Time moves inexorably forward, leaving behind days, weeks, months, and years. How often does the present young generation hear that the "USSR lived better." But there were also difficult moments in the history of the Soviet Union. Many people heard about the lines in the USSR. In the article we will figure out what areas of life such a priority has affected and in connection with which it arose.
Why did the queue become a Soviet phenomenon?
We still encounter queues in stores to this day and do not see anything unusual in this. When does it form? When one visitor is not fully served, and the goods are needed by several more people who stand behind the first. But there is a difference: if everyone has enough products that customers need, then everyone will wait for their turn. Why were there lines in the USSR? A turn from two or three people into something phenomenal can only happen if there is a shortage of the right product. And this happened often and often in the USSR. Queues (photos of many-meter strings of people will be lower in the review) have been a unique companion of our Soviet history for several decades. This is a story to know.
Where does the shortage come from?
The deficit in different decades of the existence of the USSR was due to various factors and reasons. Let us consider in more detail in which years which goods were the most difficult to receive, for which the turn could consist of hundreds of people who were even celebrated every day (so that no one would take their place).
The period 1930-1939
Let's talk first of all about the reasons. The indicated years are the time of the pre-war five-year plans. An amazing combination of repressive methods of governing the country and an extraordinary upsurge in the industrial, cultural and construction sectors. Stalin did not like Hitler's changed policies, and he intuitively tried to prepare the country for a possible danger. These were quite successful times for the USSR. A lot of efforts were directed towards the formation of patriotic thinking among the population and the strengthening of such cells of society as the family.
According to statistics, one working peasant produced 70% more grain in 1938 than in 1928. For 6 years (from 1934 to 1940), the USSR raised pig iron smelting from 4.3 to 12.5 million tons. America has achieved this result in 18 years. Only during the pre-war five-year plans that began in 1930, 9,000 large industrial enterprises were built.
Have there been lines in the USSR during these years? Yes they were. For goods of different categories.
For example, the shortage of consumer goods led to the introduction of the card distribution system in 1928. Then the government decided that it was necessary to calculate consumption rates for each group of citizens and issue them according to the card system. These same goods could be bought through free-trade, but at a higher cost. In 1935, the card system was abolished, food and consumer goods prices soared, which reduced consumer demand. By the end of the 30s, the situation had leveled off a bit.
The war years and the post-war period of economic recovery
Given the country's prosperity by the time the Great Patriotic War began, it is easy to assume that the destruction was of considerable scale. After such a long exhausting war, no one was comforting himself with hopes for a vacation. Everyone knew that ahead was a long hard work to rebuild the country, which depended on everyone who returned from the front, and everyone who was waiting and working in the rear.
Libraries, churches, cathedrals, enterprises, collective farms and state farms along with sown areas, many buildings and settlements have turned into ruins. Soviet soldiers, feeling like heroes after such a victory, selflessly began to work on the "resurrection" of their beloved state. And a miracle happened: by 1948, the country's production had reached and exceeded the pre-war level! Of course, agriculture was recovering harder and longer. After all, it was not enough to equip it with the necessary equipment (tractors, combines, MTS), to restore the destroyed structures (garages, stables, etc.), it was necessary to return the livestock, poultry, etc. to the previous number, and this took time.
The year 1946 was difficult, when a terrible drought occurred in most of the European territory of the Soviet Union. It was decided to introduce a card system for an even distribution of food. This was very helpful and saved many from starvation (and possibly death). At the end of 1947, the card system was canceled, and the people felt the onset of peace and relative peace. A monetary reform was carried out.
People stood in line in the USSR in the postwar years for one simple reason: the Soviet state set prices for food and industrial goods. Yes, there was an opportunity to purchase goods on the market. This was common even with the current card system. But market prices were many times higher than in stores. Based on the foregoing, we can answer the question of why in our time there are no queues. Because there is no choice. The population is forced to buy food, medicine, industrial goods at inflated prices: the state does not limit them in any way, and moreover does not help to reduce them. The difference in prices for the same goods in our time is so insignificant that people don’t even think about standing in line, if somewhere you can buy more than 5 rubles more, but faster.
