Beatles Effect on Soviet Union

The Beatles Rock Russia “You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world”. Those lyrics from the Beatles song Revolution were considered subversive to Soviet youth by the Communist leaders. In fact until the late 1980’s, Beatle music was banned or very difficult to obtain in Russia.(Woodhead) Their music was smuggled into the country. If a person was caught, he would be punished by the KGB. Yet, despite the efforts of the authorities, the youth of Russia managed to listen to the music. They knew the Beatles names, their hair styles and their music. The Beatles were a major factor in bringing down the Soviet Union by changing the mindset of Soviet youth. Many things probably led to the fall of the Soviet Union. Any government that oppresses its people into submission and obedience will eventually see a backlash against the ruling government. That is what happened in the U.S.S.R. when the Communist government was voted out of existence in 1991. The people became restless and demanded change. In an Associated Press article from 1999, former Soviet resident said, “Russian was the only language allowed to be spoken to help create equality among all the people.” She said that Mother Russia determined the careers of the graduates of the high schools, assigned housing and even what area they should live in. Anyone who lived any lifestyle contrary to the government’s orders was considered a dissident. .The west; especially the United States and Britain were considered decadent and untrustworthy. Only the worst of the United States people was ever shown to the people of the Soviet Union. The media showed the very wealthy and their lavish lifestyles and then the poor people in the slums of Chicago or Harlem. These images were shown as the way most Americans lived. Some Russians knew that these were lies but they dared not give their opinions for