Hehe, so true AF, but years of dealing with Soviet silver and silverplate has shown that the price did vary on identical items, so there were some adjustments made - though there may well have been resulting staff transfers to Siberia... ~Cheryl
You are correct the way you describe former Soviet economy. However, products of many manufacturing companies, were in fact rather superior to their western equivalents and of consistent quality. Also stuff about managers transfers to far northeast of the country sound like themed by 80' american movies about USSSR . it didnt really work that way over there. Except maybe during Stalin era.
However, products of many manufacturing companies, were in fact rather superior to their western equivalents and of consistent quality The T34 was a remarkable tank, true, but the Lada was not all that wonderful. The only Soviet era products routinely avaliable in England in the 60s were cheaper copies of German cameras. On the other hand, when I had to go to Moscow in that period, I'd go home with an almost empty suitcase, having sold all the new clothes I had brought with me for black market roubles to keep me in cheap caviar and stuff. It was the same in Warsaw, everything was pretty cheap anyway, but with a handful of dollars you could dine with the apparatchniks and fight off cheap floozies. It is a pity I was such a profligate then, I am sure I could have bought some worth while stuff back instead of a monster hangover.