Tag: Carshalton

There were shops in major cities in the USSR reserved for visitors – that were designed to exhibit the best quality goods the Soviet Union had to offer. What is interesting that nowhere on this product is a price mentioned – not even on the Certificate – which makes wonder whether this device was “gifted” rather than sold. Although it is said that Soviet citizens could not afford to shop at the special tourist shops – due to the prices charged (these prices were still relatively cheap for foreign visitors – my great uncle flew from one-side of the USSR to the other for £5) this really did not matter, as Soviet citizens would receive these goods either “free” (provided by the State) or at a fraction of the price charged to rich foreigners. You can see how Western propaganda used every opportunity to “lie” about the Soviet Union and give the impression of inequality or oppression. My great uncle – a former Coldstream Guardsman – used to practice photography as a hobby, and he would regularly fly to the USSR to purchase cameras – as Soviet cameras possessed the best lenses (perfected during the Space Race). Photography in the 1950s and 1960s was a completely different beast to the contemporary equivalent.