This book contains over 60 recipes, each introduced with an insightful historical story or anecdote, and an accompanying image, spanning such delicacies as aspic, borscht, caviar and herring, by way of bird's milk cake and pelmeni. As the Soviet Union struggled along the path to Communism, food supplies were often sporadic and shortages commonplace. Day to day living was hard, both the authorities and their citizens had to apply every ounce of ingenuity to maximize often inadequate resources. The stories and recipes contained here reflect these turbulent times: from basic subsistence meals consumed by the average citizen (okroshka), to extravagant banquets held by the political elite (suckling pig with buckwheat), and a scattering of classics (beef stroganoff) in between. Illustrated using images sourced from original Soviet recipe books collected by the author. Many of these sometimes extraordinary-looking pictures depicted dishes whose recipes used unobtainable ingredients, placing them firmly in the realm of 'aspirational' fantasy for the average Soviet household. In their content and presentation the pictures themselves act as a window into cuisine of the day, in turn revealing the unique political and social attitudes of the era.

This book is the first critical assessment of the likelihood and implications of such a contract. Linda Cook pursues the idea from Brezhnev's day to our own, and considers the constraining effect it may have had on Gorbachev's attempts to liberalize the Soviet economy.

Introduces the cooking and food habits of Russia, including such recipes as beet soup or borscht, stuffed pastries or pirozhki, and beef stroganoff; also provides brief information on the geography and history of the country.

Tells the true stories of Laika, Belka, Strelka, and the other space dogs who were sent on experimental space flight explorations by the Soviet Union between 1951 and 1956.

This book surveys the experiences of non-Russian USSR citizens both during and following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

More than 350 recipes from all fifteen republics of the Soviet Union offer samples of the country's vast diversity--from the robust foods of the Baltic states, to the delicate pilafs of Azerbaijan

This artists book by Sue Webster, (one half of the infamous artist duo Tim Noble and Sue Webster) is a mixtur e of recipes and ideas surrounded by illustrations and photographs. It has an autobiographical feel, inspired by the artists purchase of an old organic farm and it's resulting effect on their lives.