Having been raised to think that all of the Soviet Bloc resembled the drab realm depicted in this infamous Wendy’s ad, I’m always amused to come across depictions of our Cold War foes basking in the sun. The photo above, of a crowded beach in Odessa, is part of a terrific Ian Berry series from 1982, which includes several more shots of Ukrainians of varying shapes and sizes stretched out on the sand—along with more stereotypical depictions of the city’s bleak corners. Check out a great sampling from the collection here, via the always stellar Vintage Everyday.
Gramsci // Mar 15, 2013 at 1:20 pm
I remember “SVEEM-VAIR!” but I actually think I would have found this photo more effective as propaganda about economic development. On the other hand I would have felt more human connection rather than nuke-lust, which made it entirely unacceptable for the 80’s. BTW, this would have made for a jarring, unintentionally comical still for Sting’s “Russians” video.
Brendan I. Koerner // Mar 19, 2013 at 12:30 pm
@Gramsci: I have a really complicated relationship with that Sting song.