Do you now live a thousand times better than during Soviet times?

[peacetraveler22]

If time travel ever becomes possible, I would transport myself back to Moscow or the province in the 1970's or 80's to better understand the realities of life in Soviet times. Looking at old photos in books or online, I can hardly envision such a system of life where everything is so structured and predestined. This is the eternal debate amongst my older Russian friends and readers - the pros and cons of life in the USSR vs. modern day Russia. Tonight I read an article written by a man who was only nine years old when the Soviet Union collapsed. However, he claims this was long enough to form a strong enough opinion about life in the USSR to know that he never wishes to return. His observations seem a bit shallow and naive on the surface. He takes a few of the most commonly expressed strengths of the Soviet system, and explains why they are misconceptions. Please remember these are not my personal views, but the opinions of a former resident in the Soviet Union. Let's begin with education...

Myth 1: The Soviet education was the best in the world



There's a common belief that education in the Soviet system was good, perhaps even the best in the world.  However, this was largely a result of propaganda, and it's important to ask the primary question of how a "great" education should be measured?  It's clear that scientific progress in the West was no less than in the USSR.  Moreover, if everyone was so smart in the USSR, why couldn't they make good cars and VCRs? Something is wrong here, and doesn't add up.

Myth 2: Soviet medicine was better

Obviously, the quality of medical care was worse in Soviet times.  It has always been worse when compared to decaying capitalist countries. Life expectancy in the USSR was lower than the "enemy" at all times.

Reasons for lower life expectancy are simple - lack of modern medicines and treatments. While every effort was being made to create the next warheads, citizens died without having access to advanced diagnostics or care.

Myth 3: Free housing

A common misconception about the USSR is that everyone lived for free. In fact, there was no free housing but cooperatives, which cost an average sum, payable through reasonable installments for 25 years. Everyone in the USSR had a roof over their head, but the quality of housing was horrible and inferior in quality. After the collapse of the USSR, the owners of these apartments were faced with the need to privatize for big money, otherwise the housing became the property of the city. What, in general, makes housing better during Soviet times? Nothing.



Myth 4: In the Soviet Union, there was no unemployment or homeless

The main problem here was the equalization of labor in low wages, where many people lived paycheck to paycheck, creating a low standard of living for the majority. It's better to provide economic incentives for high quality work, rather than simply handing people wages. The latter creates lazy and entitled workers. Side note from me: I dont' understand employment during Soviet times? How were people hired? They picked their own jobs, or the choice was made by the government?

Myth 5: The most powerful army in the world!

Classic point of discussion for lovers of the USSR! Yes, the Union had a strong army, to the "defense industry" money was never spared. The Soviet forces were greatly feared abroad, but there are two important points. (1) A strong army has no effect on the lives of ordinary people, except in the negative direction (when all power goes to the creation of tanks, there remains no funds for infrastructure and other improvements); and (2) the Armies of Western countries were no less strong.

Myth 6: Products and clothes were better in the USSR


This is complete nonsense according to the author. In Soviet times, everything was worse with clothing and consumer choice. People wore shoes for ten years, and it was the same with all other clothes which were of poor quality. Remember how everyone was so desperate for Levis and other American jeans?

In his opinion, the absolute worst part of life in the USSR was the lack of choice in everything - education, work, food, clothing. Soviet citizens couldn't leave the country or really choose the accommodations which best fit their own personality, goals or comfort.  Individuality was suffocated. The government planned human life from birth to death. In general, it completely ruined the country and strangled motivation.

The author's final words - "God forbid that we all go back. Now we live a thousand times better." Do you agree?

P.S. - is the term "совок" offensive and derogatory, or it's okay to use?

Comments

[alice-lisina.livejournal.com]

"совок" - yes it is offensive for those who lives in Russia and who believes that Soviet era was better. :)

Everything that time was kinda free, but it was not - since people had very small salaries and did not have much in stores. Soviet government told what size of apartment you should get. Everything was by government's control. Socialism is bad idea and it shown by other different countries.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

How did people get jobs in Soviet times? The government told them where to work, or they had a choice?

