Growing up, my impression of Moscow and the Russia beyond was mostly in shadowy of shades of grey. Grey buildings, grey clothes and grey communities.
The only images I had ever really associated with Russia were of babushkas, men in track pants and gold chains and, of course, the Kremlin. Gorbachev and Baryshnikov were runners up. Not exactly a modern mind collage.
Growing up in the 80’s meant my thoughts of Russia had long ago been sealed in a box somewhere in my mind, stuck in time.
So many friends raised their eyebrows at the prospect of moving to the former epicenter of the Cold War. Russia seemed risky. Frigid, dark, snowy, and so far away. Russia was serious stuff.
So it was a welcome surprise to see my stereotypes were as outdated as the hammer and sickle. Many Soviet-era statues – including of Stalin – have long been removed and tucked away in a corner of one Moscow park.
But after more than three years here – as I look back – I now see that while my view of Russia did indeed need an update, nostalgia for the Soviet Union is in fact on the rise.
Of course no one wants to go back to greyness, but Russia’s government has been blurring history to portray many aspects of the Soviet Union in a softer, cozier light. And what lies beyond Russia’s borders is portrayed as harsh, hostile political territory.
