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All Russian people happened to be born in the Soviet Union remember the time when governmental policy, international climate and wars were discussed in the only place (some may think it unsuitable for it) – kitchen. The reason why kitchens functioned this way is quite clear: the tradition dates 60 or 70 years back. Citizens lived then in so-called multifamily units, which still exist by the way, the most part of time each family spent in the room given to them by the government, and usually flatmates talked in the kitchen while cooking or drinking tea. The Soviet Union collapsed but the tradition remained.
However, voicing an opinion was not always safe in Russia: the period, when Stalin ruled the country, is known for repressions, thus, people had to be very cautious in a choice of words. The leader’s policy was above exception, and those, who dared to express their opinion could end days in prison or labor camps in Siberia e.g. Kolyma. Officers from the People’s commissariat of internal affairs were not infrequent guests of common Soviet citizen, since lots of “whistlers”, providing special services with information about suspicious individuals, used to be our neighbors. A word opposing the official point of view and said by accident immediately caught their attention. Among those, who were sent into exile, were Alexandr Solzhenitsyn and the Chief Designer of the Soviet Space Program Sergey Korolev.
The Iron Curtain Fall turned the established world of the Soviet people upside down. Liberty of speech rushed into our life like a shot. Everybody could say what they wanted without fear of imprisonment or condemnation. Overwhelming freedom took one’s breath away so, that not many people actually realized what was going on: only few TV channels and radio stations, though the main ones, subscribed to the official point of view, others maintained the opinion of businessmen and politicians, who invested money into their development. Surely, there appeared various opinions to listen to, but in majority of cases it was for nothing – some mass media turned their back on government, but at the same time they propagandized the opposition.
Almost all TV, radio and the Internet information sources belong to huge corporations willing to make you follow their ideas and that is why the kitchen still remains a free discussion area.
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