantrams wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For REAL bragging rights, you had to solve Krotov :)

Bukhantsov was the real deal. Higher than Krotov

Never heard of it. Will check it out. Thank you!

PS: One of the highest points during my college prep days was when I managed to solve this kinematics problem from Krotov where the condition for a ball bouncing in a well to get out depends on the ratio of some parameters to be co prime. Good times.

Re: By the book: reflections on an Indian childhood reading Soviet hardbacks

#70

Post by Tsubasachan » Thu, Mar 28, 2019, 2:17 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #49

Tsubasachan wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

During the Cold War India was leaning to the Soviets. Its also the reason why Nato never really tried to stop Pakistan from acquiring the atomic bomb. Ofcourse nowadays India is a democratic republic with a good relationship with the West.

India did sometimes try to be in a neutral position with respect to both the West and the Soviets, for eg: the Indian Nuclear program had large support from the Canadians. Indian space program had help from the Americans and the French as well as the Soviets.

Absolutely but during the Cold War you had to be either for the US/NATO or Soviet Union/Warsaw pact. The West was terrified of Russia getting a naval base on the Indian Ocean.

Any country that tried to be neutral was considered suspicious.