Abstract: The Yugoslav exhibition of consumer goods in Moscow was the first of its kind organized by Yugoslavia in a communist country. It opened its door to the public on May 25, 1960, amidst the super-heated international political environment after the American U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union. Following the colossal propaganda success of the 1959 U.S. National Exhibition in Moscow, the Yugoslavs managed to deliver yet another propaganda blow to the Soviet prestige, showcasing that even socialism outside the Soviet bloc and in close collaboration with the United States was not only possible but also better.

Keywords: Yugoslav-Soviet relations, exhibition, propaganda, soft power, consumer goods

Summary 

The first Yugoslav exhibition of consumer goods in Moscow opened its doors to the Soviet public on May 25, 1960. It was held during the “Khrushchev’s Berlin crisis” of 1958-63, as one of the most significant periods of Cold War confrontations. This was also a new period of stable relations between Belgrade and Moscow, particularly in the economic sphere. Held less than a year after the successful U.S. National Exhibition, which was triumphant in representing the high living standard of liberal capitalism, the Yugoslav exhibition of consumer goods eventually became a specific follow-up to the American propaganda success, having a task of representing the Yugoslav version of a socialist consumer paradise. Showing to the wanting population behind the Iron Curtain that the amenities of capitalism could be cultivated in a socialist country, the exhibition was equally successful in planting the seed of discord within the Soviet population. Even though Yugoslavia had only limited potential to organize such an exhibition, especially concerning the availability of the necessary variety of consumer goods, it eventually managed to succeed, despite all the obstacles created by the Soviet side. It seems that the hunger for any diversity in these items among the Soviet population was simply too great, and the ability or willingness of the Soviet industry to comply with these demands of its population was limited.