Stories from the Soviet Union
Zine, Alec & Emily Fin, fayforest.com, 16 pgs, $2.64
Stories from the Soviet Union is a poetic retelling of the trials of living in the Soviet Union from 1956-80, specifically in the Ukraine. These personal stories were lived by Alec Fin, then edited and presented in this zine by Emily Fin. I haven’t thought about the Soviet Union since my high school world history class when discussing the Cold War. Reading Stories from the Soviet Union was humanizing. This zine, light and unintrusive as it seems, carries heaviness. My three favourite stories included were “Moldova, South Ukraine,” “Feeding,” and “Farm Friends.” From painting trees green to impress the powerful political ranks, to having no choice in what you bought for groceries and having to re-wrap your chewing gum, to having a beloved one-legged chicken and a German Shepard who milked the cow, the stories within this zine gives us all the first-person experience we enjoy having. Stories from gives off the feeling of nostalgia, memories that muddle in both joy and sadness. It’s relatable, even though most of us have not lived in such a hard context.
The zine is of good quality, printed on newspaper-type paper material. Its subtle colours and images create a minimal aesthetic, which fits into the theme of the stories inside. I appreciated the simplicity of this zine, good font with nice colours and layout. I recommend this zine to everyone. I liked it, my partner liked it, and I think you would, too.