5 MAIN female symbols of the Russian mass culture
Almost all of them come from the USSR. And every Russian will unmistakably identify them.
5. ‘Girl with an Oar’
The girl with an oar is called an example of “plaster socialist realism”. The sturdily built young lady athlete, a true ideal of a Soviet woman, was installed in many parks across the country. Her prototype was sculptor Ivan Shadra's sculpture, which appeared in 1936 in Moscow's Gorky Park. Later, the composition was repeated by Romuald Iodko, though he chastely dressed his lady in a swimsuit.
4. ‘Kolkhoz Woman’
Vera Mukhina’s ‘Worker and Kolkhoz Woman’ is one of the most famous Soviet monuments and was one of the hits of the 1937 World Exhibition in Paris. Its heroes, a man and a woman, symbolize gender equality in the USSR and together hold a sickle and hammer, the main symbols of the Soviet coat of arms.
3. ‘Alyonka’
All foreigners are sure to take the famous ‘Alyonka’ chocolate bar back from Russia as a souvenir. It is not just a sweet thing, but a real folk chocolate and the recognizable girl in a shawl is known to everyone in Russia.
By the way, the ‘Alyonka’ chocolate gets its name from the daughter of Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space! However, a different girl ended up being used in the picture. Read the story of the bar and the girl from its wrapper here.
2. ‘Motherland’
Russia's most recognizable World War II monument is Evgeny Vuchetich's ‘The Motherland Calls’, an 85-meter statue erected in 1967 in Stalingrad (now Volgograd) at the site of fierce fighting.
1. ‘Matryoshka’
Perhaps the most popular Russian female symbol is the matryoshka nesting doll. She can be found everywhere, including on the logo of ‘Gateway to Russia’ (our logo 😀)! The doll's name comes from the female name ‘Matrena’, which was popular in Russia in the 19th century. By the way, the matryoshka doll is actually younger than you think! Read more about the doll's history here.
