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  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • THE FAMILY ALBUM
  • ONCE UPON A TIME IN ROMANIA
    • ▸Bucharest, 1989: The days of Revolution
    • ▸I’ve also lived under communism
    • ▸Portraits of transition
    • ▸”Cabernet cu pepsi”
    • ▸Romania, 1990: Beyond the headlines
    • ▸“Mineriada” – My story
    • ▸Memorial of pain
  • WORK IN PROGRESS
    • ▸Barbershop
    • ▸Melancholic Identities
    • ▸Faces
    • ▸Fragmentary world
    • ▸Two
    • ▸Buddhist monks
    • ▸About windows and walls
    • ▸Mediterraneo
  • STORIES
    • ▸Alone, together
    • ▸Life and death in Varanasi
    • ▸Trans-Siberian – An experience of becoming
    • ▸Boxing in Havana
    • ▸Moving out of Escobar shadow
    • ▸One night at Htee Thein monastery
    • ▸Easter in Sicily – I misteri
    • ▸Easter in Sicily – La pasquetta
    • ▸Stalin’s Museum in Gori
    • ▸Havana: Between magic and decay
    • ▸Muay Thai for a day
    • ▸Cuban billboards
    • ▸Seeking a geisha
    • ▸Belfast’s murals: Behind and beyond
    • ▸Riding the Yangon’s ring train
    • ▸Bazar-Barakholka-Vernisazh
    • ▸An unexpected trip to Dhobi Ghat
    • ▸A different way to look at death
    • ▸Cannes under siege
    • ▸Inside the Guru’s kitchen
    • ▸Tibetan refugees
    • ▸The Golden Triangle: A Mecca of tribal diversity
    • ▸Bullfighting: Barbaric or art ?
    • ▸Crafts and traditions in Morroco
    • ▸Glastonbury with God
  • TRAVEL
    • Cuba
      • ▸The show must go on (part 1)
      • ▸The show must go on (part 2)
      • ▸The show must go on (part 3)
      • ▸The show must go on (part 4)
    • France
      • ▸Paris
      • ▸Paris. Again
    • Greece
      • ▸Mount Athos
      • ▸Postcards from Santorini
      • ▸Athens
      • ▸Mykonos – The picture-perfect Island
    • Germany
      • ▸Berlin
    • Vietnam
      • ▸Four days in Hanoi
      • ▸Cruising through the misty Halong Bay
    • India
      • ▸Portraits of Kashmir
      • ▸Rishikesh – Spiritual marketplace
      • ▸Life on the Sidewalk
    • Ireland
      • ▸The capital of pubs
      • ▸Ireland in ten days
    • Israel
      • ▸Israel in black & white
    • Colombia
      • ▸Colombia
      • ▸Paisas, coffee and much more
      • ▸Streets of Bogota – From Dystopia to Hope
      • ▸Life along the magical Magdalena River
      • ▸A non-touristy guide to Cartagena’s Caribbean paradise
    • Myanmar
      • ▸Min-ga-la-ba Myanmar
      • ▸Up and down on the hills of Shan State
    • Japan
      • ▸Tokyo
      • ▸Springtime in Kyoto
    • Portugal
      • ▸Life at the edge of Europe
    • Russian Federation
      • ▸The unexpected Moscow
      • ▸White Nights in St. Petersburg
    • Italy
      • ▸Rome
      • ▸Random Sicily
      • ▸Vedi Napoli e poi mori
      • ▸Venice
      • ▸Vanishing Venice
    • Morocco
      • ▸Sunset, camel rides and tea in Erg Chebi
      • ▸Medinas: Morocco’s hidden cities
      • ▸Morocco outskirts
      • ▸Djemaa El Fna encounters
      • ▸Surf and hippies
      • ▸The road of the One thousand kasbahs
      • ▸Amazigh – Berber – Free men
    • Georgia
      • ▸Postcards from Georgia
      • ▸The Many Faces of Tbilisi
    • Nepal
      • ▸Kathmandu Valley
    • Romania
      • ▸Romania to go
      • ▸Maramures
      • ▸Tara Motilor
    • Jordan
      • ▸Bedouin Trails
    • Turkey
      • ▸From Turkey with love
      • ▸Ballooning Cappadocia
      • ▸Where East meets West
      • ▸Street life, Istanbul-style
    • Mexico
      • ▸Finding Mexico City
    • Malaysia
      • ▸Transit KL
    • UK
      • ▸London
      • ▸Grab your kilt and bring your pipes
    • Sweden
      • ▸Stockholm
    • Spain
      • ▸Off-season Andalusia
    • Thailand
      • ▸Bangkok, year 2555
      • ▸Life in Pai
      • ▸Thailand
    • Laos
      • ▸Luang Prabang – The City of ultimate Zen
    • Poland
      • ▸Why I love Poland
    • Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania
      • ▸Neighbors, but not relatives
      • ▸Patarei – A little slice of Hell
    • Findland
      • ▸A sunny day in Helsinki
    • Denmark
      • ▸Copenhagen
  • SINGLES
  • CONTACT
  • MY BOOKS
  • MY VIDEOS
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Cuban billboards

