The once mighty state of the USSR, which was the result of the victory of the October Revolution of 1917, ceased to exist in 1991. By this time, the country was experiencing a deep economic crisis. On the shelves of shops there were no ordinary products, as well as other goods necessary for life. Many people are simply tired of the harsh reality and took to the streets.
Today, many of those who were born in the USSR idealize their happy childhood, speaking with nostalgia about a wonderful state that had the best education in the world, where everyone was calm about their tomorrow.
Modern parents often praise the times when there were no cell phones and computers, ice cream was tastier and sweeter, and there were only three channels on TV. At the same time, they recall with nostalgia their school years and their participation in the pioneer and Komsomol organizations. So what were those times like?Let's think a little about them in terms of raising girls, in which important attention was paid to their appearance.
School uniform
What did Soviet schoolgirls wear to school? In the USSR there was a single uniform. And everyone had to walk in it without fail. It is worth noting that the dress of the Soviet schoolgirl (photo can be seen below) did not shine with special beauty. The uniform was rather modest, brown in color with a white (on solemn days) or black apron. Cuffs and a collar were sewn to the dress.
At one time, an apron for a schoolgirl in the USSR performed a protective function. It was necessary so that the girl would not smear the dress with ink. And even if a jar with them accidentally overturned, then only the apron suffered from this. But the cuffs and collars of the USSR schoolgirls clearly did not like, because once a week these details had to be torn off from the dress, washed, and then sewed back on again.
School uniform in the pre-revolutionary period
For the first time, students in Russia began to walk in special costumes in the 19th century. The design of the school uniform sewn for them was borrowed from England. Since 1886, a female uniform was introduced for pupils of boarding schools and gymnasiums. This uniform was a brown dress with a high collar, as well as two aprons - black and white. They were intended, respectively, for school days and holidays. Additional details of the dress uniform were a straw hat and a white turn-down collar. In private educational institutions, the form could be differentcolors.
The advent of Soviet power
In 1918, the form that existed in pre-revolutionary Russia was abolished. The main influence on this was the class struggle. Indeed, according to the dogmas of the new government, the old form turned into a symbol of belonging to the nobility, and also spoke of the bondage and humiliation of the student, indicating his lack of freedom. However, Soviet schoolgirls stopped wearing unified dresses also because their parents were very poor. That is why the girls had to go to school only in what was in their wardrobe.
The exception was the pioneer uniform introduced in the 1930s. And even then it was provided to Soviet schoolgirls only by such giant camps as Artek, where there was an opportunity for tailoring, issuing and subsequent washing of clothes. As for ordinary schools, here the pioneer uniform was light-colored shirts (blouses) and blue trousers (skirts), with the obligatory wearing of red ties.
Post-war years
Over the years, the Soviet government returned to its former image of a student. The girls again put on brown formal dresses and aprons. It happened in 1948. Interestingly, in 1943-1954, Soviet schoolgirls were taught separately from boys. True, after such a system was abandoned in the USSR.
The uniform of the Soviet schoolgirl of the sample of 1948 in cut, color and accessories repeated the one worn by the students of classical gymnasiums. Its introduction into the Stalin era was no longer seen as an imitation of the bourgeois past. Uniform dresses of Soviet schoolgirls became proofuniversal equality of children.
This era was characterized by strict morals. A similar direction in education was reflected in the life of educational institutions.
Soviet-era schoolgirls couldn't do even the most minor experiments with their clothes. They were strictly forbidden to change the length and other parameters of the dresses. If someone decided on this, then the administration of the educational institution severely punished the “guilty”. The teachers entered their comments into the diary of the Soviet schoolgirl, forcing them to bring all the details of the clothes in the proper form. For example, the length of a girl's dress should not have been very different from the tacitly established "norm", according to which the student's knees should not open even when she was in a sitting position. Somewhat later, with the advent of the "thaw", such a "norm" became more and more free.
Interestingly, in the Stalin era, the hairstyle of a schoolgirl had to meet the formal requirements. If the girls wanted to have a haircut, then only the simplest was allowed. In most cases, the hair was braided. It was forbidden to pull curls into tails. Loose long hair was not welcome either. It was believed that such a hairstyle is unhygienic. Moreover, an impractical and easily soiled satin bow had to be woven into the braid in the 40s-50s.
