“A wall calendar showed August 1988 and an empty bottle of Vita Cola, Marella margarine, Juwel cigarettes and a bottle of Kristall vodka were in the kitchen.”

Reminds me of an art installation I saw during my time in Germany.

Imagine a room.

With a single, wall-sized, framed painting leaning against the wall.

Hanging tools littering the floor.

As I pondered this room, a woman approached me, and gave me the background.

In Soviet Russia, it was common for workers to just stop. Mid-task. And walk away, onto another task. Different orders.

Also, if you haven’t seen it, Goodbye Lenin is quite enjoyable.