Queues in 1950-1960
This period can be divided into three years of Stalin's rule and the next 7 years. In these years, the percentage of GDP growth decreased. The lines in the USSR as a purely Soviet phenomenon have not disappeared. During this period, a meat supply crisis emerged: livestock farming was not very bad, but there was a lack of meat and animal fats. However, despite this, the main problems with meat products were not in Moscow and not in Leningrad, but in the Urals and beyond.
The scale of these lines compared with what will continue to happen in the country, was still insignificant. The period from the end of the war until 1960 was considered (according to those contemporaries) a time when the life of Soviet people was constantly improving.
It is impossible not to say about the quality of food in this decade. For example, the Doctor’s sausage was compliant with GOST, according to which it contained 95% meat, of which 70% was lean lean pork, and the rest consisted of eggs, milk and nutmeg. The cost of such sausages exceeded retail prices, but this was the concern of the Soviet government. The goal - to make food quality and affordable for Soviet people - was achieved at all costs.
There was enough food on the shelves, but by 1960 both the assortment and quality began to undergo changes. For example, until 1960, there was no sale of frozen fish. All fish was supplied either fresh or in canned food. Red fish (from chum to pink salmon) was available both hot and cold smoked. White fish, caviar - all this could be bought.
Nevertheless, the “wonderful time” fell on the last years of Stalin’s reign, and then the inertial effect still remained for several years. For example, the absence of a line in the USSR (photo below) persisted until 1958-1959.
1960-1970 years
As mentioned above, during the transition of power to Khrushchev, the food sector of the USSR began to undergo changes, and not for the better. Smoked sausages disappeared from the shelves, but frozen fish appeared.
As for meat products: young calves were not allowed to grow, in early 1960 the number of livestock decreased, meat production fell. This led to changes in GOST regarding sausages, and to a decrease in the consumption of milk by the population. Queues began to line up in stores for meat and milk. The line for sausage has become customary: the USSR could not provide itself with these products for the above reasons. Only then, after a change in GOST (they allowed to add starch, soy protein, etc.), the situation improved slightly. Notice! Until the 1960s, there were no huge queues or mass shortages of goods on the shelves.
In the early 60s there was a severe drought, which led to a low yield of crops. The line for bread in the USSR at this time became commonplace. Moreover, flour was also in short supply. They gave her no more than 2 kg per hand.
But further, the situation with the grain improved poorly. In connection with the importation of corn by Khrushchev into the USSR, huge areas are given for sowing with this crop. Everywhere they talk about corn, and even the publication "Corn" appears, completely dedicated to it. In the territories that used to be given for sowing grain, the "queen of the fields" was sown. It gave a poor harvest, the lands were exhausted, and by 1963 the country received less grain. This moment can be considered the starting point for increasing grain imports.
The period from 1970 to 1980
All this time, Brezhnev has always remained in power. Let's see what problems the population faced during its reign. The lines in the stores of the USSR remained, only the types of food products that were in short supply slightly changed. In addition, the import of goods from abroad began, which affected supply and demand.
Such a tendency began to be traced: people traveling to large cities (Moscow, Leningrad, etc.) always tried to buy something from the products, because in provincial cities far from the capitals, many goods were not available at all, and for several years. For example, people bought smoked sausage, sweets, red and black caviar, and even frozen meat (and the prospect of taking it on the train for several days didn’t scare anyone!). Then they began to come purposefully for products that were scarce in the regions.
What else is characteristic of the lines in the USSR of 1970-1980? It was during the reign of Brezhnev that from the store shelves, one product or another disappears regularly. People were worried about this situation and tried to procure for the future. Groceries were available, food prices low. Therefore, as soon as delivery occurred, lines appeared and products were instantly swept off the shelves. And they couldn’t replenish just as quickly.
The time from 1980 until the collapse of the Soviet Union
In the USSR, lineups for products continued even after. But there is an event that stands out against the backdrop of everything that happened in those years (relating to food shortages).
