The Soviet Union, formed in December 1922, during the Cold War (1940-1991) lived behind the Iron Curtain, but its symbols - a five-pointed star, a sickle and a hammer, an Olympic bear - are still used by well-known foreign brands, becoming part of world culture. The topic of the article is Soviet things that characterize a passing era and will surely cause nostalgia for the older generation.
A bit about furniture
In the main photo you can see the usual interior of the apartment: an iron bed, a black and white TV, a carpet on the wall and a rug on the floor. Books were stored on shelves or whatnots, tea was drunk from samovars.
In the early 60s, the apartments became frankly cramped. People received housing in Khrushchev’s houses. Old furniture was too large for new standards. Then in the USSR they decided to come up with modern models of the Khrushchev interior and even created a special technological institute - VPKTIM.
As a result, collapsible modules appeared, which were brought into the apartment in parts, and then assembled so as to create the most comfortable conditions for residents. Things of the Soviet era are furniture walls that became part of the culture of the 70s and captured in the best films of that period: The Irony of Fate and others.
Appliances
Practically in every house in the kitchen there were Soviet refrigerators of the Biryusa, Dnipro, Minsk brands or the legendary ZIL. Many of the readers were not yet in the world, but they already existed. The most amazing thing is that Soviet technology still works. And perfectly copes with its task somewhere in the country, in a rural house or garage.
Most families also had the Rigonda tube radiol, which was produced in Latvia in 1963-1977. The name is taken from the novel by V. Lacis “The Lost Homeland”. The work mentions the non-existent island of Riga - a clear allusion to the Latvian capital.
Soviet things, photos of which are presented in the article, can not be imagined without a car of that time.
"Zaporozhets" - a legend of the 60s
In common ZAZ 965 was called "hunchbacked." Develop a model of an inexpensive compact car began in the 50s. The basis was taken by the FIAT 500. A visually defined trunk was made at the back, which became the reason for the appearance of a playful nickname. The body itself had a more interesting design, the rear doors on the hinges contributed to a comfortable landing of passengers. The car accommodated 4 people.
Despite the engine overheating at high temperatures, the noise inside the cabin and other shortcomings, the Zaporozhets, which first came off the assembly line in 1960, liked the consumer for its uniqueness and charisma. Jokes were written about him, but at the same time it was produced by the Zaporizhzhya Automobile Plant for 9 years. During this time, more than 322 thousand cars were sold. Without it, it is difficult to imagine the iconic Soviet things of a bygone era.
Saturator
But what on the streets of the city was the personification of Soviet times? Vending machines, among which the most widely used were saturators. The first soda machine was installed in 1932. The place of his appearance was the dining room of Smolny.
Later, machines found distribution on the streets of the capital and other cities. Regular soda was worth only a penny, and three had to be paid for water with syrup. Saturators were equipped with glass cups, which were rinsed with a stream of water.
In a broken form, unique Soviet things could be seen back in the early 90s. Later, due to low profitability, the devices were simply sold for scrap.
Things of the Soviet people
It is hard to imagine that the Soviet people did not know plastic bags, but used a special net. It could easily be put in your pocket in case you needed to buy something on the way from work. The grid has an interesting name - "string bag". It took root after the famous monologue A. Raikin in 1935, when he waved from the stage with the words: “Maybe I’ll bring something home in her today!”
The old Soviet things, which became a symbol of the era, include a faceted glass. What is the aphorism “Let's think for three!” Its appearance is directly related to the faceted symbol. To the rim, exactly 200 g was placed in the dishes, so half a liter of vodka ideally poured into three glasses, but in two it did not fit.
In Soviet times, milk was real, like butter, kefir, sour cream. It was sold in glass bottles and triangular bags. In hazardous production, where it was supposed to give milk at the end of the shift, it was distributed in packets. It was convenient, because it was enough to cut off the corner, and you can drink without thinking about the dishes. The bags were easy to put, so people put up with the fact that they often leaked in the corners.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union , world brands of the cosmetics industry, including French perfumes, became available to Russians. And once upon all occasions in every family there was a “Triple Cologne”. It contains 64% alcohol, so mothers used it as an antiseptic, lubricating wounds and scratches to restless children, and hairdressers without fail used after shaving. Men often used it not only as a perfume, but also used inside.
To summarize
Soviet things that have become significant for their era are much more than we can offer in one article. Their main distinguishing feature is that in modern times, people have practically stopped using them. However, many things have great antique value. For example, vinyl records. They were produced by the All-Union company "Melody", founded in 1964. At her disposal were 8 factories and 10 studios, including two sound recording ones. But not all products of the company are in demand, but only rare editions.