CAPITALIST ACCUMULATION? Syem-pyat-dyesyat has a certain ring to it.

The producer of America's best-selling ketchup, Heinz, has launched an effort to squeeze more of its brand onto Russians' dinner plates and challenge its Russian counterpart, Baltimor, as king of the condiments.

H.J. Heinz Co.'s European division finalized a deal in April to buy a majority stake in Petrosoyuz, a privately owned St. Petersburg food manufacturer that is a major player in the world of ketchup, mayonnaise and other spreads.

The article goes on to explain that "Baltimor" is a reference to the Baltic Sea. "Petrosoyuz" sounds a lot like a Soviet-era term for an industrial complex near Leningrad.

Heinz established itself in Moscow by becoming sole source of catsup to McDonald's in Russia, much as it has long been in the States.