Is bartering really a thing in Cuba?

Hello. I am Russian and recently read an article by a Russian tourist who visited Cuba. He writes that money (pesos and dollars) no longer matters. Instead of money, goods and services are used. A bag of rice can be exchanged for shoe repairs, a photo shoot with a vintage car for a pack of cigarettes, entry to a nightclub for a bottle of whiskey, and so on. Is this really the case?