In this post, we have collected a few products from the 90s that will make you feel nostalgic when you see them. But it’s good that now many of these products are inaccessible to us, because they contained so many additives and chemicals! Yes, we will talk about products that were brought to us from abroad in the 90s.
Completely vegetable margarine "Rama" can be bought in markets even now, but it is no longer popular. You remember, right?
If you haven't eaten dried bananas, then drop everything and run to the nearest supermarket! It's very tasty, but it really sticks to your teeth.
“Center Shock” is one of the first shocks of childhood for many. Do you remember the feeling when you got to the core? 😉
“And Seryozha too.” There is nothing to add here.
The Milky Way/Lego magic chest has remained an unattainable treasure for many. Fortunately, both the bar and the designer can be freely purchased separately.
What can I say about Turbo chewing gum? It's a cult. Black and white photographs of candy wrappers were also in circulation.
Even mothers loved “Lav from...” for its original candy wrappers. And they taste great. A block of these chewing gums makes a great and timeless gift for Valentine's Day. Valentina.
Donald chewing gum was usually classified as “for the little ones.” Remember these?
The hero of the inserts, Tipitip, already in childhood caused vague anxiety about his orientation (although, who of us in those days knew that this could happen?) and always spoke Turkish, but still, his outstanding nose ensured the popularity of this chewing gum.
The bubbles from this gum were phenomenal!
It was not at all necessary to get so drunk that Rasputin would wink from the label. He did this even from an unopened bottle. A successful advertising move.
Dovgan is a multi-machine man who produced anything. We don’t know about vodka, but his bread was delicious.
Those who were lucky enough to grow up in the 90s will undoubtedly agree that advertising was one of the sources of knowledge back then. Moreover, in various spheres of life: knowledge in the field of human physiology, psychology, history, English, and so on. At a time when the Internet was still a curiosity, advertising actually played an informational role to a greater extent than it does now.Previous part.
Gaskets “allways” “o.b.” "tampax": critical days are not scary!
Advertising of this type probably made everyone who already understood what it was about, both men and women, feel awkward. The topic of “critical days” was somehow very far from me personally back then. I remember my older brother explaining to me that tampons “ tampax” are not placed in the hand at all, as was shown in the video (the phrase “in the middle of your body” was somewhat misleading to some schoolchildren). In this unusual way, many schoolchildren - not from the Internet or even from biology lessons - learned some important physiological characteristics of women.
Then " tampax"was one of the first and one of the most popular "brands" of a well-known focus. Poor TV viewers also had the opportunity to see advertisements for Allways, which even had wings - but I don’t remember who flew them and where. I also remember the slogan “ o.k. – o.b." In general, manufacturers of such an intimate product as sanitary pads, created to combat menstrual periods,” tried to convince of the necessity and indispensability of this benefit of civilization, and also to stand out from their competitors. How much moisture they can absorb, how conveniently they are located, how conveniently they are secured - all this was usually mentioned with relish, not without detail. And sometimes the videos included “cool” melodies for those times with simple rhymed advertising texts. Of course, today they are perceived very naively.
World history: with the Imperial Bank
But the educational value of Russian advertising of the 90s does not end there. An example that evokes much more pleasant emotions is the decision of the Imperial Bank to create a series of videos that are quite abstract from the bank itself. Apparently, it simply collected interesting stories from world history. It’s as if it was somehow illogical, by today’s standards, that a publicity stunt was made. And at the same time, the videos were quite powerful and resonant at that time.
Here's an example. Tamerlane, one of the most famous conquerors of the past (14th century), ordered all his soldiers to throw one stone each, and thus a mound was formed. When returning back, the surviving warriors took the stones. The remaining pile of stones - apparently symbolizing the dead soldiers - evoked very strong, but at the same time, contradictory feelings. And, as they say, you are a soulless brute if you haven’t cried. =) Especially in the phrase: “And he spoke to them, remembering their names.”
Other videos in this series used tales or true stories, a little embellished, a little creatively reworked... But made like a real short film! And now we can confidently say that these were masterpieces of art. A little humor and irony (as in the story about Nero), a little historical surroundings - and very interesting, educational “things” came out!
Dandruff and caries: enemies are defeatable (Wash&Go, Colgate, Orbit, Dirol, etc.)
Of course, through advertising that was in the 90s, we “discovered for ourselves” (also, by the way, a phrase from advertising) that life can be absolutely unbearable if you have not yet defeated such severe enemies of humanity as, for example, dandruff and caries.
If we talk about the enemy of hair, then the manufacturers of Western shampoos, trying to conquer the promising Russian market, tried to describe their advantages over competitors as much as possible, citing, at first glance, logical arguments. Sometimes interesting experiments were carried out. However, in our minds this sometimes sounded as strange and wild as experiments on eggshells, which were carried out in order to protect against another disaster - caries. Remember? There, another half of the egg was treated with the “regular” paste, and the other with the advertised one.
As a result of the adverse effect, the first half became soft, and the second remained hard. And then, in some humorous program, all this absurdity resulted in a parody: the shampoo advertised in it was applied to one half of the head (!), and the “regular” one - to the other.
Of course, one cannot help but remember in connection with the problem of caries Dirol, Orbit, Stimorol and others like them. Everyone tried to stand out by cramming a “key” phrase into the video, which was then on everyone’s lips. For example, we remember “Dirol” because it was “with xylitol and carbomite.” And who cares, we didn’t even know what it was! The advertisement was discussed, which means the desired result was achieved.
Life without imagination, or “Her Majesty, Plastic Bottle!”
Forgot, forgot, completely forgot! But this item can with full confidence be called the “queen of the 90s”! And why all? Yes, simply because now he (more precisely, she) has become so firmly established in our everyday life that it is difficult to imagine how we managed without him before. What do we drink various drinks from almost every day, pour vegetable oil into a frying pan? What do we pour the necessary liquid into? And (Oh, God! This would never have occurred to us in the 90s!) we throw it away without the slightest remorse? Did you guess it?! Yes, it's her - Her Majesty,Plastic bottle!
Remember how we bought completely unnecessary drinks just to wash it and use it further. How long have plastic containers been stored on our farm?
Buying a plastic bottle of lemonade was considered a sign of wealth, if not coolness. Only wealthy people could afford to drink beer not from glass bottles, but to buy themselves (and more!) their favorite drink in plastic containers. Well, and, of course, wash it in order, for example, to collect milk there for bottling at the grandmothers. The long-lasting beer smell doesn't count! And even if the label is beautiful, there was no price for such a bottle!
I remember that some housewives even tried to preserve something for the winter in such bottles. For example, tomato juice. Can you imagine the joy of the household when this product was opened for the New Year! The brightness of emotions was guaranteed for a long time! Moreover, in the literal sense of the word: the housewives had no idea that the nutritious drink, as a result of fermentation with a bright fireworks splash, would disturb the grayness of the kitchen, leaving blood-red marks on its walls right up to the next renovation. But even after this disaster, the bottle was lovingly washed and continued to be used around the house. I wonder where our people love plastic containers so much? Maybe the “circulation” of the product was limited? Or is it all about our natural craving for collecting, which probably comes from our primitive ancestors? And how come we haven’t learned to transfer healthy liquids into the younger “brother” of our bottle, that is, into a cardboard food bag? Imagine, I drank the juice and poured the compote into the bag! Not fate, apparently! All the laurels went to her, although the first packages with juices and cheap wine also appeared in the mid-90s.
