It is very hard to imagine, that people of Soviet Union didn’t have access to many simple appliances many Americans or Western Europeans used every day. For example such a simple thing as a lawnmower was totally absent in Soviet Russian homes. First of all because only village citizens had a right to have a private house – citizens didn’t live in private houses – only in multi-stored, state-owned buildings, so they simply had no lawns to cut, as well as those countrymen who had a private house were too poor or to busy with working in state farms to take care of some lawns.
But still there were lucky ones, those who were lucky enough to have a lawn to take care of and time to do this. They wanted to have a lawnmower but couldn’t buy it – nobody sold them, again, because all the shops were state owned and all suppliers to the shops were state owned factories, producing things according to the Soviet Party Plan without any correlation to the demands of those minor fortunate lawn-owner group members. So they had to build lawnmowers themselves. Different parts of other more available house hold appliances were used, like: child bicycle, baby trolley and the engine was taken from Soviet washing machine.
This particular lawnmower still works and sometimes is used by this Russian man on his “dacha”, the summer wooden cottage where he spends some of his weekends, like many other Russians do.
photos via Goguin
Bayan !
Isn’t a “Bayan” an accordion?
It would be interesting to see the blade on that thing.
bayan in russian slang means “i’m tired of your repeats” or just “repeats”.
Nope, it means something about “i’ve seen it already”. Yeah, definitely it.
Yes it is. Here’s more info if you are interested..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayan_(accordion)
Its a popular last name too.
I just wonder who writes all those image captions! Almost every post contains something wrong or misleading! Is it done on purpose, to generate more comments or what?
“only village citizens had a right to have a private house – citizens didn’t live in private houses” – NO! This is not true!
Yes, there were many limitations and obstacles, but at certain times Communist Party was even endorsing construction of family houses by people themselves, because state realized, that they can not provide enough flats for everyone. Curious side effect of this was that as it was hard to buy anything in USSR, this resulted in widespread stealing of construction materials from government and partially contributed to Soviet phenomenon called “dolgostroy” (long-construction) as official construction sites came to standstill because of the lack of materials.
“This whole site’s purpose is to degrade Russia in any and every possible way” – Well, I don’t know about this site’s intentions. I guess that as well can be normal Russian way of being proud of things the others would be ashamed about. Often does not really differ from what one could see on Russia Today.
I only could say that if (1) Russia would not be trying so hard to make everyone its enemy and (2) would try to improve itself and earn respect instead of demanding it, then the attitude to Russia and Russians would be different.
Besides, as I said Рcaptions and explanations are wrong quite often, which could be caused by admin(-s) being a young guy(-s), possibly also from (post-)Soviet ̩migr̩ circles, thus lacking in knowledge about what he wants to write about, but the images from this site talk by themselves. That Borat thing is integral part of the Russian reality.
“I only could say that if (1) Russia would not be trying so hard to make everyone its enemy and (2) would try to improve itself and earn respect instead of demanding it, then the attitude to Russia and Russians would be different.”
i couldn’t agree more! but they just can’t understand such a simple thing…
Before we get started I’d like to take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools PROPERLY will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this. There is no other more important safety rule… [points to his glasses.] …than to wear THESE… safety glasses… [Norm holds up ear protectors] …and also HEARING protection when necessary.
http://photofile.ru/photo/yoshi_shu/2396868/large/43230175.jpg
LOL.
LOL.
I did not give the right to post my private photo! (first picture). Yeah, even in USSR there were gays.
Apparently, in Israel their are Jewish Russian Nazi’s.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,2165880,00.html
Many jews were and still are fascists. In Russia fascists, for example, are Jews.
For example, Belov (Potkin) is a Jew, he is the leader of the main fascist organization.
Gannushkin also a jew, he is a leader of radical nazi organization.
So, in Russia, Jews are fascists!
And judaism as a religion is fascistic and nazi. Read Shulkhan Aruh, for example, or Talmud…
I was shocked when i’ve read it!
Main Kampf is just an fairy tale book, if compare it it with some jewish books.
I’ve never heard of Shulkhan Aruh. I will look for some of his writings.
Sarah, you are deluded.
She might have a point since Jews believe that they are the chosen. That is almost as nationalistic as the whole Aryan thing.
There are all kinds of Jews.
