The Soviet World

events from 1957 to 1963

One of my first vivid memories dates back to 1957. That was when the first artificial satellite was launched in the USSR. To say that everyone was proud of it is to say nothing. Almost all conversations between adults and children concerned this topic. People would leave their houses in the dark and look at the sky, trying to spot a luminous point. And already in April 1961 we rejoiced at the first man in space – Yuri Gagarin. The spiritual uplift was at a very high level. New Year, compared to those feelings – well, just a children's matinee in the junior group of the kindergarten. And Gagarin himself was loved and proud of almost all the ordinary people of the country. The housing conditions, compared to today's, are, to put it mildly, not very good. Some people had a more or less comfortable apartment in a "Khrushchevka". In the picture you can see that some balconies are glazed, but that was not the case back then. Telephones in apartments were a rarity. You had to wait in line for several years to become the owner of this magical device. The news that you had a telephone spread quickly, and neighbors sometimes dropped by to make a call. But they were not often a nuisance. Not everyone had a TV in the sixties. Its presence indicated good material wealth. At first, there was one, then two television channels with limited broadcast time.

about ideology

It's strange, but most people had some kind of dual attitude to it. In schools, higher and secondary educational institutions, and in production, etc., the concept of the leading role of the CPSU was propagated, the role of religion was denied (atheism is our everything). Apparently, that's why I distrust the former party and Komsomol bosses who hammered into our minds that "Religion is the opium of the people", and now suddenly became "true Orthodox Christians, or devout Muslims", etc. We believed in the Soviet one to one degree or another, but preferred to wear "foreign" clothes. And of course, we quietly scolded the authorities, read the banned "Samizdat", although we were proud that "we live in the most beautiful country" (paradox) Relations between people were warmer and more humane. Neighbors came to visit simply, regardless of social status and wealth. Just to chat "about life." And we knew all the neighbors, not only from our entrance, but also from the nearby houses. Somewhere in the mid-sixties, foreign music began to slowly penetrate into our country, gaining huge popularity among young people. Already in the late sixties and early seventies, it was considered particularly chic to grow your hair and wear flared trousers, or better yet, “foreign” jeans. Although the latter were unavailable to most people due to their price on the “black market”.

cars

In the USSR, a personal car was considered a luxury. Unlike today, in the 60s of the last century, buying a car was a mega-important event. A car was bought once and for life, and therefore the attitude to the iron friend was corresponding. No matter how strange it may sound today, but in those years, even the make and model of the car were not so important. The very fact of its presence warmed the soul and brought the owner to a higher social level. ZAZ-965 "Zaporozhets" Popularly nicknamed "hunchback" for its characteristic appearance. The price of the ZAZ-965 was 1800 Soviet rubles, which is about 20 average salaries in the country. Moskvich-403 A full-fledged sedan, powerful, beautiful, fast. In order to ride with the wind and comfort, 3400 rubles were required. At that time, very expensive.

housing and furniture

Many lived in "Khrushchev-era" multi-apartment residential buildings of the first generation of Soviet standard industrial housing construction. In the 1960s, housing was actively built in the USSR. Panel and brick houses were built, which were called "Khrushchyovkas". They had standard apartments with centralized gas supply, heating, sewerage and lighting, bathrooms, toilets and kitchens. Soviet citizens began to buy household appliances: vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, televisions, cameras. Utilities were quite cheap at that time. In the 1960s, furniture was produced in huge quantities in the USSR: wall units, kitchens, bedrooms, and sets. But it was not easy to buy furniture. People went to specialized stores to buy furniture.

