I took on any work! To the south of Novosibirsk the steppe runs and the problem of fuel in the areas far from the railway is acute, there is no trace of either firewood or coal. Straw? The straw will rot or be burnt but a collective farm will never give straw to its workers. The only kind of fuel is dung bricks. That odorous foul is made of any manure but mainly cow. At first the manure should be puddled with feet into indiscrete mass then pressed in a wet form - a case without bottom - and shaken out as two dung bricks. Then one dries them turning and puts in pyramids.
It was still a bit cold for dung bricks but any work gave an opportunity to honestly win some potato if not bread.