1
In this image the man is wearing a “ushanka”, literally meaning “ear-hat,” is a hat that protects against the cold that can be made of expensive fur and animal skin. The prototype of the ushanka was called a “kolchakovka” hat, in which was worn by the white armies of Kolchak in 1918-1919. Later, the ushanka due to its ability to protect well against harsh Russian winters became widespread all throughout Soviet Union.
2
The man in the forefront of the imagine has a badge with the inscription “box-lifter no. 1”. He is represented as a monumental figure, taking up a large part of the space in the illustration. While Soviet socialism was founded on equality within the worker class, factory workers were often praised for being ‘shock’ workers and were encouraged to exceed their work quota. Often workers who exceeded their quota the most would receive similar badge of honors, thus harboring a sense of competition for exceeding production goals.
3
"Moscow” is the name of the final train station on the cocoa path. When describing how the cocoa traveled, Tarakhovskaia describes it as “bypassing the Neva”, a river that is strongly associated with the old imperial capital (St. Petersburg). The train sign represents the end station for all goods, metaphorically this travel stands for the transition of power from St. Petersburg to Moscow in 1918, when Moscow became the new capital of the Soviet Union.
4
Sailing across the ocean to us
Is cocoa from faraway lands.
Grown under the sun—
In faraway America,
And, having bypassed the sea and the river Neva,
It rides in on a train to Moscow!
5
Cacao