[a000796.livejournal.com]

there was a huge offer of jobs. People could easily live their job and in a day find another. To get people state companies had to offer benefits like rooms in hostels and a queue to get an apartment which was certainly a state property. Graduated students could choose a job from several offered depending on their ranking

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Okay, thanks. What if you didn't like the job. It was easy to switch positions and employers?

[a000796.livejournal.com]

Switching position was depending on your boss certainly. But the administration was under strong influence of local communist party organisation and labor union. So employee had means to force administration. Leaving company was no problem at all.

It was "People could easily leave their job and in a day find another. " Sorry for typos, it's 4AM in Europe now :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Go to sleep! :)

[a000796.livejournal.com]

Don't even try to "structure and predestinate" my life!

Just kidding :) I was on a night shift for two weeks, so feel myself as Edward Norton in FC right now

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

:)

[saccovanzetti.livejournal.com]

It depended on your profession and some other factors, like how good you were, whether you had a record, in some cases your ethnic origins, party membership, etc. In general, for a good Russian engineer or accountant it was not a problem to switch jobs after in most cases served the first 2-3 years after college at a narrow choice of in demand offerings that government tried to fill in semi-compulsory way, often away from home (like major industrial projects or teaching in remote countryside). On the other hand, if you were a Jewish space engineer, switching jobs could be a big problem. In general, people who switched jobs every couple of years were not regarded high, if it was not an obvious career rise.

[engineer-brunce.livejournal.com]

About students- not entirely so. After graduating you HAD to work at predestinated job for 3 years for the predestibated wages.

[a000796.livejournal.com]

On the other hand it was not allowed to have no job at all. It was prosecuted by law.

[farbolys.livejournal.com]

It was illegal do not work. The salary was small. My first one was 53 rubels per month. It was 14 USD on the black market.

[farbolys.livejournal.com]

There was some choice. But it was not free market job.

[theodorexxx.livejournal.com]

important note:
there was a thing called "распределение". When a man graduated from college the government told him where he should work for the next several years

[baby-rhino.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wanted to mention that too.
For example, if you studied to be a teacher or a doctor, they could send you to some little village in some distant region for the next several years.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

What was the most prestigious profession during Soviet times?

[baby-rhino.livejournal.com]

I think it was engineer :)
But those who worked for the communist party lived better than anyone else I guess. At least my grandma did.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

What do you mean "the government told him?" There was no choice?

[theodorexxx.livejournal.com]

Officially there was no choice. Unofficialy a man was able to "negotiate" with certain officials

[alice-lisina.livejournal.com]

Government said - everybody should work. If you do not work it consider - violation, because in socialize every one should work. The slogan was - who is not working, not eating. So, if you don not work - you will not get any welfare. Or you should have a true disability.
Usually after completing college or university - graduates had placements. Salary was 110 - 120 rubles. Than you could have little raise. To work at the same place was a good practice. People had choice to change jobs.
For example - my mom worked 35 years at the same work place and before retirement she had salary as 150 rubles and she was an economical engineer with Masters degree.
I was a mechanical engineer and at one point decided to be a teacher and found a job in school system by myself.
Mostly, people found new jobs by referrals.

[inescher.livejournal.com]

When someone was closed to graduate (I'm talking about colleges and universities because it was in my family) he/she had to went though a special commission in you school who give the young person "card of admission" to the new job. Usually, all the companies (there were only government companies only. I don't remember official private organizations.) give the opportunity of their starting positions (or they have to take just graduated person because government opened that position) to the schools (depends of the school specialization). Of course, if someone already found the place they could bring the request from the organization he/she agreed with.
The exclusion might be only for sick, disabled people, and/or women with the small kids (infants).
And... yes, everyone MUST work (study full time if you are under 35) or be signed for work.