Oh, What A Glorious Day !, a photo from Zachodniopomorskie, West

Photographer's Note

For several decades - May 1st. was the day of thanksgiving given to the glorious leaders of the communist parties all over the globe.

And there was a whole lot of to be thankful for…

We, the tribes of the bright future, we thanked our leaders for the sun rising in the east and descending into the complete oblivious in the west, and for the rain, and for defending our borders against the hordes of imperialists…
And for protecting our great scientific and economical achievements against the hungry for power, capitalistic dwarfs from the western, decaying part of the world.
And for oranges (at Christmas time… I saw them…I swear to God, I saw them with my very eyes…!), and for electricity (always restored and brought back (regardless of sabotaging our power facilities by CIA and Zionistic cliques!), and for protecting us, the peace loving citizens - from the evil of Playboy, fast, sporty cars, blue jeans, traffic congestions, James Bond movies, KODAK films and from the senseless poisoning our vigorous organisms by imperialistic Coca-Cola…

Those were the days, my friends…Those were the days…
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The photo:
Our hearts, our clean thoughts, our souls and our muscles go to you, the beloved leaders of our country…
Lead us please, into the bright future of the eternal happiness and the brotherly friendship with the Soviet Union, the greatest country ever existed….

And our leaders very kindly nodded their smart heads in a total agreement. (:-))))))…
They were good guys - those leaders of ours - weren't they, hah ?

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You may find your original critique here or here or, with a bit of luck right here

………………

Have a great first day of May !

edytungkal, worldcitizen, Clairedelune ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

Junctus (64) 2009-04-30 17:19

A valuable document of a culture of ugly architecture, horrendous synthetic clothing and dull choreographies.

Merline (0) 2009-04-30 18:05

I had to push out one of yours to make place for this instant favorite. Tremendous, glorious shot, George. All the alienation of those days, in a mix of choregraphy/gymnastic and mystical expressions (or void ?), or looking at the grey emptiness of their myths ? The young woman in the foreground looks like one of those rather kitchy statues in churches...don't want to offend anybody, but...you know, blinded by light divine from the "leaders". Superb cinematic effect. Something frightening too.

Humbly and with joy at the marvels in your gallery.
Michèle

P.S. Makakas don't work on the first of May! :-)

Photobones (347) 2009-04-30 18:28

The sarcasm isn't lost here, but you really better keep a close eye on those blue jeans. I know when women wearing blue jeans walk past me I keep an eye on those jeans just in case they are going to pervert me!

Back in Johan Strauss's day, some puritans thought his waltzes were the next thing to pornography... those waltzes compelled your body to do unnatural (in truth, totally natural) acts with the opposite sex!

Great picture... where are they now?!

edytungkal (4551) 2009-04-30 19:22

Its good you posted here again, so i can imagine that day.... its a worthed documentary shot. Wow...31 years old picture !! Thank you for sharing...George.

daniel

isabela_sor (47748) 2009-04-30 21:54 [Comment]

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tomescuc (3291) 2009-04-30 22:49

my kind of women! oh, how I miss the days! 11 points for this one..
CT

papera (14372) 2009-05-01 0:25

I would like to know what the girl in the foreground was thinking back then... and where she is now, after 30+ years.
it's funny, but nowadays May 1st is celebrated in Italy with open air concerts everywhere, where the mass element, in its oblivious devotion to trash, money and "fun" is indeed more similar to these orchestrated celebrations than all those red-flagged demonstrations of once...
our leaders indeed...

michelloupis (0) 2009-05-01 2:48

Bombastic shot. Incredible George! One of your top 10, that's for sure.

Amazing dynamics and composition and an expression that... well... could tell a very long long story.

Thanks again for this magnificent piece of art and report!

n.

panos_pappas (36) 2009-05-01 9:00

what a glorious photo.
really good shoting place,
really intense
panos

worldcitizen (14272) 2009-05-01 13:49

Hello George,
Wow! This photo really grabbed my attention! It looks like a scene from some kind of Broadway musical gone wrong...I can imagine dance routines and acrobatics, and maybe some hit tunes to go with it all. The people, with all of their hands thrown up in unison are eerie and fascinating. Thanks for resurrecting this series for May Day. It's good stuff. :-)

bantonbuju (51815) 2009-05-01 14:59

no i sie nie udalo, zgrabne dziewczeta w corocznych akademiowych pokazach nie wystarczyly... ludzie wybrali jednak te playboye, zachodnie samochody, markowe ciuchy, opalanie na niebulgarskiej plazy...
podoba mi sie w tym zdjeciu rozklad wielu rozpostartych entuzjastycznie rak, mlode, radosne postaci - a w tle klasyczne, przytlaczajace widoki socjalizmu blokowego...

j.

Clairedelune (4923) 2009-05-02 11:17

I decided to keep your photos of that "May Day" series for my last critiques of the day. I was hoping to find the words, after having warmed myself up for the task ahead of me.
Well... it is a total failure...
Oh... I am furious. I should know what to write. Especially since I have already written 'critiques' for most of these photos. Yet...
In this one I had written: "Your photos are very powerful. And I have only one desire in looking at them. It is to shut up. And listen. It is where Internet is frustrating for me sometimes. I would just like to sit at a table where you could tell me how it was, the orange at Christmas, the parade, the daily life, the smell of it, the core of it. I would like you to show me your photos. I have nothing to say. I just want to listen... And see..."
Exactly! Just to shut my mouth and be amazed.
Invaluable account of an era not that far away. Priceless photos that are worthing much, much praise.
Claire

ninaL (21348) 2009-05-07 22:34

Tego tez nie zapomnialam.
Wspaniale, odjechane, piekne, oddajace tak bardzo tamta atmosfere...Kocham te twoje majowki.
Buzka. G.

polter (7239) 2009-05-24 13:46

Wróciły dziewczyny, hip hip hurra !

dwa lata temu (2007-05-01) polter napisała:

"Those were the days... :))
Minęły tamte dni. Wolałabym wspominać je z przyjemnością, jako lata młodości, wszystko jedno w jakich warunkach politycznych. Czy któraś z tych dziewczyn miała w głowie jakieś ideologie ? Były młode, piękne i sprawne. A ty ganiałeś z aparatem i robiłeś zdjęcia też dla chwały ich urody a nie socjalizmu (hope so :)) ). Nawet bonzów fotografowałeś dla dobrej fotografii, a nie z zachwytu dla ich wielkości. No, taka była nasza młodość. Ale, do licha, to była MŁODOŚĆ. Byłam może dwa, może trzy razy w życiu na tej dziwacznej imprezie - nic ciekawego. Za to w telewizji wyglądała imponująco. Między innymi dzięki takim ujęciom :))) Wspaniałe !!! "Niech się święci pierwszy maja" - ciekawe, ile rzeczy i spraw można jeszcze wpakować pod szyld świętości ;)). Z robotniczym pozdrowieniem :)) T."

Teraz mogę o czasach sprzed dwóch lat też powiedzieć: those were the days ;))

Buźka T.