In 1985, the government announced an almost prohibition law, which provoked incredible lines for vodka in the USSR. It was an anti-alcohol campaign, during which it was decided to reduce the working hours of alcohol stores (for example, the grocery store closed at 10 o’clock, and the wine and vodka department in it - at eight, and it opened at 11) and did not leave alone more than two bottles. The line for vodka in the USSR (photo below) was usually many hours.
The consequences were as follows: winemaking was completely destroyed (and still has not fully recovered), mortality increased sharply (due to the use of surrogates), cash flow to the treasury from the sale of alcohol decreased. The line for vodka in the USSR was often aggressive, people fought, rude to each other and became even angrier when, standing in this hours-long crush, they saw that the assortment did not exceed 2-3 items (and sometimes nothing remained). The result was a kind of humiliation of the national dignity of citizens.
No one has also abolished the food shortage of the following products: meat, boiled sausage, natural instant coffee, condensed milk, stew, chocolates, fruits (imported: bananas, oranges, tangerines, etc.), etc.
Separately, I would like to touch on such topics as the line for an apartment in the USSR and the line for cars.
Queue for cars
Not much time has passed since the car became available to almost everyone. Now a family sometimes has several cars. And note, you can buy them in any salon and without waiting in line. In the USSR, the car was a luxury. He could even be a measure of encouragement from the Secretary General if a brave and courageous citizen distinguished himself in something. A war veteran had an advantage: he could buy a car out of turn once in his life. Everyone else took a long queue and waited ...
The waiting period averaged 7-8 years. To stand in line for the machine, it was necessary to observe certain conditions: a citizen must work at any of the enterprises and save money. The average price of cars (for example, GAZ-21) in 1970 was 5500-6000 rubles. With a salary of 100-150 rubles per month, there was an opportunity to accumulate over years of waiting. The procedure for obtaining a car, however, was problematic and, one might say, humiliating. The queue sequence was as follows:
- Multi-year queue and cash accumulation.
- The queue in the car shop for a reference account.
- Queue in a specialized savings bank.
- The queue in the car shop for a check on the car.
- Waiting at the warehouse for another car transporter with cars.
About the choice of color and other matters did not even go. Getting the car after so many years of waiting was a blessing.
The line for housing in the USSR
If not for everyone, then for many who did not live during the Soviet era, there is a clear statement in their head that "in the USSR, housing was handed out to everyone for free." In fact, there were 4 ways to get housing:
- Get an apartment from the state.
- Build your own home.
- Buy an apartment with the help of a cooperative.
- Get housing at the place of registration from parents.
With cooperatives, this was the case. A housing cooperative was created. He had the right to receive a loan from the state or enterprise (if he was created at the enterprise or organization). With this money they built a house. Then everything is simple: you want a cooperative apartment, pay an entrance fee and make monthly payments. The members of the cooperative formed a queue for an apartment. When the construction was completed and all the apartments were distributed among the waiting lists, a loan payment was assigned for each member of the cooperative in order to pay off the debt to the lender.
There was also an option to build your own housing. This was especially practiced in the 50s. After the war, housing was difficult, most of the buildings were destroyed. It was not possible to quickly return mass housing construction, and the state began to issue land plots for individual construction for rent. It was a simple and quick procedure. Within the city it was possible to get 4-6 acres, in villages and towns - up to 15 acres. Construction was carried out strictly according to the project. When the project was approved, an interest-free loan was issued (up to 70% of the required amount). It was due in the next 10-15 years.
It was possible to receive housing from the state departmental - from the enterprise or at the place of residence (in turn in the district executive committee). In order to register, it was necessary to observe a certain order: first collect all the necessary certificates (family composition, housing available at the moment), take a profile from the place of work and provide all these documents to the housing commission of the executive committee or enterprise. If a person received approval, then in the case of departmental housing, he was assigned a number and a place in the queue; in the case of the city line, documents were sent to the executive committee. They could refuse if, according to estimates, the number of square meters per person already exceeded the norm. Depending on the location of the apartment received, the timing is very different. It was possible to get an apartment on the periphery from a few days to a couple of years, if it came to large cities, you could wait for decades.
It was not difficult to get housing for the workers of new factories, only of the rebuilt enterprises, but it was problematic to change jobs. Thus, the USSR "tied" employees not only with registration, but also with housing.