The Forest Lecture was a way for Soviet teens could try to meet one another and express subversive ideas privately, along with a way to meet romantic/sexual partners. The common method was for a trio of teens to arrange to meet; by having three, suspicions about their potential romantic intent could be allayed, and books and other study materials were used to suggest an academic or political intent. Clothing was formal, also to convey a tone of solemnity. One of the participants would have expressed a romantic interest in one other, and so the three would drive out to a forest, park in a clearing, and the teen that suggested the meeting would issue a short “love lecture” where they would outline their benefits as a romantic partner. Sometimes charts would be involved. Any of the participants could take the lead here, and same-gender pairings were possible, though at the time far more risky than this practice already was. If the lecture was well received, the targeted participant could agree to going at it right there in the woods, with the friend/third party keeping watch. If not, firm handshakes were exchanged, and the group would return to town. Notably, the third party was allowed to object to the lecture, or add their own commentary, pro or con. This Volga ad is interesting in that it’s one of the only semi-official photographs showing a Forest Lecture scene in action. While never overtly admitted, Soviet teenagers would have recognized the situation immediately, as it makes no sense in any other context: a car parked in the woods, with three young people in formal clothes, one with an armload of books, standing by a tree? What the hell else would it be? In modern former Soviet states, Forest Lecture re-enactments have become popular for dating as a kitchy form of role-play. Never heard of a Forest Lecture — is this a Thing, or does Torch have a beyond-vivid imagination? — but the FWD would surely get one deeper into the forest…. The first Volga, the M21, was actually considered for sale in the United States in the early 1960s – the GAZ factory even developed a fully automatic transmission specifically with the US market in mind, but, saner heads prevailed in the Politburo, recognizing that that was probably the absolute worst time to try to sell anything Soviet in the US (other than maybe caviar and vodka), and cancelled the plans. it all happened (except for 2) to my dad 🙂 80s and 90s in post-USSSR was an interesting time Ever think why is Volga even spending time and money with this advertising photograph at all? The vast majority of Soviets in the 1960’s didn’t have money for new cars. Even if they did, they may not really of choices to purchase because so few options either in a rigidly planned economy. So…why develop these photos of young adults posing in the woods with the car? Pure propaganda to the West. The purpose is to show the West the appearance that they had cool hip youngsters like Amerika but with more virtuous youth not smoking pot or having illicit sex parties. OOH-OOH, Or maybe you just uncovered a secret KGB plot in that one photograph. More likely propaganda to themselves showing whatever a defector thinks to gain in the west is no better than they might get at home. And don’t kid yourself, plenty of vodka fueled sex parties went on behind the curtain. What, you thought the party was only about communism? Who’d want to sign up just for that? Do you mean like how automakers try to sell cars to young people these days who have no money and can’t afford them or the insurance?* *Unless daddy buys it for them. ‘Cause, like daddy buys everything – duh. Anyway, my favorites were a couple of metal Volga M24 toys, one done up as a yellow and white police car, the other as a normal sedan, and I am almost certain that exact picture was used on the front of the box for the latter one.
