Vlad,
There are two parts here:
1. Film development. For b/w film this is a very easy process. You need a developing tank, a couple of 1L jars for developer and fixer, a thermometer - very little equipment. No need for a dark room even, you can use a changing bag or simply load the tank in a dark room, and the rest is done in a lit room. I'll be happy to tell you more about it if needed. And developing film is where the real fun is, the part when you open the tank after the fixer and see the negatives for the first time. I've done this hundreds of times, never gets stale.
I used both Soviet made and "foreign' tanks. Soviet tanks are much, much better. Most of the tanks sold in the US have some sort of loading aids, gizmos really, made for marketing purposes. I was amazed how silly and and complicated a tank can get. Well, don't get me started:-)
2. Printing pictures. This is quite involved. Enlarger, trays, safe light, timer, a set of filters if using multicontrast paper, etc. Now you need a real dark room with running water. And there is not as much excitement. If you have good negatives, good paper and good chemicals you must produce good prints. Oh, and then you have to dry them.
In short - I suggest you start with developing film and take it from there. Long before digital cameras professionals would develop film and then scan it, and take the printing into digital domain. This is what I was doing when I still shot film.
I managed to bring (with help, of course) my Leningrad-2 enlarger from Odessa to NY, and even used it a few times. Leningrads are the best enlargers since they have 'pantograph' - not sure about the English word), and not a simple post. Easy to work with, nice mechanical design. I used a Leitz Focomat a few times. It is, of course, a Leitz - perfect mechanics, but I was not impressed by it much.
A few years ago you could find the entire darkrooms on Craigslist cheaply. I am not sure if people are still selling them or simply dumped this stuff.
quote:
Originally posted by Vlad
With the rise of prices and the scarcity of film developing labs in U.S. I have decided to get myself darkroom equipment and try to do it myself.
Well since I'm a total newbie to the process (I am of digital generation, I only helped my father develop stuff when I was a kid), it makes sense for me to get all Soviet equipment because that can also be part of my collection as well. So I have the following questions for the veterans of dark rooms: 
1. What essentials do I need to get (list of equipment)
2. What is the best of the best Soviet equipment that I should be looking for (in terms of enlarger, film developing tanks, etc)
Thanks!
Vlad
