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