You're unbeatable - Zorki Nostalgia

[lushd]

Celebration, Soviet Style

Celebration, Soviet Style

This "test statement" is great!

Traditionally a soviet prize is a "gramota" aka "certificate of achievement", you might also get a medal though, or a nice handpainted plate to hang on the wall.

When I went to the USSR in 1987, there were galleries of good comrades with citations of their achievments and portraits on some street corners. I didn't see a local looking at them but I was fascinated. Before we get swept away with post-ironic nostalgia for Soviet kitsch don't forget we all probably have an employee of the month portrait on a wall somewhere in our offices. Prizes for being good capitalists!

A ball of yak string might be more useful and practical though.

 

[Marc-A.]

P.S. The whole post was intended to be humorous and should not be taken too seriously.

That 's what I guessed... then I'm a bit (or very) ridiculous
Bests,
Marc

PS, just for the sake of argument: ok for the revolution ... but it's only the very first part of the liberation. And even the revolution is led by the communist elite who can scientifically assess the balance of power between classes and the economical trend (and determine the point from which the proletariat is able to appropriate the means of production, that is to make the revolution). Marx calls that: "scientific materialism" ... but it's common knowledge.

 

[Oldprof]

PS, just for the sake of argument: ok for the revolution ... but it's only the very first part of the liberation. And even the revolution is led by the communist elite who can scientifically assess the balance of power between classes and the economical trend (and determine the point from which the proletariat is able to appropriate the means of production, that is to make the revolution). Marx calls that: "scientific materialism" ... but it's common knowledge.

I agree. Marx wrote that the proletariat would have two allies in making the workers' revolution. The first was the "alienated intelligentsia" who were not necessarily from the working class, but who appreciated the injustices of capitalism and could provide the revolution's theoretical foundation (people like Marx himself; i.e., your "communist elite"). The proletariat had to be weaned from the "false consciousness" promoted by capitalism (and religions that supported capitalism) and taught a "revolutionary consciousness" that would give them a true understanding of how they were being exploited.

Another ally of the revolution would be the "lumpen proletariat" (or "lumpen"). Marx termed these people "the human garbage created by capitalism." This included the unemployed, the destitute, and "deviants" such as criminals and prostitutes - these were the "losers" that capitalist economies did not provide for. Such people were also alienated from normal capitalist society and would join the revolution.

 

[Marc-A.]

I agree too. Very well explained. By the way, Marx' analysis of the "Lumpenproletariat" has always puzzled me ... but it is another topic. Let's talk about RF cam
Thanks for the nice conversation,
Bests,
Marc

 

[kiev4a]

>Besides, if the "performance-based evaluation" was not a crucial communist criterion, the USSR would not have technologically dominated the world for almost 50 years.<

The SU never technologically dominated anyone. The camera industry was reflective of their technology as a whole. Most of it was "borrowed" from the West.

 

[Marc-A.]

Maybe just reminding of Spoutnik should be enough to oppose your assertion. And if you put forth the idea that the USSR borrowed its technology from Nz Germany ... humm ... what about the US?
Anyway, the very brief discussion with Oldprof was about marxism as a philosophical theory and the role scientific evaluation in it. Nothing more.
Don't want to argue about politics, sorry
Bests,
Marc
PS : I feel I should make it clear that I am not a fan of the USSR.

 

[lushd]

"The SU never technologically dominated anyone. The camera industry was reflective of their technology as a whole. Most of it was "borrowed" from the West.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't buy a second hand Soviet nuclear reactor but the following occured to me as Soviet technological achievements that led the way:

Sputnik - first artificial satellite

First human in space - Gagarin

T34 Tank versus the German Tiger et al in WW2

First industrial process to successfully create artificial diamonds

Kalashnikov rifle

MIG Jet fighters

Souyuz Space rocket - most reliable and most used space vehicle ever built

First woman space walk - Svetlana Savitskaya

First manned space station

Worlds biggest auto factory in Togliatti

Hydrofoil

Not to mention the advances in academic work made by physicists and mathematicians in the Soviet era.

 

[netzspannung]

Lushd, a couple of observations:

The factory in Togliatti was actually built in collaboration with FIAT, hence the italian communist name produces utterly dangerous, unreliable crap, cars made in the first 5-10 years of production being the best.. Like the Zorkis..

The Kalashnikov rifle is based on the german MP44 gun, very similar in appearance even..

This is a rule, not an exception - the lighter soviet industry is entirely based on western "borrowed" models. Soviet drills made from prewar Black'n'Decker models, even screws made on imported Swedish equipment, Russian watches made with Swiss tools, tools bought for dollars in USSR times, dollars gotten by art and food export...
Heavy industry and military stuff may be another matter, I don't know for sure

Only one thing of our own: the russian scientists and engineers did rock. Some do even now, a large part of them currently rocking in the USA

 

[Jocko]

What about the FED 5C? The Babbling Ninnies of the Nikon Cyclops never even dreamed of making anything like that!

