Due to some circumstances October brings to Russian mind memories of early and mid nineties. Let’s recollect what the country’s life was like that time.
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Communist demonstration scuffles with the police and internal military forces. Moscow, May 1, 1993.
Boris Yeltsin visiting Germany. May 1994.
Gas spray guns are legalized in Russia. Moscow, Arbat, November 1992.
Baptismal service in a church. Ryazan, June 1994.
Arrest of a kidnapper, who held two people as hostages. Moscow, June 1994.
Fish sellers on one of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky markets. March 1993.
Arrested Alexander Rutzkoy being led out the White House. Moscow, October 5 1993.
Queue by a currency exchange office. Moscow, January 1994.
Artist Oleg Kulik pictures a dog in his art-performance. November 1994.
Arrest of crime suspects. Moscow, May, 1994.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky throwing stones and mud into Jewish students, who accused him of anti-Semitism. Russian Consulate in Strasbourg, April 11, 1994.
Soldiers after a V-Day march practice, taking a nap on a park bench. Moscow, May 6, 1994.
Fish seller. Moscow, January 1994.
Deputies Marychev and Bulgakova at the State Duma sitting. May 1995.
Vladislav Listyev’s (a famous television anchorman who was killed by unknown men) mother at his coffin. Moscow, March 3, 1995.
A lottery winner of a “Moskvich” car. November 1994.
Chechen militants leader Shamil Basaev at a Budennovsk hospital siege, Lune 19, 1995.
Artist Grigoriy Fyodorov painting on a dancer’s body for a night club’s opening. Moscow, April 1995.
Russian soldiers by a Chechen border. December 1994.
Film director Nikita Mikhalkov and his daughter Nadya holding the Oskar Award that he got for the movie “Burnt by the Sun”. USA, March 28, 1995.
Chechen militants by Achkha-Martan. December, 1994.
MMM investees’ Demonstration by an administration building. Moscow, August 1994.
Two retired teachers planting potatoes. A village by Pskov, May 1993.
A soldier kissing the Bible while taking the oath. Moscow, February 1995.
In Grozny Central Park. February 1995.
A wife carrying her drunk disabled husband. Semenkovo village in Moscow Region, 1995.
Moscow, New Arbat, January 1995.
Photo credits — 1
greit photos!
An interesting snapshot of a very transitional moment in the history of Russia.
awesome pics! the photo of the soldier playing the piano in the woods is the best!
definitely. great photo
What a fokin shame.
pathetic time. Time of our humiliation.
Our generation will never forgive this.
You only have to blame yoourself, and no one else.
omg assume
I agree.
And the next generation will be humilated that it lost so much hard won freedom by their grandparents to a small group of unelected people by parents content to sit aside and watch it happen.
Looking back at a time of free speech in newspapers, independent TV and radio, electing the deputy of choice to the Duma, direct elections of Governors, fastest growth period in Russian history it’s easy to see what has been lost since Putin.
However nostalgia is hard to shake and the idea of Russian belligerence in diplomacy equalling greatness has re-emerged again.
Putin’s dependency on exporting raw materials instead of nurturing the ermerging middle class in Russia from the 90′s has shown the weekness in the Russian economy today which started then. Lessons haven’t been learnt since the two currency crashes of those years.
Living in Russia during the 90′s I recall the excitement and freedom which is sadly missing today. People have sadly sold their freedoms drip by drip for colour LCD TV’s and new cars. In those days the chaotic atmosphere benefited those who got up and did something about it.
Perhaps one day the desire to say what you want, print what you want and do what you want will return but for now the soviets have returned.
It will never return. Authoritarianism or even totalitarianism is the norm in Russian history. The nineties, just as the months from February until October 1917 – times of freedom and possibilities – are abnormal for Russians. And so they will keep on living in stagnating societies until one day they will wake up and notice Russia has disappeared for good – and it will be their own fault.
But possibly now two generations away from a democratic and free Russia once again.
The present generation has proven themselves unable to control and manage their government through lost rights and benefits forght for by their parents.
The next generation will have grown up in an environment where the authority of the new polictical elite will be considered the norm.
It’s up the next generation to win back a Russia run and owned by the people.
Oh yeah Russia is so totalitarian and oppressed. Heil Yeltsin!
I am afraid you are right.
I do too!
Very interesting
What a miserable country.
The country is great. What you see on the photos is just miserable period in its history. The immediate result of “friendship” with western countries, “democracy”, and capitalism. The result of Gorbachevs betrayal.
So you think that the Communism would have been better?
I have witnessed both. Before and after. Off course, there were some problems in the Soviet Union too. But any way it was definitely much better, than what has happened next. Instead of needed reforms, Gorbachev just broke the country he was responsible for. And for doing that he got his Nobel prize from westerns.
Chinese were more wise and managed to combine advantages of both economical systems. As a result, they are quickly developing and becoming strong, taking place of the former Soviet Union in the world. And Russia is left ruined. Thanks for democracy.
No wonder, drunk russians in the government.
I like how the author of this post named Chechen terrorist in his comments – Chechen militants. Following this logic – Taliban terrorist are Afghanistan militants. And those, who committed terrorist attack in Ney York also were militants, I guess.
Why not to call things by their real names? If you are hate Russia and support Chechen terrorist, it does not change the fact that they are terrorists and murderers. Do not make heroes out of bandits who captured hospital full of patients.
What facts do you have about the real causes of any military resistance? TV-facts. Oh, you are so “I-trust-anything-they-say-on-FOX-Chanel” guy. Main terrorist is in your head already.
O, I guess your facts are based on you personal experience. You definitely witnessed everything yourself. Then tell me what the real reasons are?
What facts do you need about causes of crazy Islamic fanatics, who kidnapping and killing people, and exploding bombs? It seems, that in your head is nothing but vacuum.
Are you trying to deny that the wahhabi scum that terrorized Chechnya, and rest of Russia, were not terrorists?
They are not defeated yet (they have fled to the Ingushetian mountains, where they are being hunted down like the dirt they are), but it won’t be long now.
Amazing photos. I wish Russia well..
Interesting pictures,I will leave it with that on this post……..