A most interesting and very rare periodical from the early Soviet era! It was published 6 times per month, reflecting and promoting the short-lived (1929 - 1931) experiment with 5-day weeks, i.e., 4 workdays + 1 day of rest. An amazing kink on the Bolshevik's obsession with destroying everything that was "old" and replacing it with something new, more often than not half-baked and just giving the country's economy indigestion if not outright diarrhea. The issue hits the reader with the horrors and indignities of life abroad in the vice of capitalist exploitation, then compares them wit

A most interesting and very rare periodical from the early Soviet era! It was published 6 times per month, reflecting and promoting the short-lived (1929 - 1931) experiment with 5-day weeks, i.e., 4 workdays + 1 day of rest. An amazing kink on the Bolshevik's obsession with destroying everything that was "old" and replacing it with something new, more often than not half-baked and just giving the country's economy indigestion if not outright diarrhea. The issue hits the reader with the horrors and indignities of life abroad in the vice of capitalist exploitation, then compares them with the steady fast growth of the Soviet economic might advancing industry into areas where none could be supported and sustained before. The last pages add a human touch to all this industrial march with a short fictional story from the life of a sea rescue diver and finish with a large article about Soviet heroes of wild life rescue.

Interestingly, the publishers of the Pyatidnevka went all out in terms of providing high-quality illustrations, using the mezzo-tint lithograph technique, creating their engraved copper or steel matrices by scraping or burnishing its roughened surface to produce light and shade.

The issue is in fair condition. The first half of the sheet has been cut, so you no longer can unfold the paper into a single large sheet. The second half has not been cut but has partial separations at the fold. All of the eight 18" x 12 ½" pages are perfectly readable. The corner and edge wear are obvious and to be expected considering that the journal was printed on decent quality but still thin newsprint. Fingerprints and other soiling and staining are surprisingly minimal. The photo illustrations, text and graphics of advertisements are perfectly clean, crisp and bright.

Here's an idea! Read 2 pages per day, then rest a day, and here goes your entire 1930 pyatidnevka week!

Jokes aside, this is a most unusual and fascinating item to bring your display of early Soviet memorabilia to a whole new level.
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