Blog

by Powerhouse Museum Collection

Question by lyudmila y: (soviet union humor)?
What kind of satire and humor existed in soviet union?
what is your opinion of russian underground humor? How do you compare it to American humor? Why offical satire had been needed in suck tightly controlled society as the soviet union? Can you give examples of this humor?

Best answer:

Answer by josflachs
Two examples:

Did you know that comrade Brezhnev has such a sense of humor, he collects all the jokes the people make about him?
That is true, comrade. But he also collects the people who tell them.

A journalist of the Pravda wants to interview the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin. He rings the doorbell early in the morning. A little boy opens the door and asks what he wants.
I want to interview your daddy. Is he at home?
No, he is in orbit. He’ll be home in three hours.
Can I speak with your mother?
No, she’s standing in the queue to buy bread. She won’t be home before midnight.

What do you think? Answer below!