Читать книгу Harvey Wallbangers and Tam O'Shanters - Martin Hannan - Страница 64

The human robot of the USSR Alexey Stakhanov (1906–77) was plucked from obscurity by the propaganda machine of the Soviet Union to become the poster boy of the Government’s drive to increase productivity in coal mines and elsewhere. Stakhanov broke all sorts of records with his ability to hew coal quicker than anyone else, and his achievements were lauded to inspire Soviet workers to emulate him.

There have been doubts about whether he did actually cut 227 tonnes of coal in a single shift, but what is not in doubt is that his name is now attached to colossal feats in the workplace, and workers who triumph with their drudgery.