– Christian
– Muslim
– Atheist
– etc
From Wikipedia:
“(Jewish law) states that a child born of a Jewish mother is a Jew regardless of the faith they practice. Thus in Jewish law a Jew who converts to Islam remains a Jew, and is able to return to Judaism without conversion (see Baal teshuva).”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Muslims
I am not Jewish so I am not an expert.
There are many sites on the internet dealing with the issue of Jewish racism. Here is one: http://www.jewishracism.com.
(or just read the Talmud, or Shulkhan Arukh). Written for Jews by a proud Jew (who might be labelled anti-semitic, but, alas, he’s not “goy”, but one of the tribe).
Jewish racism is just as virulent as any other form of tribal hatred. Why not discuss it? Well, the mob might be out to get us, you might think…once they find out how much influence this tiny community has over the lives of people all over the world. Really? Is it that bad? Are all Jews so bad that we can’t out just a few of the monsters who identified themselves as such? After all we freely do it to everyone else (Muslims, Chinese, and yes, the Russians…still:)
Maybe it’s time to take off our mantles of “victimhood” and stop milking the Holocaust (were you there? who made the list of victims?) and dishonor the memory of those who died from Schicklgruber’s madness, Jews and non-Jews alike (remember what he thought of Slavs? Yep, we all conveniently forget his and Lenin’s comments about the Russian people, do we?)
One finds that in the beginning (forget talmud) the jews were special and separate by virtue of being the first to be “adopted” by Yahweh, clean from child-sacrifice and satanic worship of other nations. But the appeal of non-Jewish women finally got even to king Solomon. Then Mashiach (Messiah) came and though he didn’t preach his message of tolerance to non-Jews, he instructed his followers to do so later. His mission were his tribe – children of Israel.
Like apostle Paul (a Jew) said:”There is neither Jew, nor Greek, nor Scythian…anymore”…and so on. We’re all equal before Yahweh, for he made it clear through his own son Yeshua Ha-Nozri (known also to most of us as Jesus Christ) that we will ALL be adopted to become close to Him just as close as the Jewish people were . Otherwise Yahweh is not God if he rejected his other creation just by virtue of being not the right blood type of something. Or why would people of differing backgrounds fall in love if one is a “child of God” and the other – “goy”, shunned by God forever and ever. Is that what He intended? No, just like Jesus, other Jews were supposed to teach the world about Yahweh. But they hid his name behind countless titles and talmudic commentaries that lead into the jungle of hellenistic (Babylonish) philosophy, which is basically atheism and consumerism neatly masked by “religion”. (
So as not to offend his first-chosen child – “nation of Israel”, Jesus was instructed to preach only to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”. That’s how much God loved Jews. Yet, as a whole Jewish people rejected the message of a poor carpenter, which was that Yahweh is love. But not all – there were courageous Jewish men and women who kept of talking about this rebel “self-hating Jew”, they died for their stand too.
How’s that connected to racism displayed by the atheistic Jews today? Easy – put “one of our own” in any key position. Yep, racism is still there and it is rampant where the $$$ is. Atheistic Jew is the worst offender against humanity. Hitler (Schicklgruber before last name changed), Stalin (Djugashvili before …), Bela Kun, and countless other murderers who had a clique of half and quarter-Jews around them. No Nuremberg, or Haag trials for them (lest we discover who “sponsored” them, oh no! not more anti-semitism). Belov (Potkin before the name changed) is in the same category of self-hating Jews, who should consider why changing the name is necessary if there’s nothing to hide. Here’s a look at the making of the “russian” nazis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_7H21svjP4&feature=related
I can’t understand why anyone believes this will work again, especially in post-Soviet Russia (too much intermarriage is first issue, Russian traditional openness and tolerance of foreigners beyond other Europeans is another) like it did for Schicklgruber-Hitler. Russians are a peaceful people despite what the Matrix propaganda tells us. I don’t believe this scam will work in Russia as it did in Germany in 1930-40’s. In fact these Nazi’s should be outed like Jirinovski…
I feel sorry for the lost and disillusioned half and quarter-Jewish young men posing as nazis in Israel. Although I really do understand them – I lived there too, only as a “goy”…But I would never seriously consider joining them in what they’ve done as shown on TV all over the world. Shame on Zionist racists who cry “Holocaust” and “anti-semitism”, and can’t even control it in their own midst (in the Holy Land to boot!) They are in need of acceptance, acknowledgment ( a little love?!)from their Jewish elders and community, and less of that “the whole world is against us” mentality taught to all of us Jews and non-Jews. But these nazis were stripped of their heritage and deceived into hating one part of themselves by those who teach Talmud (atheism and magick, really) instead of Torah. These are the same people that held Jewish people hostage in their “cup of pale” settlements with their racist brainwashing about being “chosen”, “special”, “ritually and morally cleaner than thou art” and other non-sense most Jewish people today secretly reject anyway (to be politically correct, right?). You’re just one of us – humanity, and that’s not so bad after all. Isn’t that what Jewish people in the diaspora always wanted – to be accepted as our own, one of the ordinary, everyday folks who don’t care about tribalism and hatred of old, as a brother, indeed?
