Soviet hippies: explore the free-spirited side of the USSR in London

Soviet Hippies, a new exhibition at London’s Red Gallery, takes visitors back to Soviet Estonia to step into a parallel universe — the hippie movement that existed within the Brezhnev regime.

Curated by KIWA and Terje Toomistu, the exhibition is based on an in-depth anthropological study, which saw the pair interview 15 people who were part of the hippie movement in the “Soviet West”, as Estonia was known owing to its bohemian feel and rock music scene. Visitors to Soviet Hippies will be able to get a privileged insight into the experience of this generation, with the interview films and a rich array of archive photography due to be shown at the exhibition.

“In the shadow of strict rules and harsh repressions, a colorful crowd of artists, musicians, freaks, vagabonds and other long-haired drop-outs created their own world, their own underground system that connected those who believed in peace, love, and freedom for their bodies and souls,” said the curators of this fascinating counter-culture.

The private view will take place on 2 September. The free event will include lecture presentations with writer and philosopher Vladimir Wiedemann and historian Juliane Fuers, as well as “Soviet Sound Culture”, in which KIWA will lead an expedition through the history of Estonian progressive rock music.

Soviet Hippies will run from 2 – 18 September at Red Gallery in London’s Shoreditch. You can register for the private view here and find more information of the gallery’s website.

Source: Skiddle