Food Package
(Leningrad, 1970s-1980s)


Each plant, including the food shops, had a specific objective job (plan). If that plan was fulfilled the plants received a monetary bonus. Usually that was paid out once a quarter (every three months). For the shops, the targeted level of sales was the plan, which measured success, in the monetary equivalent of sales. At the end of the quarter when the plan might not have been fulfilled the director of the shop put out some items in short supply; then very quickly there formed a long line and customers bought all those items.

Sometimes it was better for the director when he used other tactics. He provided special food packets, which consisted of one product in short supply (usually buckwheat, one kilogram), and other products that all the time were available in the shop. The sellers with packets usually placed them outside of the shop and people bought them quickly. The director of the shop received a bonus for his fulfilled plan. All were happy.

Very soon in big plants, local trade Union committees of the plants (Profcom), organized delivery of food packets to the plants. On that day all workers were excited. A representative of each division made a list of workers who wanted to buy packets and collect their money. At the end of their work shift they went to the storage area to receive their packets from the list.

Some diabetic people, under direction of a doctor, could receive one kilogram of buckwheat and a bottle (half liter) of olive oil in special shops.

If you knew the director of a shop you did not need to buy a food packet once in three moths. You could buy all products in short supply, but secretly from a secret entrance to the shops. Very often there was a rule, "You (director of shop) give me, I give you."

For a well-known artist, it was easier to make contact with the director than for ordinary Soviet people. The artist could invite the director of the shop to his concert.

Here in America I eat all the time only buckwheat.

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