In the Soviet Union in 1991, voting “None of the Above” led to new elections with new candidates, eventually leading to the end of the Soviet Union.
The USSR had a televised song contest. Since few people had phones…
The USSR had a televised song contest. Since few people had phones, viewers would turn their house lights ON if they liked a certain song (OFF if they didn’t). The state energy company recorded the size of each power spike and reported the results to the station to determine points for each contestant.
Fifty-five years ago today, astronaut…
Fifty-five years ago today, astronaut Yuri Gagarin made history, when he got into Soviet Vostok 1 spaceship capsule and launched into space. Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Reports praised Gagarin for his perfect flight, but in fact he didn’t pilot the Vostok capsule. Psychologists working with the Soviet Space Program were worried […]
In the mid-1980’s the Soviet KGB launched…
In the mid-1980’s the Soviet KGB launched “Operation INFEKTION,” aimed at making people believe that the United States invented HIV.
During a visit to Boeing, Soviet scientists secretly applied adhesive…
During a visit to Boeing, Soviet scientists secretly applied adhesive to the bottom of their shoes in order to covertly collect metal samples from the floor.
Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev was in space when the Soviet Union…
Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev was in space when the Soviet Union was dissolved. He went up a Soviet citizen and returned a Russian citizen.
The Tsar Bomba, the single most physically powerful device ever used…
The Tsar Bomba, the single most physically powerful device ever used, had a mushroom cloud over 7 times the height of Everest. The shockwave circled the earth 3 times and caused windowpanes to be partially broken at distances of 900 km (560 mi). The original design was twice as large.
A youth subculture from the late 1940s until the early 1960s in the Soviet…
A youth subculture from the late 1940s until the early 1960s in the Soviet Union used to dress like Americans in order to express their apolitical views, neutral or negative attitudes toward Soviet morality.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was banned…
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was banned in the Soviet Union for its alleged “occultism”.
A joint Nazi-Soviet military parade in Brest-Litovsk was held on September 22, 1939…
A joint Nazi-Soviet military parade in Brest-Litovsk was held on September 22, 1939, to display the power of the newly formed Soviet-Nazi pact to the whole world.