Communist Propaganda in North Korea: Giant Mosaics at the Arirang Festival
Communist Propaganda in North Korea: Giant Mosaics at the Arirang Festival

Video: Communist Propaganda in North Korea: Giant Mosaics at the Arirang Festival

Video: Communist Propaganda in North Korea: Giant Mosaics at the Arirang Festival
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Giant Mosaics at Arirang Festival (North Korea)
Giant Mosaics at Arirang Festival (North Korea)

On the eve of the May holidays, it is impossible not to remember North Korea, a country where the slogan “Peace! Work! May!" still has not lost its relevance. It is here at the May Day stadium that one of the largest festivals in the world takes place "Arirang" … It is attended by tens of thousands of people who, armed with hundreds of multi-colored panels, "lay out" of them thematic mosaic drawings.

Giant Mosaics at Arirang Festival (North Korea)
Giant Mosaics at Arirang Festival (North Korea)

The festival usually takes place from August to October in Pyongyang and is timed to coincide with significant dates in the history of North Korea. In principle, this event can be called one of the most ambitious ways of political propaganda in the world. The event is usually attended by dancers, gymnasts and singers, the main thing in their performances is the praise of the Communist Party and the eternal leader of the country, Kim Il Sung.

Giant Mosaics at Arirang Festival (North Korea)
Giant Mosaics at Arirang Festival (North Korea)

The festival is not held annually: in the years when North Korea suffered from severe floods, the government decided that the forces of the festival participants could be directed to repairing destroyed infrastructure, rather than entertainment. By the way, about 80 thousand people are usually involved in the creation of mosaics. there are many children among them.

Giant Mosaics at Arirang Festival (North Korea)
Giant Mosaics at Arirang Festival (North Korea)

The unique "living" mosaics at the May Day stadium are usually displayed for two hours, while images dedicated to the cultural heritage of Korea change every 20 seconds. Giant paintings usually show country landscapes, rivers full of fish, fields with a rich harvest of wheat, an abundance of fruits. All this makes it possible to “program” Koreans to perceive themselves as a “chosen” nation, living many times better than everyone else.

At the "Arirang" festival, you can see how thousands of people meekly carry out the commands of a single manager. If you want to see the everyday ("unkempt") side of life in North Korea, you can refer to the photo project of David Guttenfelder.

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