What does the expression “starving man from Volga Region” mean?
Sometimes, people may say about a person who greedily pounces on food: “надо же, просто голодающий с Поволжья” (“nado zhe, prosto golodayuschiy s Povolzhya”) or “Wow, just a starving man from Volga Region”. Today, the phrase sounds funny, but this expression has its roots in one of the most tragic stories of the 20th century.
In 1921-1922, during the Civil War in Russia, Volga Region was engulfed by famine. Due to drought and the ‘prodrazverstka’ (‘food tax’) program, when food was confiscated from peasants, more than 35 provinces were left without food. According to various estimates, at least 40 million people were starving. The situation was catastrophic and the Soviet Union turned to Western countries for help. At that time, the United States sent ships with food, medicine, flour and grain to help the starving.
The expression “starving man from Volga Region” or “starving Volga Region” became an established expression, but, over time, it also acquired a figurative meaning.