However, it is worth noting that strict control over the wearing of school uniforms adopted in the state was not carried out everywhere. For example, in the villages, female students did not wear it due to lack of necessary funds.from parents for tailoring or buying a unified dress. Nevertheless, no one in rural areas canceled the requirements of neatness and accuracy.
Wearing badges on uniforms
All schoolgirls of the Soviet Union were necessarily members of children's, and later in youth political organizations that legally operated on the territory of the country. Each of these communities had certain insignia. They had to be worn on the school uniform. In the era of Stalin, these were the badges of the pioneer organization. Adolescents and youth had distinctive symbols of the Komsomol and VPO.
Soviet schoolgirls (photo can be seen below), who were members of the pioneer organization, sewed strips of scarlet silk braid on the right sleeve of the uniform.
One such badge indicated that the girl was a leader, two - the chairman of the detachment headquarters, three - the chairman of the squad headquarters.
Khrushchev's "thaw"
Along with the end of the Stalin era, some changes took place in school clothes. However, they only touched on costumes for boys, who became less militarized. Nothing has changed in the clothes of the USSR schoolgirl (photo below).
In addition to the requirements for the form, instructions regarding the appearance and hairstyle of the girl have also been preserved. In case of non-compliance with the rules, the class teacher could publicly reprimand his student and demand that her parents come to school for a conversation. There is also a categorical ban on jewelry andcosmetics. However, it has become allowed to use any informal items, such as blouses worn over a school dress.
Pioneer parade uniform
In the 60s, Soviet industry developed special costumes for those schoolgirls who were members of the pioneer organization.
It was a form that included:
- dress shirt with golden buttons with the emblem of the VDPO located on the left sleeve;
- blue fabric skirt;
- light brown leather belt with yellow metal buckle with star emblem;
- red (rarely blue or light blue) cap, on the right side of which a yellow star is embroidered;
- white gloves (for flag bearers and guards of honor).
Form of the perestroika period
In the second half of the 70s, a new form appeared. However, it was introduced only for high school students. If there were opportunities and desires, girls from the 8th grade could wear it. From grades 1 to 7, the Soviet uniforms for schoolgirls (photo below) remained the same. Only the dress has changed its length, becoming a little above the knees.
In addition, the costume of the Soviet schoolgirl was also developed. It consisted of a skirt in the shape of an trapezoid, in front of which the fabric was gathered into folds, a jacket without any emblems and with patch pockets, as well as vests. A three-piece suit could be worn seasonally. So in warm weather, the girls wore a skirt with a vest worn overblouses. On cold days, they put on a jacket. It was also possible to wear all the details of the costume at once. The uniform of a schoolgirl provided for the wearing of shoes. Sports shoes were not allowed.
Schoolgirls in the Far North, regions of Siberia and the city of Leningrad could wear blue trousers instead of a skirt. They were included in the girl's wardrobe only in winter. As in the old days, jewelry and cosmetics for Soviet schoolgirls were banned. However, in some cases, teachers gradually deviated from these rules. And by the end of the 80s, cosmetics and jewelry were legalized on a modest scale. Girls also began to wear model hairstyles, often dyeing their hair. In the costume of a Soviet schoolgirl, miniskirts began to appear more and more often. The students of the late 80s experimented with blouses and vests, which turned them into young ladies. During this period, teachers began to allow female students to wear loose hair.
Manufacturers also sought to take into account the wishes of their consumers. They made improvements in the quality of the material of dresses (suits) and in their cut, improving the aesthetics of the overall appearance of schoolchildren.
Compulsory uniform was abolished in September 1991. It was no longer required, but allowed. This was legislated three years later.
Features of education in the USSR
Regardless of nationality, the upbringing of children in the country was based on the same values. Already from kindergarten, kids were taught to distinguish bad from good, and they were also told about famous contemporaries and people who were considered the best in their profession. Negative examples were also given to children. Moreover, this was done so pedagogically correctly that the rejection of certain moments arose among small Soviet citizens even at a subconscious level.
