“Avariya & Xaoc”

 

This picture of an abandoned amusement park shows the haunting memory of what was suppose to be a fun and memorable day of the people of Pirpyat, Ukraine. It was scheduled to open on May 1, 1986, however, never did because of the Chernobyl disaster that took place on April 26, 1986.

Over thirty years ago, the world witnessed the worst nuclear disaster to ever occur in history. On April 26, 1986, a massive explosion occurred in Chernobyl due to a failure of the nuclear power station’s number 4 reactor. The amount of radiation that was released into the environment forever impacted the environment and the people currently residing in northern Ukraine. This picture is a perfect image of illustrating the fall of the Soviet Union under Gorbachev’s leadership; though he painted a positive and bright picture for the future of the Soviet Union, it would soon fail due to the lack of readiness for the challenges to come.

Shoot to Kill

Imagine you are a Soviet citizen who works in a locomotive building plant day in and day out, just to make ends meet. You work hard to provide for your family and to provide food on the table so that your children are able to eat. For the last ten years, the economy has been pretty stable and steady. However, you get news that the government just increased prices for meat and dairy products. You turn to the director and demand answers as to why this is happening because it is almost impossible to provide for your family with food. His response, “If you can’t afford meat pies, eat something cheaper.” Let’s be real, how pissed off would you be? Probably so mad that you would go on strike in order to show your frustration, right? Are you still imagining it? Okay, good. Now imagine bodies laying in the streets after a protest erupted in violence and gun shots were fired at citizens involved in these protests.

The Struggle for Freedom

One of the most significant events to happen after Stalin’s death, was the release of prisoners from camps ran by the GULAG (Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps). While the road of succession was full of challenges and awards, the release of prisoners created a new chapter for those who lost hope and faith in life. However, many of these prisoners were not allowed to go home upon their release, unfortunately.

Joseph Stalin: Lead the Way

As World War II started to involve the United States, the Soviet Union, along with Great Britain, created the Grand Alliance.

Through his leadership, Stalin relied on the idea of unity in order to create hope for the Soviet Union in a time of war. While the country faced the reality of a possible invasion, Stalin mainly focused on trying to unite the nation as a whole in order to motivate citizens to fight against the Germans. And as a result, the Soviets were successful as unifying together in order to save their nation, as well as their national identity.

Was it a Year of Great Change Though?

In 1929, the First Five-Year Plan was in its second year and was continuing to centralize the state. This was an important element with changes occurring within this year due to the improvements of productivity of labor, industrial construction, and agricultural development. While these changes were taking the economy by storm, economists “were faced with the unprecedented and incredibly complicated task of drafting a plan to transform the entire economic structure of the country” (soviethistory). This forced the economists to create a strategic plan that would help the country as a whole in order to produce a market that would benefit the state. This is a significant event to happen in 1929 because in a time where Bolsheviks’ rule was rising, political and economic dynamics were strengthening and forcing reassessments for the government of what goals are attainable and what is not, in terms of where the country will be for years to come.

Get This ParTea Started

Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii redefined photography in the early twentieth century because of his ability to depict people’s lives during the Russian Empire, all while documenting it through a lense. His representation of Russian life was extraordinary and unique, however, it was dumbfounding because it exposed the hardships and realities that most Russians faced on a daily basis. His eye and perception allowed for readers and observers to vision what was happening in Russia.

October Manifesto: The End of Autocracy

Order & Chaos

This specific document allowed opportunity for political reforms, put forth by Tsar Nicholas II, during the beginning of the 1905 Revolution. Though this road was paved with violent protests and debates about what Russia will be facing for years to come, it gave promise to the idea of a State Duma. By having a national parliament that includes elected officials (State Duma), Russia was seeing a political transformation into democracy while leaving the Communist ways behind them. These political transformations forced a reform that liberals and moderate socialists oversaw and legitimized in order to better the life of Russian citizens. Change was prominently due to the revolution that was ongoing throughout the country, forcing Nicholas II to respond and make drastic political changes.