 

[Iskra 2]

Colonel's Gift?

Colonel's Gift?

Wonder what the Colonel did for this award....... or maybe it was done by himself ....... ?

Hmmm... didn't the "Stealth" aircraft design concepts originate in an FSU scientific paper?

Regards.

 

[comp_wiz101]

Well, Russian Rifle designs inspired the Germans, ironically enough, to copy their design into Mauser rifles, if I remember correctly. In fact, the sniper rifle used by Russian forces during WWII was better balanced easier to accurately fire. The only drawback was the bolt, which was slightly slower to operate than a Mauser in experienced hands.

 

[comp_wiz101]

Apologies, it was a German Karabiner 98k sniper rifle, I think.

 

[comp_wiz101]

As for the Kalashnikov rifle, it does look similar to the MP43/44. Of course, they are both gas-operated, so a similar design would not be out of the ordinary, considering that style of furniture (wood components) that was typical of the time. Funny enough, the original designer did look at a German made assault rifle, but the internals are actually quite closer to that of an M1 garand rifle from the U.S.
I would seem that Kalashnikov took the best features of the M1 Garand, a reliable and tough weapon, and combine it with that of the StG44. Eventually, the AK-47 was modernized to use a stamped sheet receiver and given the new model name of AKM-47 (Sound familiar? It should! How about the Jupiter-8M!) - The 'M' was added for "Modernized"

Personally, I think that the fact that it was so often copied and noted for its realiablility certainly showed that Kalashnikov had a good eye for what was needed in its design.

 

[reagan]

Iskra 2 ~ Schweeet looking Zorki.4. I assume the inscription says "Gift to Col. ..." C'mon, spill it. Where'd ya get it? I've seen occasional items in the Bay advertising "inscription on top/bottom/whatever." The lettering on yours looks quite nice.

 

[netzspannung]

Iskra 2 ~ Schweeet looking Zorki.4. I assume the inscription says "Gift to Col. ..." C'mon, spill it. Where'd ya get it? I've seen occasional items in the Bay advertising "inscription on top/bottom/whatever." The lettering on yours looks quite nice.

It reads: To colonel P.P. Cohan from the Glavkom of VVS, 1970
Glavkom VVS = Airforce Commander-in-chief

Sounds phony, to me, just who is that anonymous commander? But the llettering style itself looks very much authentic, also matches the year of production.. Don't know, really

 

[lushd]

This is a rule, not an exception - the lighter soviet industry is entirely based on western "borrowed" models. Soviet drills made from prewar Black'n'Decker models, even screws made on imported Swedish equipment, Russian watches made with Swiss tools, tools bought for dollars in USSR times, dollars gotten by art and food export...
Heavy industry and military stuff may be another matter, I don't know for sure

Only one thing of our own: the russian scientists and engineers did rock. Some do even now, a large part of them currently rocking in the USA[/QUOTE]

Couldn't disagree - after all I own two Kiev rangefinders and three Zorki 1s.

 

[comp_wiz101]

Hehe... I guess we can't thank the scientists that designed RMBK reactors... ie. Chernobyl.

 

[zhang xk]

It reads: To colonel P.P. Cohan from the Glavkom of VVS, 1970
Glavkom VVS = Airforce Commander-in-chief

Sounds phony, to me, just who is that anonymous commander? But the llettering style itself looks very much authentic, also matches the year of production.. Don't know, really

Hi,

Could you help with this inscription on my Zorki 5? A guy who knows Russian said it was not Russian. :bang:

Thanks

Zhang

 

[lushd]

Hehe... I guess we can't thank the scientists that designed RMBK reactors... ie. Chernobyl.

Sadly correct. And many other examples (the Soviet copy of Concorde) could spring to mind.

However, here's a thought. My first car was a Skoda 110. It was a disaster and in the five months I owned it I had only one week in which something didn't fall off or break. There was nothing wrong with the design (although it owed a lot to Western ideas) and it was a well specified car for the time. The few times it went properly, it was a joy to drive.

The issue was in the manufacturing. It functioned as though it had been assembled by drunks wearing boxing gloves. Many USSR products I have come across were similar; great ideas ruined by sloppy execution. The British firm TOE used to more or less rebuild a lot of the stuff they imported, as did the LADA importers with the cars. Hence, a Zorki or Zenit originally sold through TOE is a good bet in the UK. There's a cottage industry in remaking Kiev MF cameras and they seem to respond to surgery very well.

If the USSR had been able to get quality control, product development and marketing right (and these are alien concepts to the Soviet system of course) who knows what could have happened.

 

[clarence]

There's a cottage industry in remaking Kiev MF cameras and they seem to respond to surgery very well.

I would have got an Arax or Hartblei, actually, but the used Medium Format market is crashing and I got my Mamiya gear for much less than a new Arax.

And I actually saw a used Arax on UK eb*y go for quite a good (i.e. high) price once.

Clarence