You know, sometimes the thought comes to mind that a plastic bottle is the greatest achievement of humanity! How did we ever live without her? Do you need to roll out the dough? Pour water into the bottle and your rolling pin is ready! If you want to continue building muscles, pour sand into the same bottle - here are dumbbells for you! Need to invite your family over for dinner? I cut off the neck of the bottle and the horn is ready! Don’t throw it away after dinner - it will come in handy as a funnel for bulk products or liquids! The second half of the bottle is suitable for seedlings! And if you decorate it a little, you can turn it into an elegant flowerpot or just a flower pot (it all depends on your imagination!).
Stop sitting at home - it's time to go to nature, to the country! Naturally, without a bottle there is nothing to do there! Let the adults make lampshades and buckets out of it, and let the children play bowling. Shall we go to the river? The time has come to test our unique raft or lifebuoy, made from bottles knitted in a special way! Another wonderful property of a sealed bottle came in handy: plastic doesn’t sink!
At night in winter, many people did not forget to fill a bottle with hot water and place it under their feet. For needlewomen, a plastic bottle is a treasure trove of fantasies! All kinds of boxes, bracelets, garlands, baskets, flowers, even curtains...
I think if Robinson Crusoe had been left alone on a desert island with several packs of plastic bottles... he would have survived with great pleasure and even comfort! He probably would have made slippers out of them, and maybe he would have built himself a house by filling the bottles with sand and stacking them on top of each other. One “but”: Robinson did not have “original Russian” ingenuity and did not live in the 90s!
Gambling addiction of the 90s: a pleasant and almost harmless addiction (Electronics, Tetris, Yo-Yo, Tamagotchi, etc.)
The main toy of our time is the computer. Computer games are so exciting that we sometimes forget to eat or sleep. But our addiction did not come immediately. It reaches out to us from childhood and adolescence - from the nineties. What did we play in those days? I'll tell you with my own example.
At first I had a small toy - “ Electronics", where the wolf was catching eggs.
Four trays from which eggs roll down, and between them a wolf with a basket. I still remember the sound of rolling eggs. The speed increases, and now you are accumulating broken shells. The limit of broken eggs ends - and everything starts all over again. It was a primitive toy with simple controls, but it was extremely popular and passed from hand to hand.
Then Tetris appeared.
Platform with a display and a set of buttons. This toy came in several modifications. The simplest one had only one game called “Tetris” in its functionality. The figures falling from above had to be folded into even rows, which were removed to make room for new ones. And if even rows did not work out, then they accumulated, reached the very top, and the game ended. The higher the level, the greater the speed. As the speed increases, you begin to get more nervous, fidgeting in place, as if body movements will help you position the figure correctly. Now there is almost no space left on the screen, and you lose, shouting the newfangled “damn!” More advanced models, in addition to Tetris, included Tanchiki, Snake and other games. In some models, the number of games reached 99 pieces, as indicated on the body of the toy: “1 in 1”, “8 in 1” or “99 in 1”. The reign of Tetris lasted a long time. The game has been modified, and even now it can occasionally be found for sale in kiosks and stalls.
Handheld games have been replaced by Yo-Yos.
This is a toy consisting of two identical disks connected by an axle. A rope was attached to the axle, along which the Yo-Yo rose and fell. Our parents were more happy with these toys than the previous ones. After all, training with “Yo-Yo” provided at least some kind of “physical activity”. =) Then entire Yo-Yo clubs and competitions began to be created. The techniques for controlling the toy were very different: from simple ones that a beginner could master to the most complex ones that only professionals could master. "Yo-Yo" has lost the breadth of its popularity, but among amateurs it is still valuable. They can be found on sale even now. Modern design, large assortment, but still the good old Yo-Yo.
Who, as a child, did not ask their parents to get a cat or a dog? Everyone has probably gone through this. But not all parents fulfilled the child’s wishes. Therefore, Tamagotchis became a kind of compensation for the intractability of mothers and fathers.
The invention of Japanese manufacturers created a stir around the world. A small device that fit in the palm of a teenager imitated a pet. On the display you could see a kitten or a puppy, and in some models you could choose between a duck, an alien or a panda. “Tamagotchi” brought to life the dream of a pet that had to be looked after, fed, “walked,” treated, and even had to be played with so that it would not die of boredom. And it wasn't enough to do it just once a day. Tamagotchi was constantly asking for something. Therefore, we took him to school for lessons, so as not to miss feeding or a walk. With good care, he matured and his age was shown on the display. If a pet suffered from hunger, melancholy and disease, it died. On some models the inscription “Game over” was displayed, on others a mound with a cross appeared. Even my dog died once and I can’t express in words how worried I was about it. Seeing the unfortunate hill, I threw the Tamagotchi far away so as not to have to go through it again. The vulnerable child’s psyche was subjected to incredible stress at that moment, which almost turned into depression. But a little time passed, and I turned it on again, trying to satisfy all his needs. My puppy grew up, and I watched with delight as he jumped around the display with a happy face.
Nowadays, these toys are not even of interest to modern children. The new generation was born in front of a computer and... as they say, “schoolboys” cannot understand what emotions we experienced at their age! They probably won't have to cry for the lost Tamagotchi!
Hobbies of the school period: candy wrappers, “Love is...” and questionnaires.
My childhood was completely spent in the 90s. True, I went to kindergarten for the first half of them and from that time I remember very little. But in 1993, when I entered the first grade of high school, a more conscious age began.I remember that after school, I always stayed in after school. In first grade, we just did our homework, then there was a quiet hour, and then our parents took us home. In the afterschool, where I stayed after classes in the second grade, we did homework and played various games. What I remember most from that time was the game of “candy wrappers.” At that time, chewing gum was literally just about to appear; I remember well how I constantly begged my parents for “Love is” chewing gum. And often they bought.
Each chewing gum contained a colored candy wrapper with inscriptions. I never threw them away, but collected them, and so did most of my peers. This is how we spent our time playing with them: we brought candy wrappers to the “after school” and played with them. A company of several people gathered, everyone took out one candy wrapper, stacked it on top of each other - so that the picture was not visible, after which they took turns (how the queue was determined, I don’t remember anymore) clapped their palms, and how many candy wrappers turned upside down, so many and took it for themselves. It was very disappointing when you collect and collect these candy wrappers, and then lose them all in one go. And again we had to collect candy wrappers in a new way so that we could play again and again. And so on for a very long period of time until we grew up.
In high school, in our school (probably not only in ours, but in all schools) it was very fashionable to compose and fill out so-called questionnaires.
Almost every girl at school had questionnaires, I remember how we asked a friend to fill out his questionnaire, and, of course, we filled out the profiles of our friends. The thicker the questionnaire was, the more different questions it contained, the more people filled it out, the more interesting the questionnaire was. Sometimes in the questionnaires, on the very first pages, they wrote something like this: “Please do not dirty the notebook, do not tear out the sheets. And if there are mistakes, please do not correct them.” Or: “Consider all mistakes as a smile.” This is how they justified their illiteracy.
The questionnaire was filled out not only by girls, but also by boys. I remember taking my friends’ questionnaires home to fill out, filling out my own page, and then it was very interesting to see how others filled out the same questionnaire. Some students instead of full name. indicated some encrypted parameters, and it was very interesting to figure out who filled out the form like that. At the end of all the questions, it was necessary to draw something interesting and write your wish to the owner of the questionnaire. I didn’t like this point at all, and therefore I didn’t like filling out other people’s profiles, but I really loved it when my profile was filled out and my friends wrote about how well they treated me. Of particular interest at school age were the questions in the questionnaire: “ Who do you like? Who are you friends with? Who are you not friends with? Someone you love? You have a boyfriend? What's his name?"and other questions of this kind. Personally, I always answered lies to such frank questions. I was somehow embarrassed to be frank, knowing that later others would read it.
