#19 - JRL 7305
pravda.ru
August 28, 2003
Sovoks of the World, Unite!

PRAVDA.Ru's U.S. correspondent Robert Ford tells us about a new satirical website devoted Russia's present and Soviet past. Russophiles will find "Sovok of the Week" is a thoughtful and funny place to visit

Like pornography, the category of Sovok defies easy definition. Anyone who has seen or talked to (or, more accurately, listened to) a Sovok will immediately notice certain identifiable traits - an inherent laziness bordering on indolence, an insatiable drive for striking bargains and cutting deals, an envious disdain for the success of others, a penchant for offering unsolicited and longwinded advice, and a propensity to pepper one-s speech with proverbs and quotes, ranging from folk wisdom to Pushkin-s verses to Brezhnev-s speech at the 25th Party Congress. One site on the web has its sole purpose to educate the public about the concept of "Sovok" and, introduce this elusive and endearing concept to worldwide audiences who had not grown up singing the Internationale.

The founders and editors of the "Sovok of the Week" website Vadim Jigoulov, Boris Zelyonyi, and Andrei Dyachenko, three Russian immigrants living in southeastern Michigan, set out to do just that. Launched on May Day 2003, the site has featured original content dedicated to providing Sovok-style commentary on obscure and bizarre news stories from around the world and pointing out, through entertaining stories, what Sovok is. The main feature of the site is the sporadically-nominated Sovok of the Week v recent nominees have included the president of China, the architects of the Nigerian email scam, and an unfortunate Muscovite laid low by a sudden thunderstorm ("Sovok Struck By Lightning!"). Additional stories chronicle the founders' trials and tribulations as they adjust to life in the capitalist West. The regularly updated Review Section highlights such beloved Sovok cultural icons as Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, John Galsworthy-s Forsythe Saga, and Alla Pugacheva. Heartsick Sovoks longing for the love of an unattainable woman can consult the site-s resident advice columnists - Aunt Klava and Uncle Igor, Boris' aged relatives from Voronezh. Armed with nearly two centuries of Sovok wisdom between them, Klava and Igor field questions on everything from how to fix squeaky brakes to cures for the common cold, dispensing advice in the best traditions of "strana sovetov" (land of advice). Other interactive features include polls, a chatroom, and creative writing contests, all spruced up with an unquestionably sovokish attitude that should be instantly familiar to anyone who has spent time in the former Soviet Union or who longs for the good old days.

Since it debut, the site has grown steadily in popularity and attracted tens of thousands of hits from around the world. The site was featured in a July 21, 2003 article in The Moscow Times (Matt Bivens, "Sovoks Just Keep Talking"). Vadim, Boris, and Andrei plan to expand the scope of the site to encompass a wider coverage, globalizing the concept of Sovok beyond the borders of the former Soviet Union. Recent stories have featured "international Sovoks" from the US, China, and the heart of darkest Africa.

So, "Sovok of the Week", an online homage to Sovok culture, is there to take you down memory lane, help you relive the events and personalities of the not-so-distant past, and walk you through the winding maze that is Sovok mentality, a phenomenon that is certain to outlive the Soviet Union and be with us for decades to come.

"Sovok of the Week" www.sovokoftheweek.com.