What was it like to grow up under the hammer and sickle? In this Dad Tangent, we sneak into the classrooms, cafeterias, and whispered corners of Soviet schools to uncover the not-so-glorious daily life of a kid in the USSR.

From itchy uniforms and loyalty oaths to gray cafeteria cutlets and history lessons with a party-approved twist, Soviet school life was part education, part indoctrination, and part "please don’t say that out loud." But kids, as always, found ways to bend the rules, pass secret notes, and dream of bubble gum and blue jeans.

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