I was born in the Soviet Union. It sounds almost absurd to me today, but I was born in the USSR mere months before it collapsed, leaving millions of its inhabitants to wander the ruins of the evil empire. At last, people were able to enjoy their freedoms and rights, but poverty and violence became a serious threat to Russia’s young democracy. Bloody wars and uprisings broke out across one-sixth of the planet, while millionaires devoured black caviar in luxury homes on Moscow’s Rublyovka. Independent media - something completely new to the Russian public - began to establish itself in this environment. Dealing with censorship and lack of funding, Russian journalists covered the war in Chechnya and the emergence of a market economy. Television emerged as the main source of entertainment for most households, becoming a curious mix of analytical programs, Latin American soap operas, cartoons and gay music videos.
Now, when I remember my childhood, I compare the Russia of my memories with today’s Russia, disrupted by corruption, state violence and propaganda. Vladimir Putin’s Russia has little to offer to its citizens, apart from militarism and diminishing freedoms. The current violent crackdown on protesters, a struggling economy and intrusive propaganda depress people and encourage emigration. My story of migration, education and activism is an attempt to explain how these experiences can change our understanding of life in Russia today.
Ordinary Soviet city
I was born in the city of Perm, in the Urals, to a young, ordinary Soviet couple, who welcomed perestroika with joy. After she graduated from Kyiv state university, my mother was sent to Perm to work at a military equipment factory; she was given a room in a communal apartment, where I spent my first childhood years, from 1991 to 1996.
