Most Russians think about America (namely, America - this title's used more often than the U.S.) as such a mythic country in which they never will be and never have been to, but about which they hear practically every day in the media. They listen to American pop-stars, watch American moovies, and some time ago they learnt the history of cold war at school. So, there a lot of stereotypes and prejudices raised by both our media and Hollywood. What is America? I think that the most popular answers would be: sheriffs, copps and Wild West, Chuck Norris and terminator, New York and skyscrapers, capitalists and the CIA... I tried to invent the most typical answers, still I realise that it's my own choice based on my way of thinking. Nevertheless, in my opinion, people see only these exotic things and don't see the main point. We are both the nations of dreamers, and here I want to present you my evidence:
These statues are symbols of the future where we'd like to live in: The Statue of Liberty, whose lamp illuminates the way to the American Dream, symbolises Freedom and Liberty, the sweet American Dream itself, and
Worker and Farmer (or "Kolkhoz") Woman, who are walking up to the skies of sunny communistic tomorrow, shows permanent dreaming of bright future in Russia whether we believed in God and Tsar or in Communism.
You can see that the Dream is indeed one for both countries: it's a Dream of hapinnes; it's an ideal towards which we are moving. Moreover, it is visualised similarly! both statues hold in raised hands items related to the future: a torch which enlights the world and shows the right way and a sickle and a hummer - working tools by which the bright future will be created.
Time goes by; epoches come one after another, bringing new ideas and new idols, but our hopes and dreams are stay the same as they have always been for our people. It's a thing to think about. We are close in the way we dream. So, why don't we join our efforts in making the better future?
Thank you for reading.
Interesting comparison. I like your point about the similarities between the two statues. I think Americans probably also have a lot about Russians, mostly stuff from old James Bond movies, but I can already see in my time here that these stereotypes are inaccurate. Contrary to popular belief in the U.S., everybody here is not in the KGB!
ОтветитьУдалитьThank you.
ОтветитьУдалитьYeah, especailly, since it doesn't exist at all now. That's for sure, I believe the KGB museum is the most popular attraction in Moscow. But these tremendous and frightful yellow-red building makes me think that the spirit of KGB is still alive...