Final answer:
The practice of blat, an informal system of favors and bartering, took place in the former Soviet Union, relying on personal connections and state-owned goods to obtain essentials.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of favors and bartering known as blat is practiced in the former country of the Soviet Union. Blat was a system of informal exchange that evolved because official channels frequently failed to provide necessary goods and services. Social networks and personal connections were used to acquire essentials through state officials, circumventing the formal market. The concept of blat was about reciprocal gift giving and extended favors, rather than direct bribery, which was considered criminal. It was intertwined with the state-controlled economy, relying on state-owned goods and services, creating a dependency that was both necessary for survival and sustaining the hierarchical social structures of the time.