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Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Happy New Year! 1961, #1. Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles – vintage photographs of 1940-1960s taken during New Year’s Day celebration in the USSR. The smell of tangerines and a living Christmas tree, hissing champagne glasses and optimistic song from the TV, the taste of salad and a chocolates … Everyone remembers the celebrated New Year in the Soviet Union, all of these feelings are familiar. And the most important feeling: in the USSR the New Year celebration was much happier than it is today.

Blue Light, New Year TV show, first channel, 1976. On the stage - singer Lev Leshchenko and actor Igor Starygin

Blue Light (Goluboi Ogonyok), New Year TV show, first channel, 1976. On the stage – singer Lev Leshchenko and actor Igor Starygin

The first part of this tradition has become an indispensable Christmas “Blue Light”, broadcast on the first national channel. Since 1964, it became an annual Christmas drive, and for twenty years the songs and jokes of this TV show accompanied the Soviet New Year’s holiday.

1976 film 'Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath'

1976 film ‘Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath’

The second tradition in 1976 was the film “Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath”. Eldar Ryazanov’s comedy not only strongly associated with New Year’s Eve (shown annually), it also has served as a source of some of the traditions of decorating the house for the New Year.

The usual picture, for example, were people carrying a Christmas tree, bought one-two weeks before the occasion

The usual picture, for example, were people carrying a Christmas tree, bought one-two weeks before the occasion

Soviet era Christmas Tree toys distinguished by great diversity of forms

Soviet era Christmas Tree toys distinguished by great diversity of forms

A rich festive table, lots of guests, too, was a Soviet New Year celebration tradition

A rich festive table, lots of guests, too, was a Soviet New Year celebration tradition

Muscovites in the city center - on Gorky Street before the New 1961

Muscovites in the city center – on Gorky Street before the New 1961

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

1950 magazine ‘Ogonyok’ cover ‘Happy New Year, comrades’

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

1952 cover of magazine Ogonyok

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Happy New Year 1961 magazine Ogonyok, USSR photo chronicles

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Happy New Year, comrades, Ogonyok magazine cover, 1954

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

late 1940s – early 1950s New Year celebration

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

New 1961 in Kremlin. Photo by A. Gostev

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

New Year’s day party

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Nikita Khrushchev on New Year’s day celebration in Kremlin. photo by A. Ustinov

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Photo by V. Shakhovsky. Family of a metallurgist G.M. Sleptsov decorates the Christmas tree. 1954

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Thank you dear Stalin for our happy childhood

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

The banner above the Christmas tree – thank you, comrade Stalin, for our happy childhood

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Winter Forest. Photo by A. Savalov

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Caricatures published in the same magazine. 1 January 1961 $ 1 = 90 kopeks (0.9 rubles)

Magazine Ogonyok New Year celebration chronicles

Inspired by space achievements caricature in 1961 magazine Ogonyok

sources:
scanned images, magazine Ogonyok 1957, 1961
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