It was also very fashionable to include “secrets” in each profile. This is when a sheet of notebook was folded several times and “ DO NOT open" It was very interesting to see what kind of “secret” this was and, as I remember, I always secretly opened such leaves from everyone and looked at what was written there. It always happens like this: what you can’t do, you really want. And in my profile there was also such a secret, I asked everyone who discovered my secret to sign it or draw something as a keepsake. I was especially delighted when my questionnaire was filled out by girlfriends and friends from parallel classes, or friends in the yard. I don’t even know how to explain, but for some reason this was also especially appreciated.
I still have my school questionnaire; even at school I constantly reviewed it, already in high school. And you know, I read and smiled, remembering how stupid we were, how funny we answered questions, and what wonderful questions we asked in our questionnaires. Now my old school profile still exists. She lies somewhere far away, abandoned, it seems - with her parents. By the way, it would be very interesting to find it, look at it and look through it after such a long period of time. Yes, I’ll have to do this in my spare time – remember my childhood.
In general, as correctly noted in “Demotivators,” questionnaires are “vkontakte” from the 90s.
What's surprising? Man is created with the need to communicate. Back then it was done in such a nice little way.
Black and white photos, or “Excursion into the past.”
A wonderful time - the early 90s! What do we have left of them except nostalgic memories? Of course, photographs! They are very different from modern ones. Bright, colored ones are rare, mostly black and white, amateur ones. This does not mean that our life at that time was devoid of color. On the contrary, there are so many emotions, positivity, happiness in every photo! If someone in your company had Zenit or FED, this is a huge success! By the end of the decade, instant Polaroids and advanced Kodaks appeared, and at that time we went with our parents to a photo studio and posed for a group color photograph. Or a photographer came to school. Mostly this happened on holidays. Despite the shortage of photographic equipment, our photographs of those years are real masterpieces, each of which has its own story, its own joys, if you like - even its own music!“White light to look and show yourself”
Here is a general photo of me and my class (9th at the time) on an excursion in Leningrad (then Leningrad, not St. Petersburg). Remember how often we traveled with classmates and teachers? Everyone is “cool”: in boiled boots and leggings, padded down jackets and huge padded boots. The girls all have cascade hairstyles with a backcomb, bright clips in their ears, bright badges with Dima Malikov and the group " Carmen" Beauty! The guys are a match for our girls! The jackets are open, with brown, white and green sweaters underneath. With ornaments, in the middle all the boys are signed: “Boyce”, probably so as not to be inadvertently confused. Bangs in front of the eyes, short pigtails at the back. I remember one of them had a cassette player with large headphones. The girls and I took turns playing songs: then CC Ketch, That Sabrina. The cassette is jammed - nothing: have a pencil, let's rewind!
In general, we, the residents of a small town in fraternal Ukraine, will remember that excursion for a long time. Even at the Leningrad station, the girls together “stocked up” on cosmetics from the gypsies and then flaunted around the city for two whole weeks with bright blue eye shadow and purple lipstick. Maybe because it was cool, maybe because “gypsy cosmetics” made from chalk and Vaseline could not be washed... We looked at the Aurora, blowing bubbles from the Buble Gum, admired Peterhof, putting a lot of hairpins and elastic bands on our luxurious hair. In the evening we rocked up at the disco to Kai Metov, “ Technology" And " Hands up!" One evening we even went to a concert Mikhail Boyarsky, sang it all the way back " green-eyed taxi" Great time!
And this is a photo of me - crying and unhappy. Ah-ah-ah, first love... “Goodbye, my boy” Angeliki Varum and T Anya Bulanova“Don’t cry, you and I have one more night left”... God, heartbreaking emotions! Then in the yard with the guitar “Night Rendezvous” and “My Beloved” until my mother’s angry voice from the window calls me to sleep (there were no cell phones then - you had to send online voice messages to the whole yard... Yes, so that all the neighbors are aware!).
Work days.
Code of Criminal Procedure. In the transcript - training and production plant. There was no smell of the plant there, but it was useful in life. Instead of labor lessons, we received professions. Here the girls and I are taking the exam to become a “third-class cook,” but the boys are mastering the profession of a tractor driver, riding a single dilapidated tractor on all sides.
Here we are harvesting grapes in a labor camp. Did you have any of these? The boys light a cigarette on the side. Something so painfully familiar... “Golden Beach”! Yes, we slowly dabbled in “Rodopi”, “Tu”, then it went like in the song “Smoke of Menthol Cigarettes”.
Graduation... Peroxide-bleached bangs, crimson jackets, platform shoes and promises of eternal friendship... “Doctor Alban” and “Yaki-da”...
20 years have flown by in a flash. Black and white photographs taken by Zenit remained. Black and white, but brighter than many color ones...
"Santa Barbara": "Dom-2" in the style of the 90s.
Remember what our mothers and grandmothers did all evening long in the 90s? When the whole family was fed and the dishes were washed, it was time for TV series. They were broadcast on all then existing channels. “The rich also cry”, “Slave Isaura”, “Wild Rose”, “Simply Maria” and others. At first these series were very boring, fully justifying their nickname “soap operas”. But later, it seems, they became “more cheerful” and “younger”.The famous “Santa Barbara” tops the list.
The name of this series has literally become a household name. They call something confusing, incomprehensible and endless. And for good reason. After all, “Santa Barbara” was on TV for 9 years. It began in January 1992 and ended in April 2002. I wonder if there are people who watched it to the end or those who remember the essence of the series. It seems to me that the creators, when starting the series, had some kind of development plan, but got so carried away that the plots began to be sucked out of thin air, stretching it out for ten years. But the nineties were difficult times for our parents. Times of strikes at enterprises where wages were not paid for months, times when there was no confidence in the future. Therefore, TV series were a salvation from melancholy and despair. They happily sat down every evening at the convex TV screens “Birch” or “Ruby” and watched the vibrant lives of CC and Sophia Capwell, Masen and Kelly, Lionel and Augusta Lockridge and many others. Mothers worried, cried and laughed along with the characters, filling their lives with emotions. Remembering “Santa Barbara,” a comparison immediately flashed through my head with “Dom-2,” which has been captivating tens of thousands of viewers to their televisions for seven years. In this show, everyone has already forgotten why they are there and what the purpose of this action is. The houses are built, but they still come and go, get married and have children - it’s incomprehensible, confusing, long.
Not all of us shared our parents' desire to watch these soap operas. Young people watched “Beverly Hills, 90210”, “Helen and the Boys”, “Alf”, “Wild Angel” and “Sorcerers - Land of the Great Dragon”. In Beverly Hills, 90210, someone saw themselves as a simple teenager, like twins Brandon and Brenda Walsh. Others associated themselves with the golden youth, into whose cycle of events the twins found themselves, while trying not to tarnish their name.
"Helen and the Boys" was a kinder series produced in France.
It was about four young couples, including Hélène and her boyfriend Nicolas. And how I liked the song from this series! Not being able to sing in French, I came up with a couple of verses for this tune.
“... The moon met us,
And the wind hummed a song.
And the sparkle of your beloved eyes
He promised me this night,
What's in the heart forever
We can settle love.
What time and year
They can't share a heart...”
Naively, childishly, but with great hope for a good future.
« Wild Angel"was especially loved by the female half of young people.
