Greetings, Comrades!
After all of our editing issues which you know about already, if you follow us on social media, this episode is finally out. (Alice is far away and Andrew’s PC died at the last moment) This one ended up focusing on Marriage, Family and Everyday life. I had an unprecedented amount of people, giving me their stories and they were so good that I didn’t want to throw any of them out. So, I didn’t. I hope you’ll like this show, as I think it really captures the “feel” of being a Soviet person. We’ll continue with the entertainment and chess next time. And a few other things.
Oh, and one more thing – this episode is best enjoyed while listening to it together with your spouse/partner/significant other. Seriously. Because at the end it’s about what families had to go through, and how they did it.
Today’s images are: pictures from various Soviet stores!
A vegetable/canned good section on a good day. Still, note that while there’s a lot of stuff here, there’s almost no selection of anything. And half of it all is probably disgustingly bad.
The sour cream has already been diluted!
A butcher’s store – with the usual lack of merchandise, wrapping paper and the iconic Soviet weights.
A special thanks to Ryan Caligari from the Rumor Flies podcast for editing this on such a short notice.
Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, support us on Patreon or Paypal and leave us reviews on iTunes. Oh…and of course, don’t forget to love your spouse. That’s the most important part.
Hope you’ll enjoy the show!
Orson Welles was intelligent but had you meant George Orwell near the start?
Oh wow. I did. I…never noticed this error. And neither Andrew not Ryan noticed that either. This truly is a moment full of shame for me. The only question is: how did this even happen? Because, with all the animal farm references and everything, I really, clearly meant Orwell there. #podcastfail
Just a Brain Cloud, it gets worse as you get older; trust me.
I didn’t hate the format. I liked it very much.
Thank you for a good podcast.
I love the contradiction between the “Communist Morals” and how Marx and the Bolsheviks (Good name for a rock band) actually lived. Stalin had many women over the years and a special taste for young girls. I am referring to, among several, 13 year old Lydia Pereprygin whom he had sex and fathered a child with, when he was 35. I should also point out that they were not married at the time. Lenin kept at least one mistress during his marriage, Inessa Armand and Trotsky had an extramarital afair with Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Let’s not leave out dirty old uncle Karl. Marx had a servant mistress by the name of Helen Demuth.
I must say, I love the podcast. I have always wanted to know what life was really like behind the Iron Curtain. All I ever heard was the propaganda spewed out by our government. While I am constantly more horrified by the practices of the Soviet government, my heart goes out to those who had to suffer under it. I love how the internet allows us to find out for ourselves how people in other parts of the world live. No longer do we have to rely on the media or governments to give us “un-biased” information. I have several friends in Russia and the idea of being enemies with them or worse yet, go to war with them is ridiculous. Governments go war and their citizens go to their graves. Granted I only know my Russian friends online and via Skype, but I talk with them more often than I do many of my friends here in the US. Fortunately for them, they are all too young to remember the Soviet days so I thank you for helping us see the truth and make the former USSR about humanity, not about geography.
Great simple composition. It tells the whole story in one shot. Cleaning up after any type of party isn’t very much fun.Hope your 2008 will be full of happiness and fulfilment.Thanks for visiting my blog and all of your kind remarks.Sue