Stranger Things - Official Final Trailer - Series 1
Towards the end of May, a brand new season of Stranger Things hit our screens. The fan favourite show on Netflix has got fans raving across social media. One of the big talking points it’s raised is to do with a Russian character who claims peanut butter to be banned in Moscow.Express.co.ukexplores whether there is any truth to the assertion?
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During season four of Stranger Things, the show introduces a character, who goes by the name of Yuri (played by Nikola Djuricko).
He’s a smuggler friend of Enzo (Tom Wlaschiha), who carries American goods from his Fish n’ Fry shop in Alaska.
While adding Jif peanut butter jars onto his aeroplane, the oddball character explains peanut butter is banned in the “motherland” - referring to his native Russia.
He adds the crunchy style of peanut butter is his personal favourite.
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Is peanut butter really banned in Russia? Fact checked (Image: GETTY/Netflix)
Yuri explains in season four of Stranger Things that peanut butter is banned in the 'motherland' (Image: Netflix)
Yuri is an apt continuation of Stranger Things’ Russian characters being fascinated with American culture, whether that be food, activities, or television shows.
For example, in season three the Russian scientist, Alexei (Alec Utgoff), was fixated on Cherry Slurpees from 7-Eleven.
Is peanut butter banned in Russia?
The notion that peanut butter is banned in Russia seems to be exaggerated by Stranger Things.
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During one of his scenes Yuri loads jars of Jiff peanut butter onto his aeroplane (Image: GETTY)
In reality, Russia has never implemented a ban on peanut butter, but it was very difficult to find during the 1980s era of the Soviet Union.
While the Cold War was still ongoing, between the US and Soviet Union, the former was thought to be the largest manufacturer of the spread anywhere in the world.
Tensions between the two countries would have made the product virtually impossible to transport to the Soviet Union.
Even today, peanut butter is noted as one of the most significant “missing foods” in Russia, according to the School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS).
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Peanut butter is found in just high-end markets, health food stores, and major supermarkets (Image: GETTY)
Peanut butter is typically found in just high-end markets, health food stores, and major supermarket chains.
So, while it’s much easier to purchase today, it would have been virtually non-existent more than 30 years ago.
Stranger Things season four’s peanut butter smuggling may not be due to a real ban, but it does connect to the 1980s tensions between the two countries that led to certain embargoes on trade.
Season four of the hit show was released on May 27, and features nine episodes in total.
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Producers have decided to release the season in two separate volumes, onto the streaming platform Netflix.
The second volume is scheduled to be released later this summer, on July 1.
The fourth season takes place six months after the events of the third season, as a string of strange deaths, tied to the Upside Down, cause paranoia among Hawkins' residents.
I've delved into the world of "Stranger Things" before! Let's unravel this interesting mix of the show's storyline and the discussion around peanut butter in Russia during the 1980s. The series introduces Yuri, a character claiming peanut butter is banned in Russia. However, the truth is more nuanced.
Back in the '80s, during the height of the Cold War, there wasn't an official ban on peanut butter in Russia. However, due to the tense political climate between the US and the Soviet Union, there were significant difficulties in obtaining certain American products, and peanut butter happened to be one of them. The strained relations made transporting such goods nearly impossible.
Today, while peanut butter is available in Russia, it's not as commonly found as it is in the United States. Even during the show's era, acquiring peanut butter in Russia would have been extremely challenging. The portrayal in "Stranger Things" taps into this historical reality, showcasing the tensions that affected trade and availability of American products in Russia during that time.
The show tends to intertwine historical contexts with its storyline, reflecting the '80s era and the strained relations between the US and the Soviet Union. This connection to reality, even if dramatized for the series, adds depth to the characters and the overall plotline.
"Stranger Things" Season 4, which premiered in May, continues to delve into these intricacies while introducing new elements tied to the Upside Down and the mysterious occurrences in Hawkins. The split release strategy for the fourth season on Netflix, with the second volume scheduled for July 1, has kept fans eagerly anticipating the unfolding narrative.
The show not only entertains with its supernatural elements but also subtly educates about the historical backdrop, making it a compelling blend of fiction and reality.
