This scanned book is being popular among the Russian bloggers lately, the links circulate among people and appear here and there.
This book is one from the series, called something like “Children of the World”. This one is devoted to Russian girl Katya, her everyday life and activities she experience. And yes, the captions are in English.
First!
Where is katya now? She is probably somewhere in the west, (more likely USA) far far away from poor Russia! But I must say she lives a good life (at least in this soviet propaganda) compared to other 290 million poor soviets citizens at that time.
I hope she did better then living in the trailerpark country called USA
Oh my god, are you serious? How the hell would you know even the first thing about living in USSR? And if you don’t then why comment?
It’s a good thing they don’t let Miss India in to the trailer park too often… .. she would have been bitten and sodomized often by her Ragggg
So where is this Katya? Probably somewhere in the west and most likely USA, far far away from poor Russia!
Beautiful images!
Ok, im gonna write quickly, so i can get mnore people to read my comment.
1. While i was scanning throw this pictures and saw the USSR map I was wondering… why didn’t they ever moved the capital city to a more neutral point in the domestic map, such as they did in the US and Brazil… just wondering cause “it covers 1/7″ os the worlds surface, you might want a place that’s more near everyspot of the country… or now that USSR is no longer a country, why don’t they do that in Russia, it would hel de-centralize the country and create a new urban centre.
2. So fuc**** cute the damn book!
3. I have a mate called “Katia”. I like her.
That’s it.
You obviously do not know much about Russia’s (former USSR) geography. The geographical center of Russia is a climatic nightmare, building a town there would not make any sense. Besides, the cultural core of Russia has always been in its European territory.
BTW, what do you mean by moving the capital to a neutral point in the US? I thought the capital of US was Washington DC, not so much for geographically neutral spot considering the US geography.
BTW, did founding Brasilia do any good to Brazil? Did moving the capital from Almaty to Astana do any good to Kazakhstan? I am not so sure.
Well, I live in Brasília and I’d say it seems to be a good thing. After Brasília, various remote regions in Brazil received more investments and evolved in quality of life and economic aspects. A good example of a gread investiment is the Belém-Brasília highway, which connects Brasília and Manaus, the capital of Pará. Also, Brazilians seems to be easier with such a neutral capital, and it surely is harder to hit militarily.
Anyway, there are some issues, too. First, we should note that most of the investment ocurried during the military dictadorship which ruled Brazil between 60′s and 80′s. It is possible they would made the investment anyway, even without a capital change. Brasília’s economy is almost just about public services: it makes the economy most stable, but less diversed and very expensive for those who do not work to the government. Also, Rio de Janeiro, the previous capital, has become a bit decadend, with increasing violence and economic inequality.
I’m not saying it would be a good idea to move Russian capital, I’m just presenting some points. Anyway, if I was a Russian governor*, I’d think about it: it might be uncomfortable to be too next to Europe, with its Napoleons and Hitlers
* Of course, I am not, and this is just a ignorant comment :p
Think about it – Moscow has been the capital since the beginning of Russia (862 AD) It’s cultural, economic significance is too huge, I’m not even talking about it’s proximity to Europe. It’s unmovable! =)
Besides, there’s not much in the middle of Russia:
http://www.cadmius.com/World_at_Night-1024.bmp
Moscow was founded in 1147
There seems to be a “branch” that gives birth to other branches in the light map in Russia…
Is that like the national highway or somethin’ like that?
Just very sparsely populated areas. Most populated is the western part, south and around vladivostok, I think
It’s Trans-Siberian Railway.
It seems to be The Trans-Siberian Railway.
Moscow was founded 1147 AD
D-oh! You’re absolutely right. For some reason I was thinking of Russia as a whole, but there was Kievan Rus before Moscow
This site is half-ass as far as comments – like most things in russia. Sometimes ur comments post with delay, sometimes don’t post at all! I was saying: u’re absolutely correct.
Not that I don’t agree, but the server is located in USA.
http://geotool.servehttp.com/?lang=en-US&ip=67.159.29.230&host=englishrussia.com
Moscow became the capital of Russia only in the 14th century
Uhm Kiev used ot be the capital and so was St. Petersburg from Peter the Great to the Bolshevik revolution.
Congrats on not knowing your own history.
if you were brazilian, you wouldn`t say “Manaus, the capital of Pará”. This is wrong.
I didn’t meant moving the US capital to anywhere. Actually, Washington D.C. was built in what AT THAT TIME was the “demographic center” of the US.
The most part of Russia is not so comfortable for living in a climate way. That’s because Syberia is very low-populated. The most part of Russian aiways lived in it’s western part, so Moscow became a capital historicaly..
Great pictures! I remembered a lot of stuff there – like one of the textbooks =) Pretty nostalgic stuff. The orange stuff kids are eating is grated carrots + sugar, I used to love that stuff! Thanks for these pics.
Very nice story… I wonder what ever happened to her? (i.e. did she go on to be a teacher as she wished?)
