“Comrade Brezhnev, is it true that you collect political jokes?” – “Yes” – “And how many have you collected so far?” – “Three and a half labor camps.”
In the Soviet Union, telling political jokes could be regarded as a type of extreme sport: according to Article 58 (RSFSR Penal Code), “anti-Soviet propaganda” was a potentially capital offense.
A judge walks out of his chambers laughing his head off. A colleague approaches him and asks why he is laughing. “I just heard the funniest joke in the world!” “Well, go ahead, tell me!” says the other judge. “I can’t – I just gave someone ten years for it!”
“Who built the White Sea Canal?” – “The left bank was built by those who told the jokes, and the right bank by those who listened.”