 

One of the many peculiarities of Cuba’s urban and rural landscape is the nearly total absence of commercial billboards contrasting with the abundance and variety of propaganda billboards. They are found all over the country: along the road, on the facades of buildings and at city squares. These billboards are really a unique Cuban phenomenon: where nowadays the rest of the world only seems to be advertising commercial products, Cuba continues to advertise revolutionary ideas and ideals.

The message is usually that the achievements of the revolution must be defended against American aggression, and the simple idea is conveyed through bright colors and clear designs. The style fluctuates from disquieting to hilarious. The unequivocal style of many of these billboards is a mix of Russian socialist realism (with its triumphalist overtones) and US 1950’s commercial advertisement (with its enthusiastic and simple persuasive statements)

Che Guevara’s “Hasta la victoria siempre” is the most common slogan and his famous portrait is everywhere. “Socialism o muerte” runs a close second. Fidel’s image is rarely seen. The charismatic leader says he wants to avoid a “cult of personality” On some farther roads can meet some more controversial revolutionaries like Camillo Cienfuegos or Huber Matos.

Although I always was drawn to their retro styles I still wonder: what impact could have these worthless words nowadays? Some people say that for the locals these slogans have lost their patriotic meaning long time ago, but others think that the revolutionary rhetoric continues to persuade and even though Cubans struggle with their daily life, the revolutionary ideals still have an effect. Whatever the truth, a fascinating thing happened during the last years – for the visitors, these propaganda billboards became a huge tourist attraction.

 

 

 

 

Cuban billboards

 

One of the many peculiarities of Cuba’s urban and rural landscape is the nearly total absence of commercial billboards contrasting with the abundance and variety of propaganda billboards. They are found all over the country: along the road, on the facades of buildings and at city squares. These billboards are really a unique Cuban phenomenon: where nowadays the rest of the world only seems to be advertising commercial products, Cuba continues to advertise revolutionary ideas and ideals.

The message is usually that the achievements of the revolution must be defended against American aggression, and the simple idea is conveyed through bright colors and clear designs. The style fluctuates from disquieting to hilarious. The unequivocal style of many of these billboards is a mix of Russian socialist realism (with its triumphalist overtones) and US 1950’s commercial advertisement (with its enthusiastic and simple persuasive statements)

Che Guevara’s “Hasta la victoria siempre” is the most common slogan and his famous portrait is everywhere. “Socialism o muerte” runs a close second. Fidel’s image is rarely seen. The charismatic leader says he wants to avoid a “cult of personality” On some farther roads can meet some more controversial revolutionaries like Camillo Cienfuegos or Huber Matos.

Although I always was drawn to their retro styles I still wonder: what impact could have these worthless words nowadays? Some people say that for the locals these slogans have lost their patriotic meaning long time ago, but others think that the revolutionary rhetoric continues to persuade and even though Cubans struggle with their daily life, the revolutionary ideals still have an effect. Whatever the truth, a fascinating thing happened during the last years – for the visitors, these propaganda billboards became a huge tourist attraction.

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