Nothing special about being Jewish today. Maybe before – yes, in the time of Moses, but not since 2000 years ago when the Temple on the mount was destroyed and Jews kicked out by Romans for meddling in the empire’s financial well-being (sounds familiar to today, doesn’t it).
Let me make one this clear – Yahweh has no pets. We’re all equal before our father, we’re all brothers, same DNA, remember?
Chosen for what? I think this issue has again been misinterpreted by anti-Semites. I am not a practising Jew, but I do know that all men are equal in the eyes of God.
I believe he is referring to Deuteronomy 14:2.
There are many sites on the internet dealing with the issue of Jewish racism. Here is one: http://www.jewishracism.com.
(or just read the Talmud, or Shulkhan Arukh). Written for Jews by a proud Jew (who might be labelled anti-semitic, but, alas, he’s not “goy”, but one of the tribe).
Jewish racism is just as virulent as any other form of tribal hatred. Why not discuss it? Well, the mob might be out to get us, you might think…once they find out how much influence this tiny community has over the lives of people all over the world. Really? Is it that bad? Are all Jews so bad that we can’t out just a few of the monsters who identified themselves as such? After all we freely do it to everyone else (Muslims, Chinese, and yes, the Russians…still:)
Maybe it’s time to take off our mantles of “victimhood” and stop milking the Holocaust (were you there? who made the list of victims?) and dishonor the memory of those who died from Schicklgruber’s madness, Jews and non-Jews alike (remember what he thought of Slavs? Yep, we all conveniently forget his and Lenin’s comments about the Russian people, do we?)
One finds that in the beginning (forget talmud) the jews were special and separate by virtue of being the first to be “adopted” by Yahweh, clean from child-sacrifice and satanic worship of other nations. But the appeal of non-Jewish women finally got even to king Solomon. Then Mashiach (Messiah) came and though he didn’t preach his message of tolerance to non-Jews, he instructed his followers to do so later. His mission were his tribe – children of Israel.
Like apostle Paul (a Jew) said:”There is neither Jew, nor Greek, nor Scythian…anymore”…and so on. We’re all equal before Yahweh, for he made it clear through his own son Yeshua Ha-Nozri (known also to most of us as Jesus Christ) that we will ALL be adopted to become close to Him just as close as the Jewish people were . Otherwise Yahweh is not God if he rejected his other creation just by virtue of being not the right blood type of something. Or why would people of differing backgrounds fall in love if one is a “child of God” and the other – “goy”, shunned by God forever and ever. Is that what He intended? No, just like Jesus, other Jews were supposed to teach the world about Yahweh. But they hid his name behind countless titles and talmudic commentaries that lead into the jungle of hellenistic (Babylonish) philosophy, which is basically atheism and consumerism neatly masked by “religion”. (
So as not to offend his first-chosen child – “nation of Israel”, Jesus was instructed to preach only to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”. That’s how much God loved Jews. Yet, as a whole Jewish people rejected the message of a poor carpenter, which was that Yahweh is love. But not all – there were courageous Jewish men and women who kept of talking about this rebel “self-hating Jew”, they died for their stand too.
