Do you believe that \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u0433\u0430 – <\/strong>\u043b\u0443<\/span>\u0447\u0448\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [a book is the best gift]? I do! For a while Russians prided themselves to be \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u043c\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u044e\u0449\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043c\u0438<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [the most well-read country in the world]. But I realize that \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043d\u043e\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0438\u0437\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0430<\/span>, <\/strong>\u0443\u043c\u0435\u043d\u044c\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e-<\/strong>\u043b\u0430\u0441\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0437\u0432\u0438\u0449\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [hard to pronounce names, diminutives and nicknames], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043b\u043e\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044f <\/strong>\u0441 <\/strong>\u0434\u0435\u0435\u043f\u0440\u0438\u0447\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u043d\u044b\u043c\u0438 <\/strong>\u043e\u0431\u043e\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u043c\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [sentences with verbal adverb phrases], and, as one of the readers put it recently, \u201ctantric suffering\u201d of the characters might make Russian classical literature not so \u00ab<\/strong>\u0447\u0438\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u0431\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [readable] to many readers.<\/p>\n But the book that\u2019s being given away is nothing of the sorts. It\u2019s written in English and it\u2019s \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043a\u0443\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0442\u0443<\/span>\u0440\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [a non-fiction book]. It is \u201cMade in Russia: Unsung Icons of Soviet Design\u201d<\/em>. This book \u201ccelebrates the more populist and enduring work in graphic and industrial design\u201d produced in the Soviet Union.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Years back, consumer goods \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u0421\u043e\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043c <\/strong>\u0421\u043e\u044e<\/span>\u0437\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [made in the USSR] were considered inferior to those made elsewhere. They were of poor quality and, usually, extremely unappealing. Just think of the Soviet-era underwear. \u00a0When I think of items like \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [tights], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u043b\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [dolls], \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0430\u0448\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [cars], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0448\u043a\u0430\u0444\u044b<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [wardrobes], and many others I feel both bitter and amused.<\/p>\n This book reminded me of other things, the ones that were actually well-designed or at least were intended to be well-designed. Some of the designs we took for granted, such as the \u00ab<\/strong>\u0430\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> bags or \u00ab<\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0435\u0443\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong>\u043f\u0430\u043a\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [triangular milk cartons]. But all became symbolic of supposedly non-consumerist era.<\/p>\n So that\u2019s the prize that is being given away in just about an hour or so.<\/p>\n Finally, a bit of house-keeping here – I will be randomly selecting a winner in just a little bit (by the time you\u2019re reading this, I will already know the name). But I might not be able to post the announcement on the blog until next week. Blame it on \u00ab\u0443\u0440\u0430\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> [hurricane] Irene. If it goes the way they are predicting, I might not have Internet connection for a few days.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By the time you\u2019ll be reading the giveaway will be over, the winner chosen and the secret revealed. But at the time of writing of this post, there are still a few hours left in the giveaway. So the only thing I can do right now is to reveal the secret prize. I\u2019m not exactly…<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2011\/08\/UnsungIconsofRussian-217x350.jpg\")