Freedoms worth fighting for
Across Europe, people enjoy the freedom to vote, protest, love and pray – but it wasn’t always that way. Before the end of the Soviet Union, many of the fundamental freedoms we enjoy every day were denied. The right to privacy, press freedom and democratic elections were non-existent, and even things like telling a satirical joke or listening to uncensored music could land you in jail.
The revolutions of 1989 paved the way for radical political, social and cultural change that unlocked freedom as we know it today. Find out more about the history of some of our fundamental freedoms.
Freedom to be your own boss
Discover how people worked in the Soviet Union and how the Communist Party’s aversion to entrepreneurism led to a booming black market
Freedom to know about the world
Before the revolutions of 1989, Soviet citizens lived under a strict authoritarian regime in which the media was censored and information was controlled.
Freedom to travel anywhere, any time
Learn about Soviet citizens’ cunning ways of escaping the Eastern Bloc to travel and how the communist regime tried to clamp down on movement.
Freedom to speak your mind
Discover how the Soviet Union tried to stifle people’s ability to speak their mind by preventing protest, withholding information and denying democracy.
Freedom to choose your own leaders
We take democracy for granted, but just thirty years ago people were willing to put their lives on the line to vote. Find out how communism harms democracy.
Freedom to joke
We know that communism is no laughing matter – but in the Soviet era, you could be sent to prison for telling or listening to a satirical joke.
Freedom to love
Learn about the history of LGBTQ+ rights in the Soviet Union where homosexuality was illegal and how we won our freedom to love without limits.
Freedom to worship
In the Soviet Union, communism and religion were at loggerheads. Discover the devastating history that’s paved the way for our freedom to worship today.
Freedom to make music
Wherever there’s censorship, there are rebels. Find out how Soviet citizens got around music censorship and unlocked freedom to enjoy any genre.