31 Years Ago, George H.W. Bush Sent ‘His’ Legs to Russia
Russia’s reaction to those legs affects our relationship to this day and not in a good way
Ummmm-umm, finger-licking good, folks! Let me tell you. I remember buying a kilogram of “Bush’s legs” in the winter of 1992. It was the first normal meal I had eaten in months. That chicken was the best I ever ate but I think my hunger added these superlatives to the experience.
In the winter of 1991/1992, quite remarkably for a country the size of Russia, it was almost impossible to find any kind of meat. Thanks to an agreement signed by Mikhail Gorbachev and George HW Bush in 1990, 249 tons of U.S. frozen chicken parts, mostly drumsticks, and thighs, were sent to Russia to stave off hunger.
The windows in Russian kitchens all over the country steamed up and homes smelled like baking chicken thanks to the goodwill of the American taxpayer.
Residing in St. Petersburg at the time, I recall how shocked everyone was upon seeing hand-written signs propped up in the middle of a sea of frozen chicken legs: Drumsticks USA 36 rubles KG (approximately $2 per kilogram).
The media, most politicians, and just the average Russian were not only elated about getting some normal food but the generosity of the…
