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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Eto byli devyanostye” is a common card of the Russian Memes pack, number 107 of the collection, and the 132nd best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Eto byli devyanostye” meme mean?
The phrase presents an ordinary image, often an old family photo or a street scene, as proof that someone lived through a decade seen as especially rough and unpredictable. It mixes a touch of pride at having survived with gentle irony about the living conditions of the time, without any political statement: it is above all a generational wink shared among those who lived through those years.
Where does the “Eto byli devyanostye” meme come from?
The caption spread on RuNet starting in 2011, as many Russian-speaking users began reposting old personal photos from the 1990s, a decade marked in Russia by deep economic and social upheaval after the dissolution of the USSR. “Those were the nineties” became the ritual line accompanying these snapshots, summing up in one phrase a decade that even an ordinary photo seemed to carry traces of. The line has stayed a fixed caption, reused with little variation under very different images.
How to use the “Eto byli devyanostye” meme
- Captioning an old family photo from that decade.
- Using it under a street or indoor scene seen as typical of the era.
- Joking about an incongruous detail spotted in an old photo.
Also searched as
- это были девяностые (Cyrillic spelling)
- eto byli devyanostye meme
- those were the nineties meme russian
- russian 90s nostalgia meme
- это были девяностые meaning
- old photo meme russian 1990s
The “Eto byli devyanostye” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 107 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Common |
| Collection | Russian Memes pack |
| Fame | 50/100 · #132 of 300 |
| Recycle value | 5 MemeCoins (15 in Shiny) |
How to get the “Eto byli devyanostye” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Eto byli devyanostye comes out of the Russian Memes pack as a common card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 5 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Eto byli devyanostye”
More cards of the Russian Memes pack
Frequently asked questions
What does “those were the nineties” mean?
It is a nostalgic RuNet caption used under an old photo to evoke the chaos of that decade in Russia.
Where does this phrase come from?
It spread on RuNet starting in 2011, as users began reposting old personal photos from the 1990s.
Why specifically the 1990s?
That decade followed the dissolution of the USSR and remains associated, in Russia, with a period of major upheaval.
Is the meme serious or humorous?
It mixes a touch of pride at having survived with gentle irony, without a strong political statement.
How do I get the Eto byli devyanostye meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Eto byli devyanostye” is a common card of the Russian Memes pack. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Eto byli devyanostye card?
It is a Common card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: History of post-Soviet Russia — Wikipedia (en) · checked on October 29, 2026.
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Open your free pack: 5 meme cards, no account needed.