Here's a fun game, let's compare the Great Soviet Encyclopedia with everyone's favorite self-proclaimed 'encyclopedia' that anyone can edit, Wikipedia!


Wikipedia, part of the second opening paragraph:
Nuff said.

You can search for English-language GSE articles here: http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/

Articles in the Soviet encyclopedia can have picky names, e.g. it'll recognize "Stalin, Josef Vissarionovich" but not "Stalin, Joseph" or what have you.

Here's a nice start:

GSE: http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/encyclopedia (you'll have to scroll down a bit to see the Soviet article)
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia

And another:
GSE: http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com...truction+of+the
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructio...e_United_States

Also by "versus" I don't mean "in terms of factual information" or what have you (since obviously there will be a lot of debate on that front.) I mean as actual articles trying to be encyclopedic, which means being reasonably summarized, well-written and explanatory. Soviet articles which show their age (e.g. computer) probably don't count either.

So in other words, if you're Russian then don't wank.

But those in the North West of England should embrace it as a part of a healthy life style. If you can't compete in the Great North Run there is always the Mancunian wankathon.

Well, I can say with confidence that their article on Turkmenistan is longer and more descriptive:

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com...2c+Turkmenistan
(articles on Soviet Socialist Republics in the GSE are treated similarly to independent countries like Great Britain or Zaire, with whole histories from the polity itself to literature and education, to economics, philosophy where acceptable, etc.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkmenistan

Then again Turkmen were far more likely to read the former.