The cancellation of the card system in the USSR is a very important date. But before talking about this event, it is necessary to understand what this system was. The card system was widely used by many states during the crisis periods of wars, recessions in the economy, and revolutions. The abolition of the card system testified to the improvement of the economic and social situation in the country.
What is the card system
The card system implies a certain mechanism for the distribution of food among the population. In the developed capitalist countries in the 20th century, this system served to provide food for the socially unprotected sections of the population. Cards (or coupons) were issued based on the norms of a person's monthly consumption of certain products. With the abolition of the rationing system, food was again freely available.
History of the card system in the world
Firstreferences to the norms for the issuance of products appeared in ancient Rome. The Roman documents that have come down to us speak of "tessers" - bronze or iron tokens, in exchange for which ordinary citizens could receive a certain measure of olive oil, wine and grain. The card measure was very popular during the French Revolution (1793-1797). The French received cards that gave them the right to purchase vital products. At first, coupons were issued only for bread, and then this system spread to soap, sugar, meat.
The card system in the modern sense was used in Europe during the First World War. Not all states have resorted to this method of food distribution, but several belligerent powers have used it effectively. The cancellation of the card system took place some time after the end of hostilities. This system became popular again during the Second World War and in the hungry months after it. In the last century, this system was used to combat food shortages in the countries of the socialist bloc.
Card system in pre-revolutionary Russia
In our country, the issuance of food coupons was first carried out under Emperor Nicholas II. It was a forced measure, caused by the most severe food shortage as a result of the war. In the spring of 1916, cards were introduced in many provinces.
It was especially difficult for lovers of sweets: due to large-scalehostilities, Poland was occupied and was unable to supply Russia with products produced by its sugar refineries.
Issue of food coupons in the USSR
29.04.1917 the Provisional Government also decided to use this system. A "grain monopoly" was introduced in a number of large cities. As required by the government, all grain was considered the property of the state. Thus, farmers harvesting grain have lost their main source of income.
Later, the uncontrolled issuance of printed money led to the collapse of the financial system. Trying to find a way out of the crisis, the government decided to continue using the card system and even expand it. Already in the summer of 1917, meat, cereals and butter were issued on coupons. In the autumn of the same year, the rationing system extended to chicken eggs and vegetable oil. In winter, confectionery and tea disappeared from everyday life.
The first cancellation of the card system in the USSR (date - November 11, 19121) was due to the transition to the New Economic Policy (NEP). This measure was proposed by leading Soviet economists. Its goal was to stabilize the situation in the foreign and domestic markets. This monetary reform and the abolition of the card system were a very successful political move and could have restored the country's economic system, if not for the rash actions of the communist government.
In 1929, the second wave of the coupon system was approaching. Growing like a snowball, soon sheacquired the character of a centralized large-scale event.
In 1931, almost all food products were covered by the rationing system, and industrial goods were absorbed a little later.
Public voucher distribution system
An interesting fact is that food and other essential goods were issued in strict accordance with class. The cards of the first category were intended for the working class (800 g of bread per day). The family members of the workers were given 400 g of bakery products per day.
The second category applied to employees who received 300 grams of bread for themselves and for dependents. The “unearned element” had the hardest time. Representatives of trade and clergy generally had no rights to receive coupons. Peasants and persons who were deprived of political rights were also deleted from the system.
Thus, residents of the country who did not receive cards accounted for 80% of the population of the USSR. This unfair system functioned for 5 years. The ration card system was abolished on January 1, 1935. However, things didn't get easier for people, because just a few days after the abolition of coupons, the prices for flour and sugar almost doubled.
World War II and the rationing system
When the Great Patriotic War began, the state had to take tough measures to save thousands of people from starvation. During the Second World War, many people had to switch to the card system.states participating in the battles. Products were issued in exchange for coupons in Japan, Great Britain, the USA, Canada and a number of other countries. So, in the United States of America in 1942, people could get meat products, sugar, gasoline, car tires, bicycles and much more with cards. For a week, an American citizen was supposed to have 227 grams of sugar, and with the deterioration of the food situation - 129 grams each. The norms for the issuance of gasoline to persons not engaged in defense activities were very strictly regulated (11-13 liters of gasoline per week).
The card system was canceled in the year of the end of the Second World War, but not for all products. As food and industrial markets recovered, coupons were gradually phased out.
In Nazi Germany, the card system was introduced back in 1939 and included more than 60 items of goods that were not available for regular sale.
In 1939, the card system was introduced in the Czech Republic. There, fuel, bread, sugar, fabrics, and even clothes and shoes were issued on coupons. The abolition of the card system after the war in this country did not occur, coupons existed until 1953.
A similar situation was observed in the UK. Cards for fuel, sweets and meat were abolished only in 1950-1954. Japan abandoned the rationing system in 1949, and in 1952 the state ceased to totally control prices in the domestic market. In Israel, the card system lasted only three years (from 1949 to 1952), but was quickly abolished due to its inefficiency.
The hardest stagecard system in the USSR
In 1941, the third wave of use of the centralized card system begins. This summer, coupons for many food and some industrial goods were introduced in Moscow and Leningrad. By the end of 1942, the receipt of food in exchange for cards was already carried out in 57 large cities of the USSR. After the war, another cancellation of the card system took place, the date of which fell on 1947.
This meant that the country was slowly getting out of the hunger crisis. Plants and factories have resumed work. The abolition of the card system in the USSR, which began at the end of 1945, became final in 1947. First, bread and cereals were no longer issued on coupons, and sugar cards were the last to be canceled.
Fighting food shortages in the USSR
The fourth wave of the coupon system overtook our country relatively recently, so many people remember all the inconveniences associated with life "on the cards".
A little-known fact is the introduction in 1983 of coupons for sausages in Sverdlovsk. On the one hand, the purchase of products using cards caused a lot of inconvenience, but, on the other hand, residents of many regions could not buy sausage at retail stores at all.
In 1989, the card system spread to all regions of the USSR. A distinctive feature of this period is the lack of uniformity in the distribution of coupons. In each region, the system was built taking into account economic and industrial characteristics. Some factoriesgave out their products only to those who worked in their production.
Appearance of coupons
Cards for products and industrial goods were printed in huge quantities, so it didn't come to design frills in their design. However, Russian coupon collector Y. Yakovlev claims that original cards were issued in some areas.
Thus, the so-called "hedgehogs" (universal coupons) were popular in Chita. In the Zelenograd region, next to the name of the product, its image was applied. In Altai, vodka coupons had the inscription “Sobriety is a way of life,” and in Bratsk, green devils with glasses in their paws flaunted on coupons for vodka.
We quickly got used to the card system. The abolition of the card system in the USSR, the date of which was gradually approaching, no longer looked so tempting. There was an opportunity to get high-quality imported goods on coupons. "Barter" spread everywhere, when goods purchased with cards were sold at exorbitant prices in the markets. The abolition of the card system in the USSR, this time the last one, occurred in 1992 in connection with the spread of free trade.
