Soviet Union

Geek Out

Even The Textiles In Soviet Russia Were Obsessed With Industry

11:40AM September 30, 2011 | Adrian Covert

These fabrics mostly speak for themselves, but skinny is that these fabrics are Soviet era textiles from the 1920-1930 period of Russia’s history. And while awesome, the industrial, work-obsessed imagery on display here is hardly subtle. More »

Science

Russian Cosmonaut: Our Shuttle Was Safer, Could Drop Nukes From Orbit

11:20AM July 8, 2011 | Sam Biddle

Russia’s Buran program was very short lived. Like, only one flight short lived. But according to cosmonaut (and ISS alum) Oleg Kotov, the craft had some serious potential – outclassing its American rival at both saving lives and destroying them. More »

Geek Out

The Soviet Ship That Cuts Through Ice Like A Nuclear-Powered Knife Through Butter

1:30AM July 7, 2011 | Andrew Tarantola

What the Soviets lacked in ability for effective governance, they made up for in ballsy engineering prowess. Really, who else would think to pack two nuclear reactors into a ship and set it loose in the Arctic breaking ice? The North Koreans? Psshhh, not likely. More »

Science

The Amazing Story Of Yuri Gagarin, The First Human To Reach Space

1:50PM April 12, 2011 | Jesus Diaz

It happened when Earth was still in black and white: 50 years ago we stepped outside our home planet for the first time. This is the tale of the beginning of an adventure that hasn’t ended yet, the biggest, most dangerous and rewarding quest ever embarked on by the human race – the fascinating story of two men who took us to a new level. More »

Science

Got A Few Million Bucks Lying Around? Bid On This Soviet Space Capsule

4:00PM February 25, 2011 | Sam Biddle

Charity is for chumps. Real estate? Too dangerous! Stock market? Boring! If I had the $US2 to $US10 million that this Soviet Vostok 3KA-2 space capsule is expected to sell for in April, it’d be mine. More »

Science

R.I.P. Hervey Stockman, First Pilot To Fly A Spy Plane Over Soviet Territory

2:12PM February 24, 2011 | Adrian Covert

Hervey Stockman passed away today, leaving behind a legacy as the first man to pilot a dedicated spy plane in Soviet airspace. Taking the Lockheed U-2 into Communist territory in the middle of the Cold War, Stockman was able to collect data on the USSR while evading MiGs trying to intercept him. More »

Geek Out

Soviet Safety Posters Were Terrifying And Slightly Hilarious

2:00AM February 3, 2011 | Sam Biddle

Working in any hazardous factory isn’t a treat, but at least you aren’t met with these horrifying posters, which make it seem like you could be impaled or electrocuted at any moment. That hair-in-drill one looks like it REALLY HURTS. More »

Science

How The USSR Tried To Melt The Arctic

6:20AM November 12, 2010 | James Rodger Fleming

The story of one intrepid Soviet scientist, his quest to dam the Bering Strait, melt the Arctic and bring prosperity to the Frozen North. Aside from the massive, man-made global warming, what could possibly go wrong? More »

Cameras

We Wish Cameras Looked Like These Soviet Aquatic Rigs

12:00PM September 30, 2010 | Sam Biddle

For a society whose historical rep is having produced lots of shoddy hardware, the Soviets sure did put out some amazing industrial design. This circa-1960 underwater enclosure, looking like a mix between a toy and a robot, housed 35mm cameras. [The Scuttlefish]

40 Years Ago, Robots Started Doing Our Dirty Work For Us In Space

10:40AM September 21, 2010 | Sam Biddle

Earthlings had scored moon rocks before 1970. NASA’s Apollo 11 and 12 missions successfully hauled them back to study – immense scientific accomplishments, of course. One problem. It cost $US142 billion in today’s dollars. Russia’s solution? Send a robot instead. More »