An Argentine story in the style of Cinderella. Milagros and Ivo - almost all the girls wanted to be in her place. Natalia Oreiro gained immense popularity after this film. Every second schoolgirl had bangs like hers, we listened and learned her songs by heart. For example - Cambio Dolor.
Eh, there was a time. There are no fewer TV series now than there were then. But no one is so catchy, we have changed. Grew up. But if they started showing something old on TV now, oh, I would watch it and plunge into the memories of the good old days. First of all, about our beloved 90s.
The dawn of cleanliness and convenience.
“Why is one button blue and the other red on the taps in the bathroom and kitchen?” my child wondered in the 90s, when cold water flowed from both taps. The answer was found only after we had successfully bought a boiler, and the water followed a natural route: from the tap with the red button - hot, with the blue button, respectively - cold. The 90s were not encouraging with the temperature diversity of H2O. This made me think about the questions: “How did they wash the dishes then? How did you take care of your hands?”Remember soda? Indeed, I washed everything that was possible and what was not, too. It was in the 90s that universal dishwashing detergents began to appear on the shelves of domestic stores. It turned out that soda was better. And then it started... An unprecedented excitement around the cleanliness of dishes, pots and pans. It will probably be difficult now to say which detergent from that variety was the first. There were a lot of them at once. But the fact that in Russia (and, probably, in all CIS countries) this happened precisely in the 90s is an irrefutable fact.
Of course, global brands like “Bingo” and “Fairy” are already quite many years old, but our average person appreciated the merits of detergents much later than the “residents of Villaribo and Villabajo.” I assessed it and rushed to the stores. And there is an abundance: detergents in powders, gels, granules, completely liquid. Can you imagine what it’s like for our mothers, who have used soda and mustard for hygienic purposes for their dishes all their lives? And then the unsinkable Aunt Asya arrived in time, and the neighbor with the “Comet” is constantly annoying. As it turned out in the late 90s, washing dishes is also good for your hands! You just need to buy detergent with the appropriate balm. It turns out that the more dishes you wash, the better the skin on your hands becomes, smooth and silky. Although, for example, I still prefer the age-old “women’s secret of young skin”: “The best way to care for your hands is to do everything with your husband’s hands.”
"Excesses" of the post-Soviet space
But soap can be different too! Previously, there was little choice: laundry soap was considered the best detergent for washing, and scented bath soap was considered the best for washing. In the 90s, the choice became much wider. We learned about the antibacterial properties of Safegarth and even tried to wash ourselves - Oh, the wonders of progress! – shower gel and liquid soap! You press once and you have a drop of deliciously smelling soap solution in your hand - isn’t this the highest degree of comfort?! And how fun it was to repeatedly press on the “soap dispenser” in the toilet of some supermarket when no one was looking! In the late 90s, large stores appeared along with their own sanitary rooms. In addition to liquid soap, there were also such “exotic” items as toilet paper in the stalls, paper towels and hand dryers. But once upon a time, each of us first entered such a closet in the post-Soviet space! It’s a pity, now we probably won’t even remember our feelings!
Gradually and imperceptibly, wet wipes entered our everyday life. Today they are used absolutely everywhere - at home and in the country, in the office and outdoors, in the car and while walking with children. They are lightweight, easy to use and functional. The use of wet wipes has become so commonplace for us that many can no longer imagine life without them. Although, of course, it is difficult to wean representatives of the older generation from using checkered handkerchiefs.
“Mom dear!”
Well, what about the “harmful” diapers? They also “reached us” by the end of the 90s (about the same time when the cherished “wings” “flew” to women Olweis" And " Libress"). Mothers and grandmothers, our dears, how did you raise your children with gauze diapers?! How much gauze and diapers did you wash and iron in one day?! The first diapers were more expensive than the current ones. But having tried them once and appreciating the benefits of a restful sleep before the nightly “recitals” organized by your beloved child, you ran to the night stand in any weather and bought a life-saving remedy with a cute name “ diaper» piece by piece. After all, this happened to you too, didn’t it?...
It is no exaggeration to say that the 90s became a time of many “hygienic discoveries” for us! Of course, “overseas countries” had long known about the new products “bringing cleanliness to the world,” but we persistently washed things with laundry soap and boiled them in boiling water on the stove, stirring with a wooden stick; washed with bath soap and moisturized the skin with baby cream; applied phytoshampoo to hair " Chamomile“and did not suspect that soon our eyes would be “opened” to the most terrible “tragedies of humanity” - the problems of dandruff and caries... Now we can only remember those times of everyday difficulties and hygienic innovations. We were sincerely surprised by the shine and silkiness of our hair after “ Pantina", the sparkling whiteness of things after " Ariel" and perfectly clean dishes after " Faeries“...And now, you must admit, it’s difficult to surprise us with anything!
Instant noodles, or “Taste of college!”
How is lunch different from any other meal? “The first course of lunch is definitely soup!” you will say, and you will be absolutely right. Of course, we will not eat soup either for breakfast, or dinner, or, especially, for a “snack”. It is now. And in the distant 90s, it happened that we could eat soup at any time of the day with great pleasure. While enjoying its unearthly taste and a completely affordable price.In the store we chose: what is on our menu today - soup with chicken, beef or shrimp? And, by the way, they did not experience the slightest discomfort from the fact that the same product was chosen by nearby citizens of very minimal income and standard of living. No, on the contrary, we felt a burning interest and even some kind of pride if we managed to find something new in the assortment that suited our taste. The only thing required for such a wonderful time- and budget-saving first course was a glass of boiling water. “Stop intriguing, quickly tell me, what is this?” the young housewives will exclaim, getting dressed in a hurry before going to the supermarket. And, having learned the answer, they wrinkle their nose in disgust and shrug their shoulders in bewilderment. But we, who met the birth of bouillon cubes and instant noodles in student dormitories, will proudly say that we haven’t tried anything tastier than “Doshirak” or “Mivina” from the 90s!
If Alenka chocolate is the taste of our childhood, then Galina Blanca and Maggi are the taste of our youth! You used to come home from class, make yourself some noodles - and the world again becomes more beautiful than ever! No mournful lectures about unhealthy and healthy food, no worries about how to feed the whole family tastier and richer in vitamins. Oh, the golden time, carefree... It has sunk into oblivion along with the popularity of instant noodles...
Nostalgia for Doshirak.
Manufacturers of the same product " Doshirak"They are trying to revive their former popularity. Packaging is being improved, various flavors and dyes are added, and bags of sauces and croutons are included. But, alas! They can’t come up with anything tastier than that green packet (or yellow one in Ukraine). Neither voluminous plates with spoons and forks, nor promises to find pieces of meat in the soup - nothing can replace what was in those very 90s! A bright yellow smoking spring, one treasured bag of spices, another with drops of oil and - aroma! An incomparable aroma! Nowadays this “amber” can only be “heard” on trains. And then - the person brewing the noodles will feel out of place (or in the glass :-)) because of the sidelong glances of fellow travelers.
Well, tell me honestly: have you never wanted that same bag? Have you ever enjoyed mushroom-flavored mashed potatoes? Have you ever eaten noodles by the fire while hiking? Have you ever cooked borscht with bouillon cubes? Have you ever scolded children for gnawing dry noodles? Or maybe you yourself crunched dry Chinese vermicelli? Yes, we are sinners...
The evolution of vermicelli.
