The socialist brother kiss was a special form of greeting between statesmen in the former Eastern Bloc. It consisted of an embrace and a mutual kiss (or several kisses) on the cheek or on the mouth. This kiss symbolised the special brotherhood between socialist (communist) states.
The brotherly kiss between Erich Honecker and Leonid Brezhnev in 1979 became famous after it was photographed and spread. In 1990, Dmitri Vrubel painted a graffiti mural on the Berlin Wall entitled Mein Gott, hilf mir, diese tödliche Liebe zu überleben ("My God, help me, survive this deadly love"). In 2009, Vrubel was commissioned to restore the painting so that it would remain visible for many years to come.
Source: http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialistische_broederkus
I am Steve Van Hoyweghen, a Belgian photographer. Photography and photo manipulations are my tools. However, it is the challenge, the creativity, the idea, 'stealing with pride', or just the 'happy coincidence' that really shapes my images. This has been my challenging exploration for.. Read more…