The Massive Molniya Satellites - How The Soviet Union Solved Satellite Communications Their Own Way.

A history of the Soviet communication satellite program. From the description:

The Soviet Union had a big advantage in launch vehicle capability, but, while the US had adapted the Delta to launch small satellites into Geostationary orbits the R7 which had carried spacecraft to the Moon and Venus was not capable of doing the equivalent without significant redesign. Instead, the Soviet Union's scientists came up with their own solution which had some advantages for covering the massive territory of the USSR.