It seems that the time for semi-finished products is somehow running out, haven’t you noticed? The favorite dish of the 90s - vermicelli with stew - now tastes completely different. Either they stopped making quality stews, or the animals became tasteless... How can you explain to a child that once half of the dorm was licking its lips, smelling the unearthly aroma of stewed meat, and it was necessary to cook a dish in the common kitchen, carefully guarding it from encroachments from fellow students? By the way, if you build a diagram of evolution, “Doshirak”, “Rollton” and “Mivina” came after “Knorr”, “Gallina Blanca” and “Maggi”. But their mainstay in the student diet is still long noodles with stewed meat. I wonder what our children will associate their student days with? Will they remember it with the same nostalgia as we, the students of the 90s?
A taste of the distant 90s.
What can you find on supermarket shelves now? Hmm... It's easier to answer what's not there. It doesn't have that taste. The present, which is firmly entrenched in childhood and youth memories. But, from bread to delicacies, we see a whole range of products from different manufacturers, from different countries and for every budget, with and without GMOs.
But just a decade and a half ago, there were no supermarkets or self-service stores. Behind a regular store counter called " Soviet" or " Birch“Standing there was a kind lady of large size and with chemicals on her head. And it was not a burden for her to take from you the change that you had been saving all week to buy chewing gum. She didn’t grimace if she had to go to the other end of the store or climb onto the top shelf. And having given you the long-awaited chewing gum, she always asked: “How is mom doing? She's at work?".
And so you quickly unwrap the candy wrapper and feel the sweet smell of the delicacy. Oh, what chewing gum they had back then! I didn't want to part with them. They were glued to the table before going to bed, so that in the morning the jaws would work on the elastic band again. It no longer has that sweetness, but it is in the memory and it was enough for more than one day. Unable to buy gum, you ask your friends to treat you. They tear off a piece of gum that they themselves had just chewed and give it to you, saying: “From mouth to mouth, you get a germ.”
At that time, the variety of chewing gums was not striking in its breadth. I remember my first chewing gum in the form of a cigarette. You tear off the white wrapper and inside is pink bubblegum. Very sweet and crumbly. To turn it into a homogeneous mass, you had to chew it for several minutes. There were also flat and long chewing gums - five pieces in a pack - coffee, mint...
Then “Love Is...”, “TURBO”, “Donald” and others began to appear. Fanticomania began to boil. You find another candy wrapper that is not yet in your collection, you open an album specially created for this or just a box, and put the candy wrapper there. Be careful not to wrinkle or tear. But different candy wrappers did not always appear, and you accumulated a pile of “double” ones. Were we upset about this? No! This is a great activity during breaks at school or even right in class - exchanging candy wrappers.
The boys, as I remember, were most interested in cars like those seen in TURBO. They collected a collection of cars with a description of their technical characteristics. The girls liked “Love is...”. Even then they dreamed of boys, kisses on the cheek and a gift in the form of a field daisy. I still have candy wrappers from those years.
Can the juices that are sold in stores now be called natural? With difficulties. Can't do without chemistry. And what used to replace modern juices - “Zuko”, “Invite” and “Yupi”.
After much persuasion, your mother buys you a bag of chemical powder and even helps you dilute it in water so that you drink it and understand how disgusting it is. Yes, there is sediment at the bottom of the carafe, yes, you feel the powder on your tongue when you drink, and your whole mouth takes on an unnatural color after the drink. But there was some strange feeling that this was much cooler than boring citros like “Bells” and “Buratino”!
Do you remember how our mothers and grandmothers made us delicious food from kefir and bread at night?
Mom will get kefir from the refrigerator. A glass bottle, a wide neck and a foil cap that you loved to rip off yourself. Milk and fermented baked milk were sold in the same bottles. And the products differed in the color of the lid. The milk bottles had a clear foil cap. There were also scarlet, purple, gold, and green lids. Some even collected them: leveled them, folded them, and then admired them. And the “yummy” itself was made like this. Kefir was poured into a glass, the loaf was crumbled into it, and the preparation was completed with sugar. Spoon after spoon of this delicacy - and behold, at the bottom there are the remains of kefir and the remaining undissolved sugar. Nothing more is needed for sweet dreams. Sometimes I make myself such a treat to remember my childhood. But the same taste cannot be returned. And don't rip off the lid.
“I remember my childhood...”: pagers, telephones, jokes about the “new Russians.”
We, children of the 90s, experienced our childhood a little differently. But I was surprised to discover that there is a lot in common, having talked with those who grew up in the 90s and, together with me, felt the rapid progress of civilization, the change of regimes and ideologies. For a change, I just want to let them speak, without any comments or explanations. This is what Andrey told me.“I remember my childhood: school, cheerful years, when we still communicated with our peers by home telephone, not like now there are very often mobile phones, which are more reminiscent of those computers that some people used to only begin to dream about. Back then, we still agreed to meet with friends in exact places, at specific times, because it was not possible to call “directly from the spot” on a mobile phone and find out where a friend was disappearing.
I remember how my mother sat in the kitchen and chatted for hours on a wired phone with her friends about her work day or weekend... And having finally won the phone, I called my friends, talked to them for hours on end about what you would do tomorrow, what you did today... Why, a telephone is so convenient! Back then, when there were no computers yet, this was the only way to communicate with friends after you had not seen them, horror of horrors, for several hours.
Then pagers began to appear - such new things that came to us from abroad and completely absorbed business people into their electronic industry, and after that - young people who also wanted to stay in touch, then this was the only such opportunity, with their comrades.
Remember how you had to call the operator who provided paging and tell the female operator who you want to contact, give the number of the person you want to send the message to and after that wait for the girl to type the text, but it was very small, literally a few important words, and will transfer your electronic parcel to the desired recipient. There were also games in these pagers, then it seemed so fashionable, a snake and something else could somehow be placed on this small screen... Then belt cases for pagers began to appear in the markets quite often, and all the men were busily hanging out these wallet cases on their belts and in the company of friends, they importantly took out their pagers and seeing on the screen: “Buy some bread,” they said with dignity: “They’re bothering you from work.”
I remember when the first mobile phones appeared, more like police radios, they had such a long antenna extending out, and the keyboard was covered with a lid.
Important, respectable guys in jackets wore them in the breast pockets of their oversized jackets, fancy colors and strange cut, which, by the way, later became a topic for jokes. Jokes about the “new Russians” were written in books and magazines - collections of jokes, where there were also jokes about “Vovochka”, “Vasily Ivanovich and Petka” and others.
Then black and white telephones appeared, and the struggle of the first telephone operators began. These billboards were everywhere, offering new rates and great deals for early cell phone owners. There were only a couple of tariffs, but the fight continued on all TV channels and newspapers. People began to exchange their pagers for these new outlandish units, buy new cases and wallets at the same markets and change the equipment on their belts with a sense of dignity, which added even more “coolness” to mustachioed guys and teenagers.
But soon the time came for new phones. These were already stronger and more interesting devices, as it seemed to us then, people began to frantically buy them, bragging to their friends about who had more games (two or three). Now I remember all this with a smile, but then... then it was really great!
For example, my first phone was “Semyon”, only in 1999. As I remember now, this new Siemens C35i I was happy “like a child.” And I thought: “I’ll go and brag to my friends.”
After all, many still used their father’s old “walkie-talkies” and pagers! How I chose my own belt wallet at the market, how importantly I wore it, busily emphasizing that I had a mobile phone, tucking my shirt into my trousers so that I could better see this outlandish device.
Gradually, progress by the end of the 90s led to the fact that almost everyone had acquired color and expensive phones. Their prices dropped, new items and improvements began to appear every two to three months, and then even more often. And that former excitement gradually subsided, people got used to new products, it became boring, lean and ordinary.