[...] Russian Girl Katya via English Russia [...]
Хорошее было время, люди не боялись потерять работу, дети ходили в школу учиться а не понтоваться шмотками и мобильниками, не страшно было ходить по ночным улицам. Жалко что об этих временах можно только вспоминать. Кстати, эти фото я видел на sasisa.ru дня 2 назад, может пора бы самим искать материал, а не копировать с других сайтов.
What?
Didn’t you think that Western people rarely visit sites in the .ru zone? So this material should be quite new for them.
I’ve been reading this blog for more than a year and think I’ve read every single entry from before that (my workplace is VERY boring sometimes). I’d have to say that this is one of my favorite entries so far, it would be interesting to see some of the other “Children of the World” books from other countries as well (just a thought)… Just wanted to say thanks for the many hours of quality reading (and for all of the interesting things I’ve learned about Russia!).
ахуенные фотки
Jesus, even on pure propaganda pictures USSR looks dull and depresing. No wonder so many people decided to leave to USA, even though it wasn’t easy.
Also lol at “there’s plenty of good food” – it’s obvious that there were some food problems, because seriously, what country brags about having food?
This is an American book
http://www.amazon.com/USSR-Children-World-Julie-Brown/dp
/1555322158/
http://www.garethstevens.com/
that doesn’t mean pictures were taken by the same company.
Photographer’s name is Miyajima Yasuhiko. He is japanese as you see.
i guess she is my age.. born in the 80s. bet shes a hottie nowadays.
The book was printed in 1951, so she is no longer a hottie.
The book was not printed in 1951. Look how people are dressed, look at the furniture, and TAKE A LOOK AT THAT GODDAMN COLOUR-TV-SET. *rolleyes*
At what car manufacturer you might say by the looks of the car Sasha works at?
looks like its ZAZ 968 Zaporozhets. Terrible, terrible car.
it’s Lada 2101
Nice “home world” poster.
Hello English Russia peoples. I did become internet bride at once but now I do much more amazing thing. Have you heard of donkey show?
Hello English Russias peoples. I do become internet bride but now i have much more glorious career. Do you know the donkey show?
If she lived in Moscow, I doubt her father worked at ZAZ.
very nice pictures! good old soviet times..
Nice photo set, but maybe it is all Потёмкин-style staged?
Must be from 1986 (when the movie “Чужая Белая и Рябой” from that poster in the 4th last picture came out)
No. The life of those years is shown absolutely authentically. I was born in 1986 and in the childhood I was surrounded with the same things.
Katya looks like she is about 10 years or so in these pictures, in other words born in the mid-70′s.
I doubt you could actually remember much of the Soviet times, if you were borin in ’86; probably what you can recall is from post-Soviet collapse times.
BTW, please correct if someone knows better but I think that colour TV:s were not really commonplace in ordinary Soviet homes in mid-80′s.
a fake happy life of a fake happy girl.
the pix make me sick.
Now Katya has 9 children and weighs 300 pounds.
This evil children book caused the collapse of the Soviet State. We say: “Needle that broke the Camel Back”. Katya determined by local party office to make exploitative propoganda children book for western nations. She and family exiled to gulag for crimes against state. When released from gulag Katya missing 3 toe and 4 tooth.
When I come to this site, and read the comments – I must say – I am ashamed to be a Russian. So many of my former countrymen come here and cover their (former) motherland in dirt, it’s amazing. I guess I’m quite glad they left for the US.
Embarassing. I wish whoever owns this site would take the comment section away.
dear asanorthern, the capital city of Pará is not Manaus but Belém.
I think, he works in car-care centre
Golden Childhood…. now many many years later .. only now I grasp the magnitude of it, something that will never return.
[...] ką veikia „tarybinė“ mergaitė (foto iš sovietų laikų [...]
Shaslyks, hell yeah, the tastiest food on this world i discovered yet. Believe me people, if prepared well, its really nice!
Correction, at 1147 it was first mention of Moscow… probably was founded before
What is up with Cyclops in the camp photo “Katya and the other happy campers…”
[...] Katya’s life in pictures. [...]
B the photoes, Soviet life seems pretty far after all.
Это Катьке еще повезло, что она жила в Москве и что ее фоткали для буржуёзных журналов. Да и семья у нее видно, что приличная и образованная, врочем плохую семью бы и не стали снимать для иноземцев. Сейчас я думаю у нее все нормально.
Do you know what happened to “Russian Girl Katya” after perestroika?
She cheated by “white meat” en slavers for better life out of her country. However she served to other nations savors and finally became a sociopath or such a think, and still try to survive somewhere between us. Please no more Katya to waste a life after a dream.
Do not use the words “only in Russia” this is just to create inferiority feeling,
Be proud and upright.
Awesome JB!
11111111
Beautiful images
Wonderful photos of great kids. Thanks for the posting.
I too would like to know what became of Katya. Does anyone know?