In the German Democratic Republic in 1953, solyanka, a Russian soup, entered the East German cultural melting pot. After the fall of the Berlin wall, it emerged as a symbol for East German regional cuisine. The “soft power” theory of Joseph Nye argues that countries do not only use raw aggression, such as political prisons, to make other countries in their sphere of influence follow their lead, but may also use lighter tactics, such as cuisine, to encourage buy-in. Solyanka entered East Germany in 1953, four years after the formation of the GDR. It was a smash hit, with many solyanka recipes published by the government-run Verlag für die Frau publishing house. As a Soviet satellite state, the GDR was under the political influence and control of the Soviet Union (USSR). Solyanka infiltrated East German culture through state-run publishing, pop culture, public dining institutions and even a military skit. 1984’s “Wanjas Soljanka,'' which was created for and solely performed for the GDR’s National People’s Army, centers on a cheerful Russian soldier sharing his solyanka with his East German friends. Solyanka’s appearance in East Germany successfully acted as soft-power cultural propaganda to endear the culture of the USSR to the populace of the GDR. The effect of solyanka’s soft power is still found today in German politics.