Oh, I wish I could go back to a time when every new day was a discovery, and we lived the dream. And we would like to break out of the boring present, when all this is being shoved at us, not even allowing us to catch our breath. And therefore the taste of dreams is lost and only emptiness remains from the desire for the elusive.”
I agree with these words unconditionally. It was an unforgettable time.
Cult 8-bit games: Felix the Cat. (Part 3)
Felix the Cat is another game based on a cartoon popular in the early 90s, dedicated to the adventures of a restless, smart cat and a stupid, slow professor. Many may think that this game is an ordinary platformer, but this is far from the case. The first thing that catches your eye is the graphics quality, unprecedented for an 8-bit console.
In addition, this seemingly child's game was addictive from the first minutes. An evil professor stole Felix the cat's beloved and hid it in a secret place. The ever-laughing cat goes on a journey around the world, ending up in Egypt, then in Antarctica, and at the end he will have battles in space and a meeting with a professor on another planet.
Felix the Cat somehow looked like very prettier " Super Mario Brothers" Just like there, in “ Felix“Many opponents awaited the player, most of whom were animals and plants. This game also had its own coins - images of Felix the cat himself. They gave points, and for 100 images they gave an extra life. Also on the cat’s path there were often hearts, by picking them up you could get a new weapon or vehicle, at different levels, of which Felix the Cat there was a great variety, different types of transport were provided. This was the most interesting part of the game. The game had only 9 large levels, each of which was divided into 2-3 sublevels. All sublevels were divided into land (the cat traveled on them on foot), water (you had to sail on the sea), underwater (you had to swim under water), air (you had to fly) and space (there was only 1 - you had to fly on a rocket to another planet and kill aliens). Moreover, one level could begin with an air level and end with a land sublevel.
Here are some more features. Each type of transport had its own price, its pros and cons. So, when playing on the land level, Felix the cat fought off enemies with a boxing glove. Having received one heart, the Cat put on a magic cylinder and sent magic to his enemies (perhaps the most powerful weapon in the game); Having received two hearts, he transferred to a fast car, and when he received three, he transferred to a powerful and clumsy tank.
In other levels, you could get a hot air balloon, a dolphin, and even a submarine in the shape of Felix's head. In addition, all levels were decorated with the heads of the main characters of the animated series, which took an unusual shape - either clouds or images on the walls of an ancient pyramid. Players had to keep a close eye on the portraits of Kitty (they gave 500 points when touched) and the Professor (after 7 hits on them, an extra life appeared). The game also had its own analogue of the pipes from “ Super Mario"- large bags in which you could find many portraits, 1-2 hearts and even the exit to the end of the level.
An almost endless and colorful game about a cat Felix, created at a time when consoles were not yet equipped with a save function, became one of the most exciting and memorable computer entertainment for all gamers since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Cult 8-bit games: Darkwing Duck. (Part 2)
Today let's remember another cult game associated with a cartoon character famous at that time. His name is “Black Cloak”!
And I want to say that Darkwing Duck is perhaps the best gaming implementation of Disney’s creativity on an 8-bit console. This game was released simultaneously with the appearance in the post-Soviet space of the animated series of the same name about the adventures of a duck in a wide-brimmed hat and a dark suit with a flowing cape. A funny and kind hero, posing as a threat to crime, touched to the core and amused with his antics, and charismatic and cunning villains surprised everyone with new and new original plans to take over the world. It is not surprising that the game has become very popular, although not only due to its serial incarnation. During its history, “Black Cloak” even managed to become disgraced: it was rumored that the game used the engine from Mega Man 5. But the children who played this game in the mid-90s, naturally, did not know about this, and nothing to them It didn’t hurt to enjoy the new adventures of your favorite character under your own sensitive guidance.
What was special about this game? Firstly, very bright and high-quality graphics, which even in comparison with modern two-dimensional games look quite nice. Secondly, the main character and enemies are well drawn. The Black Cloak itself moved very plastically; it could fall to the ground to evade high-flying enemy projectiles or simply reflect them, covering itself with its cloak.
All the opponents encountered at the levels are distinguished by a special variety and comical behavior: there are kangaroo basketball players, paratrooper eggs, and turtle dogs that are never separated from their booth. In principle, most of the standard opponents were invented specifically for the game, and the same cannot be said about the bosses of the levels. There were 7 levels in the game - and at each of them one of his sworn enemies was waiting for Black Cloak - the same ones that were encountered in the famous cartoon.
Most of them corresponded to the location in which the game character found himself. Thus, the plant lord Bushrut could only be found in the forest, and the water Liquigad in the sewer. At the same time, the player was free to choose which level to go to next - each of them was difficult in its own way. Also, at each level of “Darkwing Duck” there were 2 secret mini-games hidden, which were sometimes more difficult to find than to complete the game itself. Interesting and quite difficult bosses, several types of weapons, many secret rooms with bonuses and a cheerful Black Cloak, shooting from a gas pistol and shouting at the beginning of each level “From the screw!” - I wanted to repeat such a cultural program at least every day!
It is for these reasons that I would classify the game as one that we played through many times, returning to it again and again and trying to complete it with more points, to find more “hidden” surprises.
Cult 8-bit games: Contra. (Part 1)
It can be very interesting to remember the games of our childhood. I'm talking primarily about 8-bit consoles. Games with very poor graphics, judging by our standards, but the games were somehow so mesmerizing that it was simply impossible to tear yourself away from them. And sometimes I didn’t give a damn that I forgot to do my homework, that the dishes weren’t washed, and my mother missed an episode of “Santa Barbara” (after all, the consoles were connected to the TV) and promised to somehow punish me terribly for this (for example, not to buy Snickers for 2 whole days in a row).Why not remember in more detail some of the toys of that time - the most iconic and, so to speak, “iconic”: Contra, Black Cape, Felix the Cat. First let's think about "Contra".
Part 1.
Contra
Modern children, binge-playing various “shooting games,” among themselves call the world-famous and popular game Counter-Stirke “Counter”. They don’t know that at the dawn of the 90s, gamers from all countries were enthusiastically playing the real “Contra”, released by Konami, for 8-bit consoles and which had a large number of sequels, both on this and other platforms. This undisputed super hit among console games may be inferior to modern 3D toys in terms of graphics, but it will give them a 100-point head start in terms of exciting gameplay and the intensity of passions flaring up in front of the monitor screen while destroying the next boss.
“Contra,” which at one time was second only to Super Mario Brothers in popularity, invited the player to transform into a brave paratrooper who was dropped in the middle of the jungle with a special mission: to destroy the enemy army of aliens. “Contra” could be played alone or with a friend. Moreover, the one playing on the first joystick got a character very similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the other - like Sylvester Stallone, who in the early 90s became the idols of most boys.
The idea and quality of the game's graphical execution, for its time, were simply brilliant, and became the standard of quality for many games in the shooter genre. Each level differed from the previous one in design and game component.
The view was constantly changing: for example, in the jungle level, the player looked at his character from the side, like in a standard platformer. And during the shootout in the bunker, the paratrooper was already standing with his back to the player and moving forward, not to the side. The intense gameplay did not let you get bored for a minute: crowds of enemies rushed towards the player, sometimes running in opposite directions, the path was constantly blocked by all kinds of turrets, tanks and stationary guns. But the game was especially remembered by all gamers for its fairly extensive set of firearms for playing on Dendy. It was knocked out of flying saucers, now and then scurrying over the battlefield. You could find a machine gun that fired automatically when you held down a key, a flamethrower, a laser rifle, a rifle that fired a fan of bullets, which was the most effective weapon in the game. It was also possible to find bonuses to increase the speed of fire or gain invulnerability. In addition, by picking up the eagle icon, you could destroy all opponents with one blow. Interesting and varied weapons, many well-drawn levels, bosses that impress with their size, the ability to play together - all this made Contra an exciting adventure for children of all ages back in the 90s!
