Marx and Engels invented it; Lenin volunteered Russia for the honour of trying it; the Soviet people had to live with it.. This tongue-in-cheek travel guide is a cherishably witty insight into the chaotic, bewildering and sometimes scary society that resulted from this heroically doomed effort to build Communism . It teaches you basic Soviet survival skills including how to queue for useless products, bribe your way into empty restaurants and contravene anti-alcohol measures.'The authors' pen is driven not only by a blind hatred of socialism but also a genuine pathological medical condition.' Young Communists' Pravda (1986).'In 1986 USSR was a prescient, hilarious and inspirational take on the evil empire. For Soviet totalitarianism ridicule was a deadly foe. To Polonsky and Taylor, the thanks of all those who were once captive and are now free.' Edward Lucas, International Editor, Economist