When I enter the dining room of my childhood house and my feet touch an old floor, cupboard with
glass doors suddenly starts singing: white plates, floral teacups, shining teapots, spoons, and forks seem
like a playing orchestra inside. This imagined piece of music reminds me of soundtracks from one of the
movies. Then I glance at the cupboard and everything looks clean but untouchable at the same
time. They smell everything but nothing simultaneously.
The dishes and transparent, glass cupboards keep the history of the lives of people in the Soviet Union when
families purchased these items and kept them,, safe’’, almost never used them, but praised them and
were proud of keeping them. Families rarely or never used this tableware in their everyday life, even
on certain important dates. They were waiting for the,, special guests’’ and,, special moment’’ to serve
supper with these fancy, high-priced cups, and glasses, plates and mugs. But guests never arrived and
the appropriate time never came. I associate this imaginary and special moment, constructed during
Soviet times, with a utopia, desired occasion, the point worth enough to use these special items as
subjects of consumption.
These photos were taken at my parents’ house and represent tableware which was bought in 1970-
The 1980s. Some of the tableware is dowry, a gift for my mother at her marriage. None of the dishes were
used but kept in the cupboards for years.
