Whether by choice or to circumstance, Soviet Russia’s Cold War generations were born to a nuclear bomb, raised under the constant threat of war, and seemed doomed to die of the stagnation caused by their own government, until they were emancipated by a life force that was as formidable as unlikely a savior. This paper discusses the role of the Beatles and their music in the cultural, political and social unification of successive generations of Cold War Russians, and how contemporary Russia has evolved to carry with herself the revolutionary spirit of the Beatles. This paper draws upon various conversations and anecdotes that Leslie Woodhead discusses in his 2013 book ‘How The Beatles Rocked the Kremlin’, and attempts to understand why millions
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Of course, it is impossible to guess whether the Beatles would have had the impact they made on another historical generation at a different point of time, but there were certainly some factors that made the mid-sixties Soviet population a “fertile ground” for the arrival of the Beatles (Woodhead, 23). The early years of the Cold War were marked by a nationwide zeal and solidarity in being Russian, as Nikita Khrushchev spearheaded Russia’s efforts in the international space race, while also “thawing” in a period of political, economic and cultural openness. However, the rapid events leading to his ousting in 1965, and the hastily implemented policy reversals by his successor Leonid Brezhnev led to an unfortunate and sudden vacuum being created in the lives of the Russian populace. What was previously occupied by American jazz bands and enterprising Russian initiatives was now replaced by State-propagated folk music peppered with trite lyrics and dry harmonies. Brezhnev’s dedicated efforts at creating and forcing a single cultural identity – one that involved harsh censorships on the freedom of press and restrictions on consumption of culture – onto his citizens ushered in what later called the “Era of Stagnation”, quickly leaving in his wake a population that was dazed, …show more content…
This gradual metamorphosis from a teenage pastime to a nationwide élan did not go unnoticed, as President Mikhail Gorbachev finally embraced rock and roll upon his appointment in 1985. While Gorbachev’s attempt at forging welcoming relationships with rock could be appreciated, it’s certain that he could have never prepared for the overwhelming response he would get from the Santanas, Jacksons and Joels of the day, and their desire perform in the Union. It was only a matter of time before this throng of emotion and energy – violently suppressed for over twenty-five years – consumed Russia, and on August 19, 1991, every single photographed copied, every record bootlegged, and every guitar engineered by hands came together for one last act of rebellion as the Iron Curtain finally gave
Of course, it is impossible to guess whether the Beatles would have had the impact they made on another historical generation at a different point of time, but there were certainly some factors that made the mid-sixties Soviet population a “fertile ground” for the arrival of the Beatles (Woodhead, 23). The early years of the Cold War were marked by a nationwide zeal and solidarity in being Russian, as Nikita Khrushchev spearheaded Russia’s efforts in the international space race, while also “thawing” in a period of political, economic and cultural openness. However, the rapid events leading to his ousting in 1965, and the hastily implemented policy reversals by his successor Leonid Brezhnev led to an unfortunate and sudden vacuum being created in the lives of the Russian populace. What was previously occupied by American jazz bands and enterprising Russian initiatives was now replaced by State-propagated folk music peppered with trite lyrics and dry harmonies. Brezhnev’s dedicated efforts at creating and forcing a single cultural identity – one that involved harsh censorships on the freedom of press and restrictions on consumption of culture – onto his citizens ushered in what later called the “Era of Stagnation”, quickly leaving in his wake a population that was dazed, …show more content…
This gradual metamorphosis from a teenage pastime to a nationwide élan did not go unnoticed, as President Mikhail Gorbachev finally embraced rock and roll upon his appointment in 1985. While Gorbachev’s attempt at forging welcoming relationships with rock could be appreciated, it’s certain that he could have never prepared for the overwhelming response he would get from the Santanas, Jacksons and Joels of the day, and their desire perform in the Union. It was only a matter of time before this throng of emotion and energy – violently suppressed for over twenty-five years – consumed Russia, and on August 19, 1991, every single photographed copied, every record bootlegged, and every guitar engineered by hands came together for one last act of rebellion as the Iron Curtain finally gave