While reading this phenomenal piece of literature by Anya Von Bremzen, I must say I was a little skeptical at first concerning the light in which the Soviet Union would be spun. As a collegiately schooled American at one of the premier military institutions in the country, I naturally have a slightly skewed perspective. I wished not to delve into a piece of literature extolling the Soviet Union and the leadership of people like Lenin of Stalin. Even though I was not raised during the time of the nuclear arms race, cuban missile crisis, and cold war, my educators have made it very clear, as well as contemporary propaganda, that the USSR was hardly the mark of a utopian society. Nevertheless, my knowledge of what life truly was like inside the Soviet union during this time was extremely limited. Von Bremzen, to my delight, did not tell it as a soviet sympathizer. In fact she regaled her experiences and history of this country with apparent contempt. This immediately signified to me that I can wholeheartedly immerse my attention in her words.

On a side note, her intertwining the discussion of food as a sort of perpetual lens in which to tell her story was very intriguing and makes the reading that much more enjoyable. But, the topic which I would like to discuss is the living standards of your average civilian during this period. I know that this geographical region is both harsh and arid one, but it amazed me just how destitute the majority of the country was, and how people dealt with such atrocities. The deprivation of such basic human necessities such as food, sanitation, or even living quarters deeply disturbed me. Anya remarks throughout her telling of how the people of the soviet union would have to wait in line for hours each day for the most basic ingredients and food such as bread. She describes in vivid detail how the bread would almost certainly be damp and marred, oozing a greenish solution from the peas used the stretch the flour to protract the insufficient quantity possessed. However, a slight admiration for the people of that country, not for the government or dignitaries obviously, had developed. Von Bremzen’s recount of how the population handled such hardship difficulty stood in my mind as nothing short of impressive. No matter what daunting situation arose for Anya and her mother as well as the general public, happiness, hope, and resolve always remained to some degree.

I think there is no greater symbol in this book to represent this than the mayonnaise jar. In her chapter labeled “1970’s: Mayonnaise of my homeland,” she describes how everyone utilized the remaining container of mayonnaise in an abundance of different functions. Obviously with so little resources possessed by the majority, the one food stuffs that most everyone received with consistency was mayonnaise, usually kept in a large container. When the contents were depleted, the people did not simply throw it away but saved for usage in whatever situation they could thing of. At one point in this chapter Anya described how pervasive this action was as she denoted a random gynecologists’ sign reading that all pregnancy tests be brought in a mayo jar. These people were truly able to live up to the old adage “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” So, it thanks to Anya Von Bremzen that the people oppressed by such horrid living conditions have earned my respect due to their comprehensive will to survive and thrive in a terrible time.