My address is the Soviet Union - or is it? Baltic identity in souvenir production within the Soviet discourse

Bibliographic Data

ID2391219
AuthorsTriin Jerlei (0000-0002-4151-2542, Vilnius University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume27
Issue2
Pages147-165
Publication date2022-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Material Culture (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1359-1835 • E-ISSN: 1460-3586
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/13591835211052465
OpenAlexW3214905263
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited30

In the 1960s, tourism in the Soviet Union underwent radical changes. While previously the focus had been on showcasing the rapid modernization of the empire, this new type of tourism focused on introducing foreigners to the regional vernacular culture in the Soviet Union. As the number of tourists increased, the need for wider mass production of souvenirs emerged. This research focuses on the identity of souvenirs produced in Baltic states as a case study for identifying the existence and nature of regionalism within the Soviet system. This study found that within Baltic souvenir production, two separate types of identities manifested. Firstly, the use of national or vernacular symbols was allowed and even promoted throughout the Soviet Union. A famous slogan of the era was 'Socialist in content, national in form', which suggested that national form was suitable for conveying socialist ideals. These products were usually made of local materials and employed traditional national ornament. However, this research identified a secondary identity within the souvenirs manufactured in the Baltic countries, which was based on a shared 'European past'. The symbol often chosen to convey it was the pre-Soviet Old Town, which was in all three states based on Western and Central European architectural traditions. This research suggests that this European identity validated through the use of Old Town as a recurring motif on souvenirs, distinguished Baltic states from the other regions of the Soviet Union. While most souvenirs manufactured in the Soviet Union emphasized the image of locals as the exotic 'Other', Baltic souvenirs inspired by Old Town conveyed the idea of familiarity to European tourists

Art · Communism · Democracy · Eastern Bloc · Economic history · Economics · Economy · Empire · European union · Latvian · Literature · Modernization theory · National identity · Political science · Regionalism (politics · Tourism · Vernacular · European Cultural and National Identity · Historical Geopolitical and Social Dynamics · History · Law · Memory, Trauma, and Commemoration

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access