Party in retro style.
We recently gathered in a warm friendly company on the occasion of the birthday of a good guy. At first they wanted to celebrate in a cafe, since there were about ten people planned, but then they decided to go home to his aunt, since her apartment was free, her aunt had gone to Turkey with her “boyfriend.” And the hero of the occasion had the keys, he lived with her as a child, so she, out of old memory, entrusted him with looking after the apartment and watering the flowers. Well, everyone piled in there. Our company is friendly, all people are already established, decent, we were united by a common school childhood, and although we don’t meet so often these days, we are always happy to see each other.
We took a drink and a snack with us, bought gifts for the birthday boy and arrived at the meeting place at the appointed time. The girls took over the table, and the guys and I sat down to talk, exchange news, and somehow it so happened that Stas, our birthday boy, brought some kind of box and said: “While our beauties are setting the table, let’s remember our golden, carefree childhood.” While he was waiting for us, he tidied up a little and found an old game on the mezzanine - it's called Monopoly. This is where the floodgates of memory opened. As we laid out this Monopoly, memories of the past 90s of our carefree childhood began to rush.
They began to remember what and how it was at that time. When we were still boys and girls, we could play games for hours, and not only electronic ones. And it was so exciting and fun! Naturally, Dendy, SEGA and, naturally, the famous Mario and the equally famous “tanks” came to mind. It was much later that “computers” and the Internet appeared for us, and then all this was connected to the TV until our parents sent us away to watch TV series. And the TV series and films were great back then!
My parents watched “Santa Barbara”, and we watched “Wild Angel”, “Rebel Spirit”, “The X-Files”. Favorite actors are Schwarzenegger, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, David Duchovny, Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris. And we all went crazy about the Mortal Kombat movie, we even played in the yard, imagining ourselves as heroes. The girls, along the way, also joined in the game of memories of the past. Reminded us of “Gummi Bears”, “DuckTales”, “Chip and Dale”, “Ghostbusters”.
We then got together in the evenings and told each other “horror stories” about the black hand, and then the girls were afraid to go home, we saw them off with a proud look, imagining ourselves as heroes.
The girls remembered their “Barbies” and “Kens”, denim fashion with sparkles, games of rubber band, then fashionable pendants made in the shape of half a heart. And how many goodies there were... Chocolates “Snickers”, “Invite”, to which you just needed to add water, “Yupi”, “Zuko”, I remembered that they bought bags and just ate them, without any water. No one then thought about the harmfulness of dyes and any additives, it was simply delicious, and also fun when later the tongues were painted in all the colors of the rainbow.
And at school... The programs changed all the time, even the teachers at that time looked somewhat confused, not knowing what would be true tomorrow. When the 12-point grading system was introduced, it was generally unclear who was studying how. But they canceled this boring school uniform and pioneer organization. Everyone wore whatever they had, and dressed brightly and variedly.
They listened to music on cassette recorders and players: “Sector Gaza”, “Tatu”, “Rock Police”, Decl, “Kraski”, “Hands Up” and much more. You couldn’t even dream about mobile phones, but there were pagers, and then the first Motorolas, and not everyone had them. Back then, letters were written on paper and sent in an envelope via regular mail.
But we played together in the courtyards for a long time and enthusiastically, and mothers called home from the windows, and not from their mobile phones. Those born in a state of stable totalitarianism suddenly found themselves in a completely different, new world of freedom of choice. It was a time when parents were not paid salaries, when we firmly believed in the promises of politicians, in the reality of what was happening in TV series, and even in the reality of making money on “financial pyramids.” It was a difficult and at the same time fun, crazy time, a time of our childhood, filled with bright events and cardinal changes in worldview, hobbies - in everything.
We had a good time then: both we and our birthday boy were happy. It doesn’t often happen that a seemingly ordinary party takes place according to such a retro scenario. As we said goodbye, we agreed that next time we would have a truly retro party, bringing with us things and costumes from those times and re-plunging into the world of our childhood.
Youth magazines of the 90s: articles, posters and “useful” tips.
It is not difficult for young representatives of the 21st century to find information about everything that is happening in the world and about everyone who managed to gain popularity. The all-knowing Internet provides a detailed dossier on idols, an abundance of photographs of famous personalities. Moreover, "residents" of official fan sites can sometimes communicate directly with someone they consider to be a real "star". However, there were times when information about public figures was given out “in doses.” Youth magazines came to the aid of fans of popular artists, through which they could find out how their favorite show business character lived, and even find like-minded people by correspondence. Have you bought color magazines with images of foreign and domestic superstars at the stalls? Have you stored glossy pages in huge stacks? Then you are also one of us - true representatives of the time of the 90s!Colorful macoolature for teenagers
What a pleasure it was to buy the latest issue of Cool magazine and eagerly read it from cover to cover. Afterwards, the magazines were brought to school and discussed with classmates during breaks (and sometimes during lessons). Now it’s funny to read articles from these publications, but then they seemed the most relevant! Remember, dear girls, how we all tried to repeat the “fashionable makeup” described in “Cool’e”. We were all very impressed by the photographs of ordinary girls who, after the “witchcraft” of a stylist and cosmetologist, turned into beautiful beauties! The “Dating” section also makes me smile now. Letters like “I’m 13 years old. I’m looking for a serious, self-sufficient girl” clearly qualify for the title of “absurdity of the year,” but at that time it was perceived as quite normal.
It should be noted that the magazine also tried to fulfill the noble mission of psychological assistance to teenagers. Now we can no longer judge whether the magazine employees themselves wrote naive letters to their columns or whether such messages actually came to the editor, but, in any case, psychologists answered even the most ridiculous questions, such as “A pimple popped up on my nose and left me.” boy. Tell me, was it love?”
“Funny pictures” for walls
In the 90s, it was customary to “create idols for yourself” and selflessly admire the work of various artists. A real ritual for every fan was decorating the walls with portraits of their favorite celebrities. Young fans were not at all embarrassed by the double holes from paper clips and folds right in the middle of the posters. How can a true fan pay attention to such trifles if a portrait of a “star” is looking at him from the wall?!…
The enterprising owners of “Cool” even made separate issues with “star” gigaposters, which were sold out by teenagers in the blink of an eye! Later the magazine “ Cool-girl", designed, as the name suggests, for young readers. Girls of the 90s read the naive love stories of their peers, watched the ups and downs of photo comics, sympathized with the authors of sad letters to the editor... But the main “trick” remained unchanged - and this magazine had posters for the walls!!!
Some teenagers in the 90s bought magazines aimed at gambling intellectuals. Just at that time, the magazine “Relax!” appeared, in which many crossword puzzles were published. They had to be guessed, keywords compiled and sent on postcards to the editor. Naturally, for each correctly solved crossword puzzle you could get a prize. Remember how we rushed to get a new number and looked for our name among the winners? The searches of most readers were never successful. I would like to hope that there were some lucky ones!
Some “90s kids” still keep stacks of old magazines in their attics and mezzanines. Of course, they have long lost their relevance, but turning through the bright pages, we can momentarily return to the time when the biggest problem in life was just a hated pimple on the nose!!!
Stationery of the 90s: what was in the bag of an advanced student?
