Soviet movies mentioned in this video: Train Station For Two: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ac1do5SVna6UYqM.html Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bbucq5BznrO-mps.html Hello, comrades! My name is Sergei. I was born in the USSR in 1971. Since 1999 I have lived in the USA. Ushanka Show channel was created to share stories as well as my own memories of everyday life in the USSR. My book about arriving in America in 1995 is available on www.sputnikoff.com/ (Russian or English versions) or Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B08DJ7RNTC Please contact me at sergeisputnikoff@gmail.com if you would like to purchase a signed copy of “American Diaries” You can support this project here: www.patreon.com/sputnikoff with monthly donations Support for this channel via PAYPAL: paypal.me/ushankashow Ushanka Show merchandise: teespring.com/stores/ushanka-show-shop If you are curious to try some of the Soviet-era candy and other foodstuffs, please use the link below. www.russiantable.com/imported-russian-chocolate-mishka-kosolapy__146-14.html?tracking=5a6933a9095f9 My FB: facebook.com/sergey.sputnikoff Twitter: twitter.com/ushankashow Instagram: instagram.com/ushanka_show/ Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/The_Ushanka_Show/

Restricted access to restaurants was not just a Russian thing...back in the early 80s, my father visited the GDR to spend time with his uncle. During that visit, they went to a really nice restaurant, managed to get a seat, but were ignored by the wait staff. After a bit, my uncle collared one the waiters and asked for service. The waiter asked my uncle for his 'identity book' (internal passport), looked at it, and announced that my uncle didn't have a high enough Party rank to eat at that establishment. That was my real world lesson on "some animals are more equal than others". Hopefully I'll get my chance to visit the city of late father's birth, Leipzig...it's a *very* different place now that Germany is one country.

In the 1990’s, I worked with a man who had emigrated to the US from Estonia. In Estonia, he had worked as a waiter, in the 1980’s, at a restaurant that served foreigners. He recalled on at least one occasion where the “secret police” had instructed and provided the restaurant staff, a particular plate, for serving a particular table of customers. He, and other restaurant staff, were certain that the provided plate had some type of “listening device” embedded in the porcelain. He mentioned the name of the Estonian security organization, but I do not recall it. Bon apetit, Comrades.

When I worked in Russia in 1993 thru 1994 , I found that my waitress made more in a week in tips from me , than a Russian doctor friend made in a month. Before I figured it out , I couldn’t believe how excited they were to serve me!

Классное видео, братан! As an American who's worked in the post-Soviet Union (Moldova and Ukraine), I was fascinated to learn more about waiting tables in Soviet restaurants. When I worked in Moldova and Ukraine, I ate in a lot of stolovayas as well as other traditional cafes. These types of establishments gave me a glimpse of what it must have been like to dine out during the Soviet period (I also noticed a lot of modern restaurants in these post-Soviet countries still cater to large parties like weddings, birthdays, etc. like you described). I also got very excited when you mentioned Dnipropetrovsk. I spent a year working in that city and it's like a second home to me, very curious to know what's become of that restaurant Rubin you were talking about. Я очень рад что я нашёл Ваш канал!

If the Soviet waitresses all looked like those cartoon waitresses with long legs and their blouse about to explode, I would guess they would get very good tips.

When I was a busboy/dishwasher at this nicer small restaurant (mid to late 90s) the waitress were making 2.25 a hr. They’d work 5!hours and go home with 300+ from tips. As long as your good you can make a killing, if you get cash tips that is so always try to tip in cash

Your stories of the USSR make me glad I grew up in the United States.

Yay i love these storyes my grandpa is a former soviet soldier from the cold war and he tells me awsome storyes all the time altho we took our grandmas name cause our russian name sounds super afensive cause it sounds like the n word our grandma is german and was the daughter of a nazi comander and our last name is now klaus

Not so close to the mic, my dude.

Sergeii , I was a delivery driver and when minimum wage in the US was 4.25 per hour I was making 20. Same for waitress in the right restaurant you could make 300 a day.

I really like your videos. My ex-wife (and her parents who are still great friends) are from Lugansk. My friend Boris used to play music in a restaurant and he mentioned how they would always have extra food. Now I understand :). Keep up the good work. Thanks

I noticed that the Russian restaurants in the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn were not for couples or anyone dining alone, not even really for a few friends just looking to go out. They had musical acts in the center of the space, and they were really more like catering halls than restaurants, except that there were several celebrations going on at the same time, at different long tables.

