Here are some pictures of old soviet soda water machines. These machines dispensed water into a glass that you could rinse out before using. I’m told that the water was really quite good. The cost back in soviet times: 1 kopeck for plain soda water and 3 for soda with syrup.

Young people lining up in Moscow for some soda water (1998).

Soviet water dispenser still in use in Lithuania (2005).

In Uzbekistan.

And in The Ukraine

Update: Lyndon over at Scraps of Moscow has posted his collection of soda machine photos. It’s well worth checking out.