The further the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics goes into the past, the more people want to return to it. Life in the USSR was not ideal, but people get bored, remember and compare. Today, this era still excites and excites compatriots. Sometimes serious debates unfold in society, finding out how happy the Soviet people were and how they lived in the USSR.
Different
According to the recollections of most compatriots, it was a simple and happy life for millions of people who were proud of their great power and aspired to a brighter future. Stability was a hallmark of that time: no one was afraid of tomorrow, or rising prices, or layoffs. The people had a strong foundation under them, because, they say, they could sleep peacefully.
There were pluses and minuses in the life of the USSR. Someone remembers the endless queues and the shortage of that time, someone can’t forget the availability of education and medicine, but someone continues to nostalgic for kind and trusting human relationships that had nothing to do with material values and status.
The Soviet people had very close and friendly relations with each other. It was not a question to sit with the neighbor's kids or run to the pharmacy for anyone. The laundry was free to dry outside, and the keys to the apartment lay under the rug. No one thought about the bars on the windows and iron doors, there was no one to steal. On the streets, passers-by willingly helped the lost to find their way, carry heavy bags or cross the road for the old man. Everything was attended to and taken care of. It is no wonder that visiting foreigners fell in love with this country, shocked by the warmth that they met here.
Together
Today, isolation, seclusion and alienation are more and more characteristic - a person may not know who lives next to him on the site. The Soviet man, on the other hand, was very distinguished by a heightened sense of collectivism, the whole society seemed to be tightly soldered. Therefore, in the USSR they lived as one big friendly family. Everything was inculcated from kindergarten, then school, institute, production. Residents of an apartment building could easily know each other by last name. Everything was done together and together.
Collectivism is considered the greatest achievement of the Soviet era. Everyone felt his belonging to a great people, lived by the interests and joys of his country, his city, his enterprise. A person was never left alone: weekdays, sorrows and holidays in the USSR were lived by the whole team. And the worst thing that could happen to a person is when he was excluded from society. The worst thing was to be "overboard" from everyone.
Learn, learn and learn
Indeed, Soviet citizens had the right to free education - this was another pride of the Land of the Soviets. Moreover, secondary education was universal and compulsory. And anyone could enter the university after successfully passing the entrance exams.
The attitude to school in the USSR, and to education in general, is very different from the modern one. It would never even occur to a schoolboy or student to miss classes. The main source of knowledge was his notes, his performance depended on how he would listen and write down the teacher.
A separate point worth emphasizing was the respect with which teachers were treated. There was always silence in the classrooms, no unnecessary conversations and noise, there was absolute concentration on the lesson. And God forbid someone be late for class - you will not end up with shame.
Now some people question the level of Soviet education, but scientists and specialists brought up in this “bad system” are selling like hot cakes abroad.
Free he althcare
Another of the most powerful arguments in favor of the USSR. Soviet people could always count on qualified free medical care. Annual examinations, dispensaries, vaccinations. All treatments were available. And going to the clinic, there was no need to wonder how much money might be needed and whether it would be enough. The party took good care of the he alth of its workers - it was possible to get a ticket to a sanatorium without problems and"going through the throes".
Women were not afraid to give birth, because there was no such puzzlement as to feed and "bring to people". Accordingly, the birth rate grew, and no additional benefits and incentives were needed for this.
Regulated work schedule, level of medicine, relative stability in life, he althy eating - all this led to the fact that in the 80s the USSR was in the top ten countries with high life expectancy (life expectancy).
Housing problem
Life in the USSR was not sweet in many ways, however, every Soviet citizen from the age of 18 had the right to housing. Of course, we are not talking about palaces, but no one remained on the street. The resulting apartments were not private property, as they belonged to the state, but they were assigned to people for life.
It should be noted that the housing issue was one of the sore points of the Soviet Union. Only a tiny percentage of registered families received new housing. The apartment queues dragged on for many, many years, despite the fact that every year housing construction reported on the delivery of new microdistricts.
Other values
Money has never been an end in itself for a Soviet person. People worked and worked hard, but it was for an idea, for a dream. And any interest or desire for material goods was not considered worthy. Neighbors and colleagues easily lent each other "three rubles before payday" and did not count the days of her return. Money didn't decide anything, relationships did, everything was built on them.
Salaries in the USSRwere worthy, such that half of the country could afford to fly planes without compromising the family budget. It was available to the masses. What are student scholarships worth? 35-40 rubles, for excellent students - all 50. It was quite possible to do without the help of mom and dad.
The work of working masters was especially appreciated. A qualified specialist at the plant could receive more than his director. And that was okay. There were no shameful professions, the janitor and the technician were respected no less than the accountant. Between the "tops" and "bottoms" there was not that insurmountable abyss that can be observed now.
As for the value of the ruble itself in the USSR, this is one of the most popular money of that time. Its owner could afford to buy the following to choose from: two large packs of dumplings, 10 meat pies, 3 liters of kefir, 10 kg of potatoes, 20 subway rides, 10 liters of gasoline. This is impressive.
Deserved rest
Through the law, the state guaranteed material security for Soviet citizens in old age. Pension in the USSR allowed the elderly to live in relative prosperity. There was no need to go to extra work. The old people nursed their grandchildren, took care of summer cottages, went to rest in a sanatorium. Nowhere was there such a picture of a pensioner counting pennies for medicine or milk, and even worse - standing with outstretched hand.
The average pension in the USSR ranged from 70 to 120 rubles. Military or personal pensions were certainly higher. At the same time, only 5 rubles were spent on housing and communal services. Pensioners then did not survive, but lived, and also helped their grandchildren.
But in fairness, it should be noted that not everything was so rosy for pensioners-collective farmers. For them, only in 1964 was the law on pensions and benefits adopted. And it was mere pennies.
Culture in the USSR
Culture, like life itself in the USSR, was ambiguous. In fact, it was divided into official and "underground". Not all writers could publish. Unrecognized creators used samizdat to reach their readers.
Controlled everything and everyone. Someone had to leave the country, someone was sent into exile for "parasitism", and the ardent petitions of colleagues could not save them from a foreign land. Do not forget the smashed exhibition of avant-garde artists. This act said it all.
The dominance of socialism in art led to the degradation of the taste of the Soviet people - the inability to perceive something else, more complex than the surrounding reality. And where is the flight of thought and fantasy here? Representatives of the creative intelligentsia had a very difficult life in the USSR.
In the cinema, the picture was not so sad, although here the censorship did not doze. World-class masterpieces are filmed that still do not leave the TV screen: the adaptation of the classic "War and Peace" by S. F. Bondarchuk, the comedy by L. I. Gaidai and E. A. Ryazanov, "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" by V. V. Menshov and much more.
It is impossible to ignore pop music, which was of great importance for the Soviet people. No matter how hard the relevant authorities try, but Western rock culturepenetrated the country and influenced popular music. "Pesnyary", "Gems", "Time Machine" - the appearance of such ensembles was a breakthrough.
I remember
Nostalgia for the USSR continues to gain momentum. In view of today's realities, people remember everything: the pioneers, and the Komsomol, and the availability of kindergartens, and summer camps for children, free sections and circles, and the absence of homeless people on the street. In a word, a stable and peaceful life.
The holidays in the USSR are also remembered, as they marched shoulder to shoulder in parades with their heads held high. Proud of their country, for its great achievements, for the heroism of their people. They remember how representatives of different nationalities lived together in the neighborhood and there was no division and intolerance. There was a comrade, friend and brother - a Soviet man.
For some, the USSR is the "lost paradise", and someone shudders with horror at the mention of that time. Oddly enough, both are right. And the bygone era cannot be forgotten, this is our history.
