I was running an apprentice school in the mid-70s. My company had a contract to build machines for the Kamaz lorry factory. The Russians could not pay entirely in Western currencies, so the company also took machines and wheat (!).
A Russian vertical mill arrived in my workshop, and used conventionally. However, there was power feed available by push button, which the British machines lacked. One 'enterprising' apprentice discovered he could rough cast iron blocks using the rapid traverse – this with reasonable depth of cut and a 2-ich end mill. The mill seemed quite happy with this. As Phil says, the Russian machines were very robust.
Bill