In 1980, Moscow was set to host the Summer Olympics. This opportunity had been granted to the Soviet Union in 1974 by the International Olympic Committee, and “represented an unparalleled opportunity to showcase the superiority of Soviet athletes as well as … Continue reading →
Comrades’ Corner
The Afghani Government plays Russian Roulette
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The beginning of the Soviet Russian occupation of Afghanistan took place when Russian paratroopers were deployed in the capital of Afghanistan. The date was December 27, 1979 and the beginning of a very long and costly occupation, that would be described in the future as the Russian Vietnam. There were a few specific events which […]
Buy, Buy, BUY!
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By the rise of the 1970′s the people of the Soviet Union craved and sought after new fashion, new technology, and better products. The first eight Five Year Plan’s had failed to produce enough of the common household necessities for each … Continue reading →
The Project of the Century
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The Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) railroad has been called the project of the century in Russia. However this is not because its been the most amazing piece of construction built in Russia; this connotation is given because the project has taken about a century to be fully completed.This railway runs 2,687 miles in eastern Siberia. The … Continue reading »
We’re Here to Help: The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
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The Cold War heated up many times for both the West and the Eastern Bloc. Sporadic proxy wars and expansive conflicts led to many casualties for the USSR and the United States, but there never was a great war between the two. Instead, lives were expended and blood was shed to protect the values both […]
The Soviet Vietnam
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During the mid 70′s when the United States was still licking its wounds from the Vietnam War, the Soviet Union was still fat and happy about their success. Still trying to increase their hold on the modern world, the Soviets, under Brezhnev turned their eyes to Central Asia. In 1973, the Prime Minister of Afghanistan, Mohammad […]
The Black Market and Institutionalized Corruption
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A friend of mine at Virginia Tech was born in Moldova in 1992 and the remnants of an underground economy still existed. He was telling me about how if you gave the men who worked in the passport office good … Continue reading →
The Dark Side of the Space Race
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The men and women who were among the first to travel into space are often seen as pioneers. A less often heard perspective is that they were troops on the front lines of the Cold War. Like conventional soldiers, they … Continue reading →
Czech Yourself before you Wreck Yourself
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The Crisis in Czechoslovakia was yet another pivotal moment between the Soviet Union and another one of the Soviet bloc countries. “Socialism with a human face” was the slogan Alexander Dubcek utilized in promoting the Czechoslovakia Communist Party’s platform in 1968. As … Continue reading →
The Soviets Didn’t Give a Dam
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Throughout their history, the Soviets have not been a people to care much about the environment. It could be said that this is because they have so much land it doesn’t really matter. Either way, the damming of the Angara River, which began in 1955 perfectly shows the lack of preservation that many Soviets had. … Continue reading »