Deficit: How They Obtained What Was Impossible to Get in the USSR

A collection of stories from great Russian artists, directors, and actors about the most interesting phenomenon in the history of the USSR – deficit. This book is not only about the tricks people used to acquire the most essential items – clothing and shoes, food, household appliances, books, cars, theater tickets, and contacts of necessary specialists (doctors, plumbers, auto mechanics) – it is also about the very time and circumstances that affected almost every resident of the country in one way or another. It is a monument to a bygone era and a testament to the fact that the Soviet person could find a way out of almost any situation, did not succumb to despair, and knew how to rejoice not only in great victories but also in the simplest things.