One of the lowest paid jobs in my country, Australia! Bizzarely some scientists are paid badly here too!

Thank you! Great video! My mother was a waitress.

Yeah maybe in little towns a waitress or waiter doesnt make much in the USA but in even medium size towns good waitresses take home a good living. Well at least in Texas where tipping is encouraged.

I noticed what you remember as a good day or a good time in the USSR, it had much to do with extra food and extra alcohol and extra good time. I find your story is very enriching and well comparison isn't always Fair. But it seems to me that you had good times in the USSR you have fond memories of your family and you had your traditions I'm thankful for your channel. You have a very honest description of life in the USSR

Remember “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed “ as extremely thrilling and very good. Would love to see it again. As for many others here in the west it introduced Vladimir Vysotsky, for me!

Once again, thank you for sharing John Wayne Cheeseburger. I always enjoy your videos and accounts of history in the USSR.

Well I've worked as a busboy before. And tips can fill your pockets some days ;)

Swede here: A wedding without alcohol sounds nuts.

I know of someone that went to Saint Petersburg in 1992 all young and excited and this person said that loved everything except the food. When I first started my visits in Russia in 2013 was very different even in the Soviet restaurants my only complaint is that it’s not very vegetarian friendly but oh well. I’ll be very interested in seeing the videos about people’s finances.

Nice presentation - hard currency talks in the world, yes Taxi's, restaurants, bars pray on foreigners. Cheers and stay safe

I'm assuming your wife's family owns a furniture store. My Dad had a partnership with my uncle, an inherited furniture store, in Battle Creek. Dad sold his share to my uncle, moved to Florida, and opened a furniture store in Delray Beach, in '59. He finally sold the store in '89. I worked in that store in my teens. I was rather slim, but people would ask, "Where did you get those arms?" That, plus surfing, made working out in a gym unnecessary.

Really fascinating stuff!

I’ve seen professional waiters/waitresses (on the west side of Los Angeles) average $150+/day on tips in nicer restaurants - You add that to the $60+/day in wages, & you have $1100/week.

Your recent Q&A was really fun, and it was funny to see you post a censorship video right afterwards. I had asked how much you knew about Challenger explosion and you mentioned you did hear that but much less so for local news, which tied in perfectly to that video. :D I think the words we would use for the phrase you had trouble translating might be "side gig", "side job", etc - although in most places of course it's not tolerated to resell your ingredients :D

I thought of a question and potential episode topic. Forgive me if you've already covered it. If an ordinary Soviet citizen wanted to learn a musical instrument, what kind of path might they take? Were instruments available and affordable? Was it easy to find space to practice? Did anybody have a piano in their home? Also, were music programs part of the school system? Was music something that parents wanted their children to become involved in? Anything and everything related to this topic, I would be very curious to learn about. Thank you, and I love your show!

I appreciate your stories of the USSR because in America everything was politically motivated and you really bring things into perspective

Realy a fan of your videos keep the great work

Lovely reminiscences of fast vanishing history, thank you

Im grateful for your videos, did you have muvh information on car modifications and repair shops

interesting, thanks!

Soviet Union, where are you? I really, really miss the USSR. We should bring it back. When I was a little boy growing up in America, we went to restaurants to eat almost 5 nights a wee. This was because my parents did not want to cook or do the dishes afterwards.

I can't believe I've lived my whole life and didn't know waitresses were also prostitutes... DAMNIT.

Did they have gentleman clubs in Ussr?

DUDE!!! AUDIO LEVELS!!!

Most informative.

My nephew made a tidy living out of bar tending and table waiting for a prominent caterer. This was before COVID. Fortunately, he has several marketable skills. Right now, he is doing on-line home decoration and advising while finishing up his degree in counseling. He plans to partner up with a therapist who does on line counseling on various platforms.

"Alcohol free wedding is total nonsense" ... wise words.

"everyone was drunk even though it was an alcohol free wedding" hahahahahahah

The concept you are referencing at 6:20 would probably translate to the "Hustle." Those waitresses were not just anyone? To get access to jobs that permitted what must amount to state sanctioned corruption could only b for "comrades of proven worth."

I know waiters and waitresses who make $600-$1000 a night in 5 hours…but it’s an unwritten rule of the trade to lie to everyone to A) avoid taxes and B) to keep big tips coming in from people that thinking waitresses aren’t getting paid enough

Sergei! Great channel! I listen to it almost daily. I have a question regarding time. Since towards the end of the USSR, there were more shortages of food (among many other things) you had to stand in line a lot just to get some food. Sometimes for hours. That being said, when/how did the average Soviet have time for all of this? Assuming you also had to go to work, commute to work and back, fix things at home, have a social life etc. How long was an average work day in the USSR for an example?

