Vintage Photos of Soviets Taking Pictures with Their First Televisions

Artists Anna Pilipyuk and Vladimir Shipotilnikov recalled how the TV was a source of pride in the Soviet Union for their project “My First TV.” They gathered pictures of people between World War II and Perestroika taking pictures with their television sets.

h/t: vintag.es

America saw the introduction of televisions in the late 1920s. With no built-in loudspeaker, the first mechanical television was introduced in the Soviet Union in 1932 and required a radio connection to function.

After the WW2, mass production of televisions was started in the USSR and distribution followed. With an average salary of 600–800 rubles, 61% of urban families owned a TV by 1970, despite the fact that the device cost 900–1200 rubles.