Word: brezhnevs
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Vremya (Time), the nightly news. The announcers, who usually dress informally, wore dark jackets or dresses. "I ran to my neighbors to find out if they knew what was going on," a Moscow secretary said. "Everyone was excited. We all thought somebody had died, but nobody guessed it was Brezhnev...
That reputation is built on both its homey atmosphere and fresh beef. Bartley explains. First there are the posters--"Bedtime for Brezhnev," the Marx Brothers, and Humphrey Bogart miniatures. And of course the burgers: for just a few dollars, students can choose between a thick, juicy "General Hospital" (guaranteed to get you hooked); the "Nancy Reagan," served on Bartley's best silver; or an "E.T. Burger" complete with genuine Reese's Pieces...
Medvedev's description of Brezhnev's funeral rites contains some wondrously macabre details. When the overweight leader's body was placed in its coffin at Moscow's Hall of Trade Unions, the bottom of the shoddily made box collapsed, and the body fell to the floor. A new, metal-reinforced casket was later taken to the burial site on Red Square, where it was supposed to be reverently lowered into an open grave. What actually happened remained unexplained to the millions of Soviet citizens watching the televised interment. The coffin proved too heavy...
Since then, Andropov has barely mentioned his predecessor. Meanwhile, his much touted drive against corruption has continued to target Brezhnev's old pals, including General Nikolai Shchelokov, the former Minister of Internal Affairs. But the anticorruption campaign has affected too many highly placed officials, Medvedev notes, and Andropov's policy has met with powerful resistance. As a result, the drive has recently been toned down...
...omen [and his] election met with no enthusiasm. The first gloomy anecdote to circulate was probably an accurate reflection of the general feeling: Andropov explains to a foreign journalist that he is sure the people will follow him. 'And those who don't follow me, will follow Brezhnev.' A later anecdote maintains that the Kremlin will probably be renamed - the Andropolis...