So, you go to the cinema and then back home, also you should tell us, PLEASEE!, about any street food in the SU.

Restaurant servers can make decent money in the United States too. I think it's because you're kind of working for yourself. Granite they're not making more than engineers and doctors.

Thank you for providing us with all of these interesting insights into Soviet life!!!

I really wish I could have had a chance to live in the USSR for a period of time as a teenager. I would like to have had the experience. I think that the climate in Michigan is similar to a lot of Russia

Would you consider posting the audio of your videos as audio podcasts so we can listen to the audio when we can't watch KZfaq? I would love to listen to these when I'm driving to work.

I heard that before WWII, ordinary people in the UK never went to restaurants. The government passed some laws that restaurants weren't allowed to charge more than a certain amount for a meal. The restaurants started serving meals and charging the limit. At that time, the working class people started eating at restaurants.

Fascinating as always. Thank you. brother! By the way, I started watching your videos a few months ago because I developed an interest in learning about Soviet life after watching the television series about Cold War espionage, The Americans. Have you seen it?

So waiters and waitresses made good money not from tips but from scams? That's hard to fathom for me. One scam is take the food off of one dish and resold it to another table. So both tables got less food but paid the full price. Another one is the waitress buy food from the wholesaler of the restaurant and the kitchen cook it and sell it, and somehow you get the money? This doesn't make sense. Everyone had to be in on it, including the manager. The owner of the restaurant had to be blind to miss this. Of course I believe you. But I just can't wrap my head around it from a non Soviet stand point. It sounds more like the mafia than a restaurant.

I think the English word you're looking for that describes the alternative methods of making money under the table is "Scams".

6:51 who does these drawings? Some of them remind me of Norman Rockwell.

I have friends who are professional wait staff and they do really well, like they make more than I do as a paramedic. Especially if you are working behind the bar

I enjoy your videos. I studied economics, and I’m amazed on how the system worked. And you’re correct: the average Soviet citizen was a second class citizen.

If the posters are to be believed, Soviet waitresses were every bit as tasty as the food they served! 😍

I wish I could afford to order your merchandise. I have been looking for your book but I can't afford to buy it new I've been looking at the second hand stores near the capital city of Michigan

Is it customary to tip ( gratuity) on food service? That's how waitresses get by in America

Taxi was a pretty well paid profession in the United States.. until Uber and Lyft came along.. it used to be a genuine profession at one time. Before gps came out you actually had to know where places were and also had to know how to use a map book. The pay was pretty good too.. 100k”ish per year for a dedicated and skilled driver. Back in the 90’s and early 2000’s .. I did it from 1997 till 2011. It was the type of job that allowed for communists to be capitalists and capitalists to be capitalists..

Im pretty sure that translates to 'side hustle'

John Wayne Cheeseburger?!?? Where did that come from?

I read about your point about nothing to spend money on back in the 80s. It was a big political, social problem. Poor people with high savings rates only due to lack of access to desirable goods. Having many years' worth of cash was nothing to Russians in those days. You can imagine the implications. Any access to the border created a huge pipeline of goods. That required bribes. Passing inspections required bribes. Having goods for sale required bribes to the local Militia. So corruption became much more widespread, rather than not necessary because it was the only way to get anything in life. That is why the store shelf pictures don't show the true state of the people. Empty shelves don't mean the goods are not in town, among the people, just that they were not on 'official' shelves, but in the hands of regular people on the black market.

What happened with the audio? It was so good in your live stream but now it is popping into the red a lot

Did the Soviet waiter/waitress also profit by engaging in hard currency money changing?

I found that movie you mentioned Train station for two. I noticed the people had to leave the train for food. That was an old practice in America until the turn of the 20th century with Dinning Cars. So, did they have dining cars in the soviet union railroads to provide food on the go?

I just saw "The Diamond Arm" on KZfaq - I was going to ask you how that movie jived with 1968 reality. And then I see you use a still from the fancy restaurant scene!.....I'm still going to ask you how that movie jives with 1968 Soviet reality. FYI.

Sir you seem to forget the huge divide between the experience of growing up in American suburbs and rural areas are vastly different from urban poor areas. The burbs and even poor rural areas were at one time a uniquely American paradise.

