'In 1986 USSR was a prescient, hilarious and inspirational take on the evil empire. For Soviet totalitarianism ridicule was a deadly foe. To Polonsky and Taylor, the thanks of all those who were once captive and are now free' – Edward Lucas
Marx and Engels invented it; Lenin volunteered Russia for the honour of trying it; the Soviet people had to live with it.. This tongue-in-cheek travel guide is a cherishably witty insight into the chaotic, bewildering and sometimes scary society that resulted from this heroically doomed effort to "build Communism". It teaches you basic Soviet survival skills – how to queue for useless products, bribe your way into empty restaurants, and contravene anti-alcohol measures.
The authors studied Russian in England and the Soviet Union, and ran a travel company specialising in 'real life' tours to the USSR. Here is the distillation of their observations and insights: a definitive guide to the 'Soviet experience'.
Paperback