In Soviet Russia a major war scare, as in the winter and spring of 1926-1927, would immediately prompt peasants to bury grain that would have been seed corn for the spring sowing and to hoard salt. The towns, the stronghold of Bolshevik power, were in the stranglehold grip of the countryside. The next harvest was … Continue reading The Mutiny’s Impact on the Economy

A classic frame from an old fifties black and white thriller: the bank raid goes hopelessly wrong. The cops are called and come in guns blazing. Meanwhile, back at the hideout the thieves fall out with one another. Switch to the gold coated halls of the Kremlin, an ornate palace that Shakespeare would have recognised. … Continue reading Act III. The Thieves Fall Out. Or Frankenstein’s Revenge