The Russian blogosphere conveniently, if bafflingly, revolves around LJ. Each week, RUSSIA! scans the chatter and brings you the top five topics.

• Journalist kic_c_hvostom discovers a ratty Soviet relic—an anti-religious alphabet book, chockfull of cute, illustrated propaganda, featuring brooms sweeping away god-fearing paraphernalia, a muscular factory worker breaking down church bells into machine parts, lots of fat, slobbering priests and even a bribed Gandhi. The protagonist is a tot in an oversized military uniform. Commenters are amused, squabble over historical details. [Ленинград, 1933-й г. Шедевр.]

"Replace the incantations of a quack with knowledge!"

• The Russian Department of Auto-safety commissioned some super-slick public service announcements: on a tranquil, family morning, a smiling father jumps from a window to his death ("A crash at 50 kilometers per hour is equal to falling from a 5th story window. Buckle up.") and lots of businessmen beat each other bloody to traffic sounds ("This happens on the road all the time. Be a human being.") Response: "I will buckle up now!!!!" and "All this frilly speculation on children-broads-animals is disgusting and the blue tint is outdated by four years." [Пять роликов, которые стоит посмотреть каждому российскому водителю]

If only this guy saw his own PSA...

• Here's another curious little historical find, courtesy a brand new LJ group dewarist seemingly dedicated to the over-consumption of alcohol—a 1985 document released by a regional commission of the Ukrainian Komsomol, to inform "youths at discotheques" of the specific socially-poisonous influences of foreign music. Beware the violence propagated by B-52s, AC/DC's neo-fascism, the eroticism of Donna Summer, religious morbidity of Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd perversion of USSR's political values and Talking Heads' propagation of the myth of Soviet military threat! [Привет из 1985 года]

Citizens, beware the eroticism of Donna Summer!

• Cafeterias are as common as cafes in Russia, so here's a peek. Photographer zyalt snaps his visit to one in Obninsk—pleasant and plump cafeteria ladies plopping soups into mismatching dishes, towering shelves of pigs-in-blankets and pastries and that grizzled Soviet charm, preserved in each crack and puddle of the place. Enjoy. [Столовая в Обнинске.]

Yum?

• Blogger chibis writes up a sobering post about his recent visit to an orphanage on the outskirts of rural Moscow where government stipends are hoarded by the director and the kids that complained of abuse to government inspectors walk around forced-medicated and zombied out. Commenters suggest punching out the director, reveal actual working class philanthropists. [ПОЕЗДКА В ДЕТСКИЙ ДОМ / СЕГОДНЯ ДНЁМ]

Kids on the outskirts