One of the means of educating children in the era of the USSR was toys. They were generally uncomplicated and simple, but they were made only from high quality materials. At the same time, the toys were quite inexpensive.
Basic of the basics
Almost since birth, Soviet children have heard that man is a collective being. All this was supported by the “nursery - kindergarten - school” scheme. It would seem that everything is just wonderful. However, education in preschool institutions of those years had two sides of the coin. On the one hand, kindergartens perfectly implemented the doctrine of educating the younger generation in the spirit of the builders of communism, with public interests brought to the fore. At the same time, he disciplined the kids and the daily routine, because it was required to strictly observe it. This helped prepare the child for the transition to school. However, in kindergartens, teachers taught that the baby was "like everyone else." A child from an early age realized that he should not stand out, and he should do not what he wants, but what adults say. The personal desires of the children were not taken into account at all. If semolina porridge was served, that is, it was necessary for everyone by all means. The kids also went to the potty in formation. A daytime nap, so unloved by children, was also mandatory for everyone.
The only good news is that in some kindergartens there were still educators who were likeCons can be turned into pros. They persuaded the little ones without forcing them. At the same time, they did not impose certain knowledge, but caused a desire to learn. Such children, no doubt, were lucky. After all, they were in a friendly and warm atmosphere in which a real person was brought up.
School stage
The skills of the "builder of communism", which the child began to receive in kindergarten, successfully developed in the future. Becoming a schoolboy, he found himself in lessons that were practically saturated with the ideology of the Soviet state. Such was the teaching methodology in those years.
The first thing the former kindergartners saw at school were portraits of Lenin. The name of the leader was also indicated in the preface to the primer next to the words "mother" and "Motherland". It is quite difficult to imagine today's children. It is simply impossible now to believe that the word denoting the closest person was placed next to the name of the leader of the revolution in the past. And in those years, this was the norm, in which children sacredly had to believe.
Another feature of Soviet education was the massive participation of schoolchildren in children's organizations. All of them, with the rarest exceptions, were at first Octoberists, and later - pioneers and members of the Komsomol. For the children of the described era, this was very honorable. The very atmosphere of the ceremony of admission to these organizations contributed to this. It took place at a solemn line, where children dressed in full dress were congratulated by parents, teachers and invited guests. A significant role was also assigned to paraphernalia in the form of badges, pioneertie, squad banner and squad flag.
Besides this, schoolchildren were constantly accustomed to hard work in their future adult life. To this end, classes were on duty, collecting scrap metal and waste paper, as well as mandatory subbotniks, during which the adjacent territory was cleaned. Such activities were designed to instill in children respect for work in a team. It is worth noting that such pedagogical tactics were perceived positively by students, being for them a kind of diversity in school life.
Speaking about Soviet upbringing, one should not focus only on ideological dogmas. The system of pedagogy in the USSR was quite multifaceted, despite the fact that at first glance it had the goal of raising an obedient "cog" out of a child. In addition, in different periods, the pedagogical impact on children was completely different. And this becomes clear if we consider, for example, the upbringing of girls in the period from the 1970s-1980s. On the one hand, the Soviet child, so to speak, had no gender. After all, nurturing and education were absolutely the same for both boys and girls. But in fact, in the 70s of the last century, an unofficial tradition developed in society to bring up princesses and young ladies in girls. And all this went in parallel with waste landings and poems about Lenin. Proof of this is the world of the Soviet schoolgirl, filled with dancing and playing music, as well as New Year trees with costumes not of Anka the Machine Gunner, but of Snowflakes.
Similar upbringingcontributed to an increase in the standard of living of citizens of the USSR. By the mid-70s, a beautiful and stable life came into fashion. At the same time, golfs with pom-poms and puffy bows, as well as a fancy collar on a school dress, were approved by others. During this period, there was no violence against the personality of the child. That is why the world of schoolgirls in the 70s-80s is multifaceted. These are drawn dolls and pioneer heroes, waste paper collections and pioneer rallies, New Year's balls and much more.
