Once Upon a Soviet Child: Piano, Potatoes, and Privations - Paperback

by Anna Masevich (Illustrator), Anya Stork (Author)

What if you were born in Russia during 1970s - how would it feel growing up there? For many in America perhaps a dystopian tale, this was how Anya and her family lived. Anya continuously trained along with her classmates for the coming war against America. If American children got to sit underneath their desks during Cold War school drills, Russian children had their weekly military style preparedness classes in a bomb shelter beginning first grade.

As Anya recalls, "We wore gas masks, rubber military respirators and had many drills in a bomb shelter, at the basement of our school. Beginning first grade, we were taught how to sew face masks in case of germ warfare. Starting fourth grade we were shooting rifles and throughout school and summer Pioneer camps we marched like soldiers in endless military formations. During summer camps we were learning how to transport the wounded..." Anya had personally attended many Pioneer camps and compares and contrasts the camps for ordinary Soviet citizens with those far more privileged members of the so called "classless society."

Competition and rhetoric were endless. Meanwhile, most ordinary people in Russia had very little to eat. Anya describes the startling contrasts between the privileged class and the ordinary citizens, including her family." Our family was typical yet unique by Russian standards. We were a very large family living in Moscow - a family with six children raised in the Soviet economy when most Russian couples feared having a second child for the economic reasons described in this book."As the oldest child of six, Anya is expected to excel in school and playing piano while helping out at home. Teenagers will relate to the overwhelming feelings she experiences but can't express. Readers will cheer when she throws off the yoke of her teachers' unreasonable expectations and charts her own course in life.

Through touching and often humorous stories of what occurred in her family, Stork shows many different aspects of Soviet living. Most importantly, Anya Stork emerges as an articulate spokesperson for intelligent analysis of her society and family.In this book you will learn about Soviet Childcare, Sex education (or lack thereof), Public education and Military formations, The Pioneer movement, Medical and Dental care, Russian Diet and cooking, Housing, Communal living, Personal hygiene, Shopping in Russia, Traditions and Holidays, Soviet Music school, Ideology, Body language and fine cultural nuisances like: Why couldn't Soviet people say "I love you?" and much more...Who knew Pravda (which means "Truth") was a newspaper, then toilet paper, wrapping paper, or a hat?

The Market: This timely book targets a wide spectrum of readers. Anyone who wishes to learn more about Russian culture before and during Perestroika (the restructuring of Soviet society in the 1980s) can pick up this book and learn something new.Enjoy this cultural experience from the eyes of an eye-witness.