pioneer

In 1961, a Pioneer Garden was laid out in Leningrad based on a project by students of the Forestry Academy. In 1968, Pioneer Park was opened in front of the House of Pioneers of the Kalininsky District. In 1973, a monument depicting a solar circle and a pioneer badge was erected in the park. In 1962, for the 40th anniversary of the pioneer organization, a new building of the Young Spectator's Theater was ceremoniously opened in Leningrad. The square in front of the theater was named Pionerskaya. In 1971, Perednego Kraya Street, next to which the front line of Leningrad’s defense passed during the war, was renamed Pionerstroya Street in honor of all the pioneers who helped with the improvement of the city. pioneer classes: 7-9 years old - Octobrist - The activities of the Octobrists took place mainly in a playful manner and were organized by teachers and counselors. 9 - 14 - pioneer - Peaceful life did not require self-sacrifice from teenagers, and they did what children should do: study, sports, creativity. Detachment activities still existed, but they were now directed inside the group. The detachment was in charge of the struggle for good academic performance, for the upbringing and morality of all its members. They also monitored political savvy and understanding of the tasks of the party. The pioneers enjoyed conducting parades and songs, hiking trips and festivals of technical creativity, singing and dancing, drawing wall newspapers and organizing clean-up days. They continued collecting scrap metal and waste paper, taking patronage over pensioners and Octobrists, and participating in military-sports "Zarnitsa" and physical education competitions. 14-28 - Komsomolets (-ka) - There was a strong activist group. Everyone conscientiously carried out assignments. They participated in amateur performances, performed for livestock breeders on the collective farm. Every Sunday they organized debates, discussions of literary novelties. Study was in first place

pioneer mottos

"Fight and seek, find and never give up!" "The eaglets learn to fly." "Always forward, not a step back!" "A pioneer is an example for all children." "We, the pioneers of the Soviet country, will be faithful to the glorious tradition!" "And apple trees will bloom on Mars." "From a spark a flame will ignite!" "Be prepared! Always prepared!" Who is marching in a friendly row? Our pioneer squad! Strong, brave. Dexterous, skillful. You walk, don't fall behind, Sing the song loudly. *** Who goes there? Here we go! Who's singing? We're singing! Who is marching in a friendly row? - Our pioneer squad! Friendly, cheerful, we are always here- Pioneers Leninists, Leninists are coming! Be prepared - always prepared! Be healthy - always healthy! We are great guys, pioneer Leninists! *** We are loud-mouthed, we are curly-haired, We don't need peace of mind. We are romantics, we are dreamers, Pioneer combat squad. *** One-two! Three-four! Three-four! One-two! Who is marching in a friendly row? This is the Komsomol shift, our pioneer detachment! *** Not a step back, not a step in place, but only forward, and only together! *** One, two. Three four! Three four One two! Who is marching in a friendly row? Our pioneer squad. Who's tired? Don't get tired! Who's left behind? Keep up, Mood for 5, All laws must be observed Let's sing a song. *** Whose guys are these? Daring Octobrists Strong and brave! Clever, skillful! Star made of red cloth We are Ilyich's grandchildren. Standard-bearer, raise the banner higher Raise the banner higher. Sang our song Sing our song! Walking down the street a cheerful link Nobody knows anywhere Where is it going? The link marches in unison no one is left behind And cheerfully sing a song together who knows, sings

popular names

female names: Anastasia, Elizabeth, Lydia, Zinaida, Sofia, Vera, Serafima, Praskovya, Vasilisa, Varvara, Zoya, Tamara, Toma, Maria, Anna, Ekaterina, Oksana, Ksenia, Olesya, Alexandra, Natalia, Olga, Julia, Lyuba, Galina, etc. Male names: Alexander, Sergey, Vladimir, Alexey, Nikolay, Andrey, Victor, Mikhail, Yuri, Dmitry, Seraphim, Afanasy, Makar, Kuzma, Ivan, Yuri, etc.

monthly salary of a soviet person

the average salary was about 115-200 rubles per month the highest salary was about 780-830 rubles per month low salary was about 65-70 rubles per month

reality

In fact, there were no saints back then. The black market was thriving, everyone was two-faced and impudent, but they actively hid it. There was often intense bullying in classes and everyone could be picked on for the slightest distinguishing feature. And if they also found out that someone loved America, they would be accused of betraying the motherland and would either be strongly condemned or even kicked out of the country. Everyone also condemns people related to LGBT. They try to treat them in mental hospitals so that they become heterosexual.