# Sovietwave

> A post-Soviet internet aesthetic pairing synthwave's music and VHS glow with Space Age Soviet imagery and Cyrillic captions: nostalgia for the past future (Natalija Majsova), a lost technological optimism. Visually it diverges from synthwave, with muted print colours and little neon. It is not endorsement of the Soviet state; critics call it a romanticised myth (Shevchenko) or one that ignores harsh realities (Molchat Doma), and Ukrainian artists may reject the label. Use state symbols with care.

- Period: 2012–present
- Where: Eastern Europe, Global / networked
- Origin: Post-Soviet internet music scene in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, early 2010s; a subgenre of synthwave. First dedicated festival Volna-1, St Petersburg, August 2018
- Branch: Digital native
- Also known as: Soviet wave, Retro-Soviet synth aesthetic, Совьетвейв
- Page: https://stylogeny.com/styles/sovietwave/

## How it works

- Centre a cosmonaut, rocket, satellite or modernist housing block as a flat, found or vector image.
- Set Cyrillic captions in a plain Soviet-era sans, optionally on a diagonal in the manner of poster slogans (a design choice, not a documented rule of the genre).
- Take a muted palette suggested by faded Soviet print: cream, red, teal and ochre, with one cool cyan glow (the palette is an inference from the imagery, not a documented standard).
- Degrade the surface with VHS grain, scanlines and test-card colour bars.
- Quote educational film, stamp and poster sources rather than inventing new heroes.
- Keep the tone wistful and sincere, not ironic or triumphant.

## Its design choices

Defining choices make the style, characteristic ones are usual, occasional ones turn up now and then.

### Layout & composition
- [Diagonal axis](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/diagonal-axis/) (characteristic)
- [Dynamic asymmetry](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/dynamic-asymmetry/) (characteristic)
- [Isolated object](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/isolated-object/) (characteristic)
- [Collage & layering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/collage-and-layering/) (occasional)

### Space & hierarchy
- [Single focal point](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/single-focal-point/) (characteristic)
- [Extreme scale contrast](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/extreme-scale-contrast/) (characteristic)
- [Illusion of depth](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/illusion-of-depth/) (occasional)

### Typography
- [Grotesque & neo-grotesque](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/grotesque-and-neo-grotesque/) (characteristic)
- [All caps](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/all-caps/) (characteristic)
- [Hand-lettering](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/hand-lettering/) (characteristic)
- [Geometric sans](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/geometric-sans/) (characteristic)
- [Rotated & vertical setting](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rotated-and-vertical-setting/) (occasional)
- [Bitmap & pixel](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/bitmap-and-pixel/) (occasional)

### Colour
- [Limited spot colours](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/limited-spot-colours/) (defining)
- [Flat fields](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-fields/) (characteristic)
- [Earth & mineral](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/earth-and-mineral/) (characteristic)
- [Dark ground](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/dark-ground/) (characteristic)
- [Gradients](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/gradients/) (occasional)

### Form & shape
- [Stylised figuration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/stylised-figuration/) (characteristic)
- [Rectilinear](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rectilinear/) (characteristic)
- [Geometric primitives](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/geometric-primitives/) (occasional)

### Surface & texture
- [Grain & noise](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/grain-and-noise/) (defining)
- [Glitch](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/glitch/) (characteristic)

### Ornament
- [Cosmic & celestial](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/cosmic-and-celestial/) (characteristic)
- [Emblems & badges](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/emblems-and-badges/) (characteristic)
- [Rules & bars](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/rules-and-bars/) (occasional)

### Imagery
- [Found & vernacular imagery](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/found-and-vernacular-imagery/) (defining)
- [Flat vector illustration](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-vector-illustration/) (characteristic)
- [Treated photography](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/treated-photography/) (characteristic)
- [Photomontage](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/photomontage/) (occasional)

### Medium & production
- [Web & CSS](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/web-and-css/) (defining)
- [Motion & broadcast](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/motion-and-broadcast/) (characteristic)

### Tone & intent
- [Nostalgic & retro](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/nostalgic-and-retro/) (defining)
- [Utopian & idealistic](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/utopian-and-idealistic/) (characteristic)
- [Technological & futurist](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/technological-and-futurist/) (characteristic)
- [Calm & contemplative](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/calm-and-contemplative/) (occasional)

Avoids: Fluorescent & neon, Pastel, Chrome & 3D render, Gloss & highlights, Central symmetry, Script, Ornamented display, Abundant decoration, Luxurious & glamorous, Ironic & self-aware

Palette: #e8dcc0, #b5342a, #2f6f73, #d9a441, #1c1f2e, #43d5e0

Typefaces: Plain Soviet-era sans lettering, such as the period Zhurnalnaya rublenaya (Polygraphmash, 1947), which the look draws on; no source ties it to specific sovietwave works, Hand-drawn Soviet poster and film-title lettering in Cyrillic, VHS and CRT on-screen lettering and teletext-like pixel type

Known for: Volna-1 festival (St Petersburg, August 2018), the first dedicated sovietwave festival; Mayak (Kharkiv), N.E.M.O., Kim and Buran, PPVK: sound projects associated with the imagery; Molchat Doma (Minsk), whose 2020 TikTok success brought listeners to the associated aesthetic (the band is post-punk/coldwave, and has criticised the genre); Crafts Park pavilion, Moscow City Day (September 2017), designed around sovietwave music

## Where it comes from, and what it’s close to

- Grew out of: [Synthwave / Outrun](https://stylogeny.com/styles/synthwave-outrun.md) (2006–present)
- Influenced by: [Thaw Modernism (Soviet and Czechoslovak)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/thaw-modernism.md) (1956–1968)
- Influenced by: [Soviet Central Asian Ornamental Modernism](https://stylogeny.com/styles/soviet-central-asian-modernism.md) (1966–1999)
- Influenced by: [Vaporwave](https://stylogeny.com/styles/vaporwave.md) (2011–2017)
- Alike in its design choices: [Analog Horror Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/analog-horror.md) (2015–present), 56% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Syrian Revolution Graphics (Kafranbel Banners & Poster Collectives)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/syrian-revolution-graphics.md) (2011–2024), 47% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Forum Signature Art (Sig & C4D Render Graphics)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/forum-signature-art.md) (2004–2013), 47% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Italian Fascist Graphics (Romanità & Exhibition Photomontage)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/italian-fascist-graphics.md) (1921–1943), 46% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Saul and Elaine Bass Conceptual Film Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/bass-conceptual-film-graphics.md) (1954–1995), 46% alike
- Alike in its design choices: [Bandung Distro Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/bandung-distro.md) (1993–present), 45% alike

## Sources

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovietwave
- Natalija Majsova, essay on nostalgia for the past future, Alternator research centre (2021), as cited in the Wikipedia article
- Pitchfork (2020), article on Molchat Doma, as cited in the Wikipedia article
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovietwave (motifs: retrofuturism, technological utopianism, Space Age, Soviet-era architecture and art; criticism by Molchat Doma, Shevchenko)

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From Stylogeny (https://stylogeny.com/), an atlas of graphic-design styles by Van Riel Online Services. How it is made: https://stylogeny.com/about/. Cite as: Stylogeny, “Sovietwave”, https://stylogeny.com/styles/sovietwave/