Introduction

The video is about retail in the Soviet Union, specifically about bread. The speaker talks about his experience buying bread in Kiev and the countryside.

Buying Bread in Kiev and Countryside

• The speaker bought bread mainly in two places: Kiev, the capital of Ukrainian SSR, and the countryside.

• There was no competition between bakeries since it was a planned economy. The government calculated how many bakeries were needed based on population.

• Freshly baked bread wasn't packed in bags so it would get dry and hard quickly. Stores had deliveries a couple of times a day.

• Delivery of bread from bakery to grocery stores happened using special carts with shelves on wheels. Bread trucks had big letters "lib" which means "bread" on its side.

• Customers could check if bread was fresh by using a special spoon attached to the shelf by a rope to gently push on the bread.

• Bread was good for 24 hours before it became too hard to sell. It was then recycled or used for breadcrumbs.

• The speaker enjoyed bread in the Soviet Union because it was always fresh and delicious. He found American sandwich bread pre-sliced soft and without crust.

Shortages

• There were shortages of everything, so people never took anything for granted.

Shopping for Groceries in Soviet Ukraine

The speaker describes the challenges of shopping for groceries in Soviet Ukraine due to the planned economy and limited availability of goods.

Limited Availability of Goods

• Stores had a plan for how much they were supposed to sell per month, making it difficult to find everything you needed in one place.

• If a store wasn't meeting its sales plan, they would request goods that were in demand from the main warehouse or management.

• Animal feed was not available for sale, so people would buy bread as an alternative to feed their animals.

Types of Bread Available

• Black bread made of rye was popular and sold at a price of 20 copecks. It was round-shaped and not sliced.

• White bread or darker-colored bread shaped like a brick could be found in some areas and cost 16 copecks.

• In villages, there was a shortage of bread and it was delivered three times a week. People would line up early to get their share based on the amount sent.

Carrying Your Own Bag

• People carried a bag called "a voice cup" made of net with them at all times just in case they found something for sale since plastic bags were not available.

Overall, shopping for groceries in Soviet Ukraine presented many challenges due to the planned economy and limited availability of goods. People had to be resourceful when it came to feeding their animals and carrying their own bags while shopping.

Buying Bread in Ukraine

In this section, the speaker talks about their experience buying bread in Ukraine during their childhood.

Types of Bread

• There was a shortage of bread in villages, but not in big cities like Kiev.

• The speaker's favorite bread was called baton and cost 15 kopecks.

• Pepsi was the only American soda available for purchase and cost 30 kopecks per bottle.

• KX was a sweet bread with raisins inside and sugar powder on top. It tasted similar to German stolen and cost around 20 to 30 kopecks.

• So-called "public" or kolobok was a round pastry with baked cottage cheese inside. It was also sweet.

• Boob Leakey or Suki were small, dry bread that people would dip into tea to soften up. They cost around five kopecks apiece.

Favorite Snacks

• The speaker's favorite snack as a kid was called bullish car. It was white bread that cost three kopecks per piece and wasn't very sweet.

• Another type of bread the speaker enjoyed was called plechonka. It had some sweetness to it and was generously sprinkled with poppy seeds.

Funny Story About Bread Prices

In this section, the speaker shares a funny story about how they used to joke about the price of bread.

Three Kopeks Bread

• The speaker recalls an instance where someone asked how much the three-kopeck bread costs, which caused everyone to giggle.

Khrushchev's Love for Corn

In this section, the speaker talks about Khrushchev's love for corn during his visit to the United States.

Khrushchev and Corn

• Khrushchev was a big fan of corn and was impressed with it during his visit to the United States.

Grocery Stores in Russia and the Soviet Union

The speaker talks about grocery stores in Russia and the Soviet Union, specifically about how people purchased bread.

Corn Bread Dominance

• Corn bread became the dominant type of bread in grocery stores.

• People were not happy with corn bread because it got hard very fast compared to regular wheat or rye bread.

• The corn man, nicknamed "Cuckoo Louise Nick," was known for selling corn bread that tasted good but got hard quickly.

• Normal wheat or rye bread was difficult to find.

Conclusion

• The speaker shares their personal story about grocery stores in Russia and the Soviet Union.

• They hope that viewers enjoyed the video.