How’s that connected to racism displayed by the atheistic Jews today? Easy – put “one of our own” in any key position. Yep, racism is still there and it is rampant where the $$$ is. Atheistic Jew is the worst offender against humanity. Hitler (Schicklgruber before last name changed), Stalin (Djugashvili before …), Bela Kun, and countless other murderers who had a clique of half and quarter-Jews around them. No Nuremberg, or Haag trials for them (lest we discover who “sponsored” them, oh no! not more anti-semitism). Belov (Potkin before the name changed) is in the same category of self-hating Jews, who should consider why changing the name is necessary if there’s nothing to hide. Here’s a look at the making of the “russian” nazis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_7H21svjP4&feature=related
I can’t understand why anyone believes this will work again, especially in post-Soviet Russia (too much intermarriage is first issue, Russian traditional openness and tolerance of foreigners beyond other Europeans is another) like it did for Schicklgruber-Hitler. Russians are a peaceful people despite what the Matrix propaganda tells us. I don’t believe this scam will work in Russia as it did in Germany in 1930-40’s. In fact these Nazi’s should be outed like Jirinovski…
I feel sorry for the lost and disillusioned half and quarter-Jewish young men posing as nazis in Israel. Although I really do understand them – I lived there too, only as a “goy”…But I would never seriously consider joining them in what they’ve done as shown on TV all over the world. Shame on Zionist racists who cry “Holocaust” and “anti-semitism”, and can’t even control it in their own midst (in the Holy Land to boot!) They are in need of acceptance, acknowledgment ( a little love?!)from their Jewish elders and community, and less of that “the whole world is against us” mentality taught to all of us Jews and non-Jews. But these nazis were stripped of their heritage and deceived into hating one part of themselves by those who teach Talmud (atheism and magick, really) instead of Torah. These are the same people that held Jewish people hostage in their “cup of pale” settlements with their racist brainwashing about being “chosen”, “special”, “ritually and morally cleaner than thou art” and other non-sense most Jewish people today secretly reject anyway (to be politically correct, right?). You’re just one of us – humanity, and that’s not so bad after all. Isn’t that what Jewish people in the diaspora always wanted – to be accepted as our own, one of the ordinary, everyday folks who don’t care about tribalism and hatred of old, as a brother, indeed?
Nothing special about being Jewish today. Maybe before – yes, in the time of Moses, but not since 2000 years ago when the Temple on the mount was destroyed and Jews kicked out by Romans for meddling in the empire’s financial well-being (sounds familiar to today, doesn’t it).
Let me make one this clear – Yahweh has no pets. We’re all equal before our father, we’re all brothers, same DNA, remember?
Peace
I agree with orknexus!!!
The information about house ownership is absurd. I grew up in Ukraine (78-91) and my family owned a private house which we sold later and had 2 dachas (summer homes). Every city had private houses but new construction would be high rise buildings that were built by the state yet they were COOPS.
But did you own a lawnmower?
In regard of the lawnmowers the article is absolutely right. There weren’t any. At least I lived in the USSR and had never seen one and never read or heard about one.
Also it was rather common for rural craftsmen who had an access to the machine shop to produce self-made vehicles, something remotely reminding of tractors, which they used at their fields. Because there was practically no way to legally obtain a normal tractor. In USSR actually all tractors and trucks were owned by the State. Though there were very few exceptions when people could purchase an old vehicle from the State after it’s useful life was considered to be over.
Another example. You know, hairdressers have a special tool which looks a little bit like pliers. It is heated and is used to make female hair look nicer by making them curly. So then, in Soviet times it was hard to buy one, so people used to make one themselves. Normally a soldering iron was taken as a base and turned into that hairdresser’s tool. Still, this implied certain risk in using it, as it was very easy to get skin burns on your head or over-dry the hair and make them brittle.
Very nice.may be you are new but very intelligent.thanks
That goofball looks like he has been drunk for the past ten years.
Someone should tell him he doesn’t have to use that anymore.
Why not, if it still works?
No, he is happy when he is mowing.
That’s IT!! I will make millions selling lawnmowers in former Soviet Republics, no lawnmowers there, I will provide them!
You might laugh at this “lawnmower”, but imagine thinking of and making one yourself during the USSR times with such a deficit (it was even worse in the Siberian part of Russia-most articles here are about the European part).
Examples of stuff like this: http://www.kk.org/streetuse/archives/2006/09/soviet_improvised_household_ar.php
I found this bug zapper to be humorous: http://folkarsenal.artinfo.ru/items/tarakan.htm
Cool sites. Thanks for the links.
My name is Pros….. This was photo shopped, Im a bald homeosexual, blah blah blah
Godwin’s Law.
I love this comment! Very intelligent apraisal of general US views!
What nice comments here…
Anyways I too still have a homemade lawnmower, bit more decent looking then this here. It was an electric one with power coming from a wall socket. Nowdays we use a normal one but we still have the old one 🙂
They had sickle, so they didn’t needed any lawnmowers.
It is a good way for some poor farmers. They are quite creative and friendly!
Thanks for this post. I am wondering that how about the man in this post. Is he living now?