1. Tenth-grader Maria Kalinina became queen of the first Soviet beauty pageant in 1988.
Vladimir Rodionov/Sputnik
2. Fashion magazine Burda mesmerized Soviet women starting in February 1987.
Alexander Makarov/Sputnik
3. May Day was big back in the 1980s.
Igor Zotin/TASS
4. Pioneer camps were in full swing in 1987.
Nikolai Malyshev; Alexander Chumichev/TASS
5. Iconic brands were just beginning to probe the Soviet market, and stirred people’s curiosity.
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6. Soviet-made cars (VAZ) enjoyed an undisputable status, and had a certain chic.
Vsevolod Tarasevich/Sputnik
7. Soviet airlines delivered high-end service that would today embarrass many contemporary air carriers.
Sputnik
8. The legendary Olympic mascot became a symbol of the 1980s.
Semyon Maisterman; Nikolai Naumenkov/TASS
9. Ronald Reagan no longer had a reason to call the USSR the “evil empire” after he received such a warm welcome in Moscow in 1988.
Vladimir Vyatkin/Sputnik
10. Ronald Reagan even shook hands with some children on Red Square in 1988.
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11. Technological innovation fascinated Soviet society.
Yevgeny Petriychuk/TASS
12. These were the times when Oriental carpets were in demand.
Redkin/Sputnik
13. Back then, “luxury” had a whole different meaning: It was enough to have new furniture, a TV, and an Oriental carpet.
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14. Soviet customers didn’t know the true meaning of variety.
Boris Elshin/Sputnik
15. Sometimes variety was not an option.
Audrius/Sputnik
16. Breakdancing became a sensation in the 1980s.
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17. Intellectual shows were popular on TV. “What? Where? When?” was the biggest hit.
G. Kazarynov/Sputnik
18. The spirit of adventure was strong. Here, people relax after skiing in the Republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia.
Yuriy Somov/Sputnik
19. Social mores became lax enough to tolerate displays of affection.
Vladimir Vyatkin/Sputnik
20. A typical Soviet kitchen of the 1980s.
Vladimir Perventsev/Sputnik
21. A cult of the human body quickly emerged in Soviet Russia.
Igor Mikhalev/Sputnik
22. This was the time when disco culture boomed in the USSR.
Novikov/Sputnik
23. Rock-n-roll was a big thing in the 80s.
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24. People had to stand in line to get many basic goods. Here, customers wait for cakes.
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25. The Detsky Mir (Children’s World) shopping center was much different in the 1980s from what it looks like today.
Igor Zotin, Alexander Chumichev/TASS
26. “Long live the Communist Party of the Soviet Union!” - in the 1980s, ideology was still highly visible but not for much longer.
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