Seems pretty clearly a joke grown into an urban legend.

See, e.g., this [memoir by Pail Craig Roberts](http://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_07_2_roberts.pdf):

> A famous Soviet cartoon depicted the manager of a nail factory being given the Order of Lenin for exceeding his tonnage. Two giant cranes were pictured holding up one giant nail.

The cartoon in question may be the one pictured here: 

> [![enter image description here][1]](https://i.sstatic.net/zdygP.jpg) Click to enlarge. [Image Source](http://lesswrong.com/lw/1ws/the_importance_of_goodharts_law/) 

Of course, the problem of which this is an exaggerated example was, indeed, real.

  [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/sUBkh.jpg