Alchemy of Soviet industrialization. Torgsin time. 2nd edition. Osokina E.A.

Medieval alchemists fought over the creation of a philosophical stone that could turn ordinary metals into gold. The Stalinist leadership managed to create his likeness. The philosophical stone of Soviet industrialization became Torgsin stores, in which in the hungry years of the first five -year -old Soviet citizens forced to change gold, currency, precious metals for rye flour, cereal, sugar and simple consumer goods. Torgsin became a cynical way to replenish the budget of the Soviet state, which began the modernization of the country being bankrupt without having a gold-booty reserve. The rapid leap of a peasant country into an industrial future was largely paid for by personal savings of citizens.

The book is full of details of the everyday life of the 1930s, the era of the formation of Soviet consumer culture, planned economics, deficiency and the black market. Elena Osokina is a doctor of historical sciences, professor, author of books on the socio-economic history of the first decades of Soviet power.