About the past
- No-no-no-no. Where are you taking me!?
- Towards your happiness! - “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” (1976)
“The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” - is an old Soviet comedy, made by famous in
USSR director - Eldar Ryazanov in 1976. It is a romantic comedy, the story starts in
Moscow when one man, celebrating New Year, became so drunk that he accidentally
got on a plane to Leningrad (current - Saint Petersburg) without even understanding it.
He took a taxi and got home to continue the celebration with his fiancee but got
asleep while nobody was home. It is not difficult to imagine the shock of a woman who
lived in the apartment came home and found out some stranger sleeping in her bad.
This is how this movie starts. But how came this man did not understand that he was
in another city, went to another house and fell asleep not in his room and not in his bed?
That is where the irony about Soviet design policy begins.
USSR director - Eldar Ryazanov in 1976. It is a romantic comedy, the story starts in
Moscow when one man, celebrating New Year, became so drunk that he accidentally
got on a plane to Leningrad (current - Saint Petersburg) without even understanding it.
He took a taxi and got home to continue the celebration with his fiancee but got
asleep while nobody was home. It is not difficult to imagine the shock of a woman who
lived in the apartment came home and found out some stranger sleeping in her bad.
This is how this movie starts. But how came this man did not understand that he was
in another city, went to another house and fell asleep not in his room and not in his bed?
That is where the irony about Soviet design policy begins.
This movie is not political (which is natural for the Soviet period with soviet censure
and control). But the premise of all the adventures of the main characters even though
is grotesque is political humor expressed through the jokes about modern architecture
and environment produced by modern/international style. Which was an officially
ideologically supported style in the Soviet Union starting with post-Stalinist Epoque (from the fifties/sixties of 20 century) - technically advanced,
fast to built architecture for the equal humans of the space future. An aspect of
depersonalization and similarity was crucial for the ideology - everybody should be
socially equal, should follow and support the sameideas and for that, all the identities
should be suppressed as they are the source of uniqueness. So, for sure it is exaggerated and comic, but the idea is that the city, the house, the name of the
street, the bed are looking or are the same in two different cities. This was completely
irrational for the citizens then (and for sure now), when the cities are so ancient, so full
of history and individuality, when there are layers of the different styles of architecture -
it is absurd to ignore and “forget” it and cover everything with the “superior” modern
architecture. This fact changed the history of Russian architecture. I am not saying that
this architecture did not do it best to handle the problems after WW II, and
and control). But the premise of all the adventures of the main characters even though
is grotesque is political humor expressed through the jokes about modern architecture
and environment produced by modern/international style. Which was an officially
ideologically supported style in the Soviet Union starting with post-Stalinist Epoque (from the fifties/sixties of 20 century) - technically advanced,
fast to built architecture for the equal humans of the space future. An aspect of
depersonalization and similarity was crucial for the ideology - everybody should be
socially equal, should follow and support the sameideas and for that, all the identities
should be suppressed as they are the source of uniqueness. So, for sure it is exaggerated and comic, but the idea is that the city, the house, the name of the
street, the bed are looking or are the same in two different cities. This was completely
irrational for the citizens then (and for sure now), when the cities are so ancient, so full
of history and individuality, when there are layers of the different styles of architecture -
it is absurd to ignore and “forget” it and cover everything with the “superior” modern
architecture. This fact changed the history of Russian architecture. I am not saying that
this architecture did not do it best to handle the problems after WW II, and
actually it created a very comfortable living environment which is still working. And for
sure, even the following modernism, architects were trying to take into account some
local identities and traditions and rethink them in a modern way. But still, the idea of no
identity as a new clear future without the mistakes (and the lessons!) of the past had
the legitimate critics for that time.
sure, even the following modernism, architects were trying to take into account some
local identities and traditions and rethink them in a modern way. But still, the idea of no
identity as a new clear future without the mistakes (and the lessons!) of the past had
the legitimate critics for that time.
The movie starts with a short cartoon about modernist architecture (2.40 min)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfTVjqlOz4M
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfTVjqlOz4M
“The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” (1976), introduction cartoon - modern architecture
marching in soldier boots
marching in soldier boots
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