In January 1991, the dying days of the USSR, the Central Television in Moscow brought together youngsters from the 15 Soviet Republics to ask how they see their future in the “glorious stronghold of people’s friendship“, as the Soviet anthem called it. Some of the participants had enough courage to openly call for the dismantling of “the awful USSR”, wanting to leave totalitarianism behind. After more than 25 years, the same young people, now matured, hear Vladimir Putin calling the breakup of the USSR “the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century“ and see not only the regalia and rhetoric of the totalitarian era making a comeback, but also some ugly traits of Homo Sovieticus in people’s minds and attitudes.

Writer / Rita Ruduša    DoP / Mārtiņš Jurevics    Editor / Toms Krauklis , Tomáš Elšík    Sound / Oskars Ostrovskis