So I have have been spending what seems like the last five hours with the fine looking gentleman pictured above. Oh yes, it Monday night (well oh so early Tuesday morning really) they time of the week when I struggle to get some Russian homework done for the next day while being oh-so-painfully aware that I have French that morning. Tomorrow (errr, today [cries]) I get to be interviewed and tape recorded in French for a fake job interview. All of my French mistakes on tape? Truly a new classic.Anyway, because I have Russian and the teacher always guilts me for not writing more, on Monday night I usually desperately try and squeek out a page or so in Russian to then give as an offering. This time Brezhnev was up. Basically how we have old people telling us how everything was better and simpler when they were younger you have the same thing in the former Soviet Union, except they were right. No leaving the country, one type of sausage, and one political party to ram it all home. The better is in the hey we have services that work rather than a synonymous mafia/government structure out to rob you and the country blind. It is just amusing because I have spent all this time weaving all of these impressive words together and I am still pretty sure I have said the same thing over and over:
Some people thing Brezhnev was really great even though when everything seemed to be going well the Soviet economy was falling apart. That is really funny because it is the falling apart part that made life in Russia so crappy later, and that crappiness that made people think the Brezhnev era was so good in comparison. There are a lot of old people in the former Soviet Union who think everything was better when Brezhnev was still in charge, but they aren't entirely right because things were really falling apart.
Ah, what a beauty to behold. Still though I liked the faint hearted praise the speaker of the state Duma had to offer on Brezhnev's 100th birthday: the Brezhnev era wasn't the worst period in history. Oh Brezhey, one day they will love you for you and not just your crazy eyebrows.
Also, thanks to Antonella and because it is awesome Beeeeeeeeeeeees!
Also, thanks to Antonella and because it is awesome Beeeeeeeeeeeees!
2 comments:
Ian, here's a joke about Brezhnev that Dmitriy taught me:
Brezhnev's chief minister makes an announcement: "Comrades! Our brave primier wants the next space rocket to go to... the SUN!"
The Soviet ministers murmur uncomfortably, and finally one says, "but comrade, will it not be too hot for the rocket?"
The chief minister smiles. "Ah! Our brave primier thought of that! So we will launch our rocket... AT NIGHT!"
Apparently, there's a whole bunch of Soviet-era "Brezhnev" jokes, with "Brezhnev" meaning a sublime level of stupidity.
Yers,
Edward
Oh Edward so glad my blog stopped trying to talk to you in German and let you comment.
I remember that joke! I am not sure whether you told me that one or Dmitriy. It is a good one. There are sooo many about Breshnev.
On a completely different note, supposably he was Ukrainian and later changed his ehtnicity as indicated on his passport so as to get farther in the Soviet hierarchy.
Post a Comment