Mail Art from Russia

Last week there was a slip in the P.O. Box forcing me to the counter so sign for some registered mail.  I wonder why would someone be sending mail art that would be registered?  It was a big and fantastic envelope from Stanislav Semkin (aka Virgo) in Russia.  Virgo had some difficulties getting mail through to me.  I am so glad he persisted.

I would appreciate Virgo’s mail art wherever it came from.  But I especially like that it comes out of Russia.  I think back to growing up in Cold War America where the Soviet Union was portrayed as the Evil Empire.  At an early age, I was already suspect of America’s portrayal of the Soviet Union.  Was it all bad?  My trips to Eastern Europe in the 80’s, were mostly to Poland (I have never been to Russia).  My Polish relatives made a great point of making me understand that they hated the Russian government but really liked Russians.  I have known some awesome Russians myself.  We always have to remember that the people are not the government – even in more democratic countries. 

The Cold War is in the past and, decades later, the American rightwing has moved on to other bogeymen.  Their fanatic support of the White House occupant in Putin’s pocket is hard to fathom when you think back to the days when their demigod Reagan was in power.  But enough of that….

This is a great thing about mail art, it fosters human connections.  When governments behave badly, there may be nothing more subversive than when humans connect in spite of the people wielding power.

And no bots are sending me mail art, only really cool people do that.