5:07 this kind of sounds like Baptist weddings, funerals other events in the south eastern United States. Of course you’re going to hell for anything so drinking in public is not OK for Baptist; however, it is commonly known when they go to their truck that’s where the beer or whiskey is. at several funerals I have attended nobody has a single drink in their hand, but then you walk outside and stand around the pick up truck did you see everybody’s hands are below the bed of the pick up truck that is where they are holding their booze, so it’s OK to drink but it’s not OK to be seen drinking. Very southern etiquette. Like it’s not OK to be gay, but whatever happens behind closed doors doesn’t matter. Of course that is the euphemism. I believe that speaks to acceptance that people are different and will do what they do but at the same time there is a standard set of manners that it would be beyond taboo to do certain things in public even today in the south they might not say something to your face, but they will definitely say something probably behind your back :-) that it’s just a culture.

Have you seen a video for a song by Elton John called "Nikita" ? Just wondering.

I was born in 71 too,the best year in london

I am surprised that the Soviets allowed birthdays and such occasions!

You're blowing my windows out, good buddy.

Sounds like cubans working deliveey trucks, sometimes they "lose" things like lobsters and wine which then get sold to tourists for american dollars

Hindsight is 20/20 I guess, but I know there was Tsarist era gold still floating around the USSR. So, if these people had known the collapse was coming, and converted their roubles to gold, they'd have come out well. I kinda want a 5 rouble gold coin with Tsar Nicholas and I see AU and BU ones on eBay from $350 to $450. So, that would've been the way to go.

theres another movie about restaurants that i really love called Дайте жалобную книгу.

Hah. The thumbnail cracks me up. Dad is checking out the waitress's cleavage, and Mom is NOT happy about it.

Alcohol free weddings - LOL!!!! Same thing here in the US. Who goes to a wedding without alcohol? ;)

In some Asian countries they don’t accept tips as it “below” them as they are paid well already.

I don't mean to sound rude, but you should get a pop filter for your mic. The audio is really blown out.

Wait the Soviets had restaurants? Here's a fun fact from the pacific northwest, Soviet factory ships worked with American trawlers on catch share bases trading king crab for whiting. The workers made more than Soviet admirals and they adjusted it the next year

"I'd like to reserve a table for tomorrow to bring my girlfriend while my wife is at work." 🤣

Yo, bass boosted Ushanka Show.

Interesting subject as always, by the way just love the pictures from 5:20-5:27. I always get a laugh out of the one at 5:25. Even though we’re from different cultures and countries some things just never change especially regarding human attraction and fascination toward the female sex, I find it prevails in all cultures .

Them were the good old days

Sergei do you remember the weird movie "Taxi blues"? en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi_Blues

You have excellent videos and narration. Thank you for the wealth of information! Why do you think American institutions portray Russians today as enemies? I know that's a huge question but it consistently confounds me.

Komrade cheeseburger, What did you think about American food when you first got here? How long where you in America before you had your first steak?

At 14:49, you have the translations reversed, the Left is Capitalism, the right is Communism.

Anyone else disappointed that Comrade Cheeseburger admitted to scarfing down buterbrod, but not a single cheeseburger?

What was your experience with homelessness in the USSR Where are there homeless in USSR How did homelessness occur in the USSR And if somebody was to be homeless in USSR how they get to being a person with a home in the USSR

English translation would be "Perks of the trade".

5:53 it looks very stylish, the buildings there façades peoples dress really compared to what grandparents have shown me as being the times of their lives here in the United States I’m sure some of these pictures are propaganda, but they show extremely stylish folks. In the style of their time they would say… I recently had it explained to me in school. They act like people choose their governments. In Russia and many of the eastern bloc countries, it was a choice between suffering or a choice between working together for bigger and better things like electricity, better jobs, better lifestyles, electric lighting things that we take for granite today. That communism is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s hard for people to wrap their head around that here Nobody had the choice between communism or democratic republic, it was either this or that, and that was much better.

Is the sound worse than normal?

It’s minimum wage but I serve in California and I make more than a nurse does due to tips

Could you do a history with slavic last names since my is vinokurov?

didn't doctors get paid the same as street sweepers?

Funny how the Soviets hated capitalism, and yet their system all but guaranteed it, as the underground. Коррупция - это образ жизни!

Min 6:25 is from Hebrew through yeddish into russian/Ukrainian/Soviet dialect, in Hebrew סחר-מכר, means "trade an exchange" (speculation)

Lol I love how the weddings were supposed to be alcohol free and yet everyone is drunk.