LIFE IN THE USSR IN THE EYES OF AFRICAN STUDENTS (1960s – 1980s)

Abstract

The relevance of the article lies in the fact that the question of the education and life of African students in the USSR remains little studied in historiography. The work is based on the information of a survey conducted by the author among former African students who studied in the USSR during the 1960s – 1980s. During the period of decolonization on the African continent, Western and African media spread one-sided negative information about the Soviet Union, including the ill-treatment of some Africans who were representatives of the first wave of students studying in the USSR. Nevertheless, the flow of those wishing to receive a Soviet education was growing. After living in the USSR for several years, African students got acquainted with life in the Soviet country. Comparing the memories of representatives of different generations about the Soviet way of life, suggests that their view from the outside allowed them to notice the peculiarities of Soviet life and everyday life. Goodwill of teachers, communication with Soviet students contributed to the fact that Africans formed their own ideas about the USSR, different from the imposed media. Despite the strong ideological component of the Soviet education system, African students were not interested in deeply assimilation the theoretical foundations of Marxist-Leninist socialism. However, our respondents admitted that they liked the Soviet socialist system, which, unfortunately, was not realizable in Africa. As a result, their student life spent in the Soviet Union remained one of the most vivid memories in their lives.