Rocket Roll In The Rocket City 
Riley Thompson
Dr. Zhuk
1 November 2014
HIST150
Rock and Roll in the Rocket City Rock and Roll in the Rocket City was an interesting book because, the book described westernization of youth culture in one "closed" city in Soviet Ukraine during the very important historical period. One reason why this book was so interesting was that it was not the typical readings of blood-thirsty wars, magnificent rulers, etc. After reading this book, one would learn about so-called Soviet closed cities which were centers of military production in the USSR. For example; when Khrushchev opened the USSR for foreigners' visits in 1957, he simultaneously closed such cities to any foreigner.
Rock and Roll in the Rocket City is not just a book proclaiming facts about rock, disco, and or punk music. Using American pictures (such as McKenna’s Gold, The Defiant) and French movies, and variety of musical sounds from the Beatles and Shocking Blue, to Slade, Sweet, T. Rex, Deep Purple, AC/DC, Kiss, etc., this allowed young Soviet people to create their own experience.
The reason why most of the important sources from this book are private diaries written by Soviet kids during the 1970s is because it gives the readers an opportunity to compare personal thoughts of young people of western cultural products from diaries. In this way it recreates a real social history of the Brezhnev era. In Rock and Roll in the Rocket City, Zhuk explains the history of the Brezhnev’s era. “Dniepropetrovsk’s transformation into an important center of the Soviet military-industrial complex was also related to the sudden rise of Leonid Brezhnev to power in October 1964” (Zhuk). After reading this section it was interesting to read how Brezhnev can go from being elected a member of the Dniepropetrovsk City Council, to being elected a member of the regional committee of the Communist Party, to being an officer in the ideological division. “I don’t think we should compare the current stagnation to that of
Dr. Zhuk
1 November 2014
HIST150
Rock and Roll in the Rocket City Rock and Roll in the Rocket City was an interesting book because, the book described westernization of youth culture in one "closed" city in Soviet Ukraine during the very important historical period. One reason why this book was so interesting was that it was not the typical readings of blood-thirsty wars, magnificent rulers, etc. After reading this book, one would learn about so-called Soviet closed cities which were centers of military production in the USSR. For example; when Khrushchev opened the USSR for foreigners' visits in 1957, he simultaneously closed such cities to any foreigner.
Rock and Roll in the Rocket City is not just a book proclaiming facts about rock, disco, and or punk music. Using American pictures (such as McKenna’s Gold, The Defiant) and French movies, and variety of musical sounds from the Beatles and Shocking Blue, to Slade, Sweet, T. Rex, Deep Purple, AC/DC, Kiss, etc., this allowed young Soviet people to create their own experience.
The reason why most of the important sources from this book are private diaries written by Soviet kids during the 1970s is because it gives the readers an opportunity to compare personal thoughts of young people of western cultural products from diaries. In this way it recreates a real social history of the Brezhnev era. In Rock and Roll in the Rocket City, Zhuk explains the history of the Brezhnev’s era. “Dniepropetrovsk’s transformation into an important center of the Soviet military-industrial complex was also related to the sudden rise of Leonid Brezhnev to power in October 1964” (Zhuk). After reading this section it was interesting to read how Brezhnev can go from being elected a member of the Dniepropetrovsk City Council, to being elected a member of the regional committee of the Communist Party, to being an officer in the ideological division. “I don’t think we should compare the current stagnation to that of