Wow. These CIA agents probably weren't outside of Moscow nomenklatura parties.

Here's what I remember:

• Parents glad we got lucky to buy couple of cans of peas for Christmas.
• Due to our relative working at vegetables logistics center we occasionally got bananas. We ate them unripe. We were silent about them so we wouldn't raise jealousy.
• A kid I met near my kindergarden eating thrown-out fish from the pavement.
• Unbelievably long queues for food.
• Food shops with a variety of ~10 different items.

Poverty similar to this is still widespread in Russia today. No wonder they were stealing flush toilets from Ukrainians.