don't be fooled..

Of course it was cheap. The locals were earning next to nothing whilst special shops were packed with goods which could only be bought with foreign currency. This meant only visitors and those who were allowed to leave the country, communist party officials, had access to them. The guide was in fact a minder, as they wanted to control who you had contact with. I've been there on business during the communist times and the reality you saw when you were not a holidaymaker being shown around selected placs was different. Only one kitchen and toilet for each floor in a block of flats, and these weren't old flats by any means, having to have a pass for permission to live in Moscow, a ration card for food, an ID card all of which had to be presented after a lengthy wait just to buy a loaf of bread. Some people were very easily misled when they only saw what the authorities wanted you to and came back here praising the place. They certainly wouldn't have swapped places with an ordinary cityizen of Moscow.

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