And yet, for us, the generation of the 90s, it was interesting to go to school! Why? Yes, simply because many stationery novelties appeared then. Each student was very pleased to bring something like this to school and be the center of attention. Just think, previous generations wrote in plain-colored notebooks with regular blue ink. What about you and me? Yes, the stack of notebooks on the teacher’s desk resembled a bright kaleidoscope ornament! Each school note served as a reflection of the individual style of its owner! Often the covers featured portraits of favorite bands or cartoon characters. Do you remember those wonderful notebooks with “hidden pictures” on the back? It was necessary to peer at the pattern for a long, long time in order for the contours of the design to appear. How offended those who could not see anything were!...Later, not only the appearance of the pen was improved, but also the composition of the ink. Gel pastes have become popular. At first everyone started using blue and black ink. But then I had to put pens with “acid-bright” colors in my backpack: light green, raspberry, orange and purple colors served to highlight the headings in the text.
However, the “clerical progress” did not stop there! Gel pens with a glitter effect have become a new “trend”: pastes with gold and silver ink have been added to school pencil cases!
A subsequent "innovation" was self-erasing pens, which had blue ink on one end and a solution to erase it on the other. Remember how we were forbidden to use such “cunning devices”? But we still kept them simply because they were fashionable!!!
In rare cases, students even selected motifs from famous pieces of music and performed fragments on their pencil cases. Most often it turned out to play the melody of the congratulatory song “Happy Birthday”. On classmates’ birthdays, this skill was especially relevant!
Stickers, bookmarks and markers - “stationery innovations” of the 90s
During our childhood, it was fashionable to decorate the covers of notebooks with bright stickers. They were either purchased separately or served as a “nice addition” to the chewing gum. Sometimes stickers were also an “add-on” to teen magazines.
It was customary to put bookmarks in books, made from two pieces of light-colored photographic film fastened with a bright thread, between which paper with beautiful pictures was placed. Sometimes bookmarks were simply crocheted strings that were attached to the inside of the cover.
Bright markers have replaced ordinary felt-tip pens. Remember how they smelled unpleasant and showed through on the back of the sheet? However, we used them to show everyone how advanced we were!
Undoubtedly, we have not provided a complete list of stationery accessories that were fashionable in the 90s, but we can say with confidence that you had at least one of the above items!
The 90s became an era when an incredible variety of Western products poured into the unspoiled consumers of the former Soviet republics. And it doesn’t matter that many “sweets” contained a huge dose of dyes and flavor enhancers, then it seemed incredibly attractive.
1. Chewing cigarettes
Many boys, and even girls, whose childhood was in the 90s, remember sitting in the yard and “smoking” a sweet, chewy cigarette. At the time, it seemed cool and so adult, and you could eat the cigarette later. And it doesn’t matter that chewing cigarettes soon gave way to real ones.
2. “Galina Blanca”
A magic cube that can turn even the thinnest, meager soup into an appetizing and rich one. The composition of the Galina Blanca bouillon cubes included flavor enhancers, flavorings and vegetable fats, but this did not bother the housewives at all.
3. "Frame"
Any adult is familiar with the salty taste of the legendary Rama margarine. Margarine was generously spread on bread, sometimes on cookies, and the box was then used for various household needs.
4. Pickwick tea
In the advertisement, Pickwick tea was poured from a large, colorful teapot shaped like an orange or strawberry. In those days, one sachet, which was brewed more than once, produced a truly divine drink. The hot drink had a distinct aroma. Of course, this was due to the presence of a powerful dose of chemical flavors.
5. Center Shock
At the mere sight of this candy, everyone who has tried it at least once has a cramp in their jaw. All children, without exception, indulged in Center Shock candies. They were round chewing gum with a very sour shell and a sweet syrup inside.
6. Yupi instant drink
Now the 90s can safely be called the era of sweet powdered drinks. The first to appear on the market were bright Yupi bags, then Invite, and later Zuko. The principle of preparing tasty water was extremely simple: you had to pour bright sugar from a bag into a bottle and add water. Side effects of drinking too much were colored tongues and allergies, but who cared? By the way, not only children, but also adults indulged in sweet “lemonade”. For example, Zuko was one of the ingredients in the “screwdriver” cocktail.
7. Chewing gum Love is
Bright Love is chewing gum was a favorite treat not only for children, but also for adults. Despite the fact that they terribly spoiled teeth and pulled out all the fillings, they made the biggest bubbles, and entire albums were collected from candy wrappers and actively changed them.
8. Bonibon dragee
Colored Bonibon dragees with chocolate filling are a real hit of the 90s. They were produced in Lithuania and after the collapse of the Soviet Union they were successfully exported to the countries of the former CIS. Sweets were very popular among children, but few parents could often spoil their children with them.
9. Chewing gum Turbo
While Love is chewing gum wrappers were more interesting to girls, Turbo gum was a hit with guys. All the boys actively collected candy wrappers, played with them, and the rarest of them could be exchanged for something more valuable.
10. Altoids lollipops
Altoids' small fruit lollipops were introduced a little later than other products, but quickly became a favorite among children and adults. They were much tastier than the usual duchess or barberries, and enterprising housewives used a small tin jar for domestic purposes.
11. Dried bananas
Perhaps, out of this entire list, dried bananas are the healthiest treat. It is worth noting that in Soviet times, bananas were in terrible short supply. Dried bananas appeared on the shelves much later. They were sold in translucent packages of 10-15 pieces, and tasted a little like dates.
12. ColaCao
“Cola Kao - your strength and success! Cola Kao is the champion of cocoa!” All kids' favorite drink. Its advertising and chocolate taste are still remembered by many, and the large jar remained in the kitchen even after there was no trace of cocoa powder.
13. Milky Way magic chest
At one time, Milky Way teamed up with Lego, resulting in a cardboard chest with sweets and a construction set. Absolutely all the boys of the 90s dreamed of this, but they only had a chance to get it on New Year’s or a birthday.
BONUS: Chocolate Alenka
Of all the above delicacies, Alenka chocolate was the most affordable. It appeared relatively long ago and even managed to cross the threshold of the 90s, which not all domestic products managed to do.
Video bonus:
We are glad that you visited our online store Tasty Help. With us you can plunge into the dashing 90s, buy gifts for yourself, friends and loved ones. We only have the most popular sweets from the 90s. Give the joy of memories to yourself and your friends with products from the 90s!
Products from the past
Do you want to buy goods from the past? Then you have come to the right place. On our virtual shelves you will find a variety of drinks from the 90s, including instant drinks. And everyone’s favorite soda from the 90s will help you out even on the hottest day, especially if you put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Here you will find great gifts - products from past years!
Chewing gum of the 90s - a joy for gourmets!
We have put together a collection of the most popular products from the 90s for you. Of course, chewing gum occupies a special place in this collection. Think of the delicious and huge bubbles, those aromatic juicy flavors, and undoubtedly the liners - it's all worth going back in time for a while! One of the most desired surprises in childhood was the chewing gum of the 90s. That is why at the present time such chewing gum of the 90s is very popular among us. Having tried it, you will feel the same, unchangeable taste of childhood in your mouth, and will add to your own collection of inserts.
Buy goods from the 90s and get a trip back to childhood!
Our online store can be considered magical: we will treat you to the best sweets of the 90s, refreshing drinks of the 90s, soft chewing gum from the 90s, and you will instantly be transported back to your childhood. Buy products from past years from us, and you will receive a bunch of bonuses: a good mood, bright nostalgia, positive memories, real tastes of the past, gifts!
A great gift for true connoisseurs of those familiar tastes of sweet goods from the 90s. Choose, scroll through our virtual catalog, remember the dashing 90s and immerse yourself in childhood with us!
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