Word: ruza
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Gogoliana abound in this mesmerizing catalogue of corruption by Konstantin Simis, a former Soviet trial lawyer. One reprise from Dead Souls takes place in the ancient town of Ruza, near Moscow. The manager of a construction outfit, in need of ready cash for his business's bribery fund, resorts to a common practice: putting nonexistent workers on the payroll and then collecting their salaries. Simis writes: "To ensure that his 'dead souls' really were dead, [the Ruza manager] went out to the municipal cemetery and meticulously copied down the names of dead people from the gravestones...
| 1 |