LIVING AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN THE USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001600270007-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 27, 2002
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: July 10, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001600270007-8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
25X1
COUNTRY
25XbATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
10 July 1953
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFERENCES
25X1
.25X1
25X1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Living Conditiona'in Gorodomlya'end'Oataahkov::ee::.ee:.....Page 2
Soviet Attitudes toward
Consume'r'Goods:........ *.........:::
Housing .......
Social Conditions......ueeeee.e.e..40S0 e....e...e.ee.ee.ee
Class Distinetionseeeeee..eeee?ee???eeee?eeee?eo?se?eseeoeos
Anti-Semitism.eee
Corruption and Crime eeeea.eeeee..o...o.e5.e..eeoee..ee.e...
Miscellaneous Commentseoveoeoeoee?eeeoo?eoo?eeooeuoeaeeeeeea 9
SECRET
25
STATE f #x JARMY JIx JNAVY #X AIR #X FBI AEC
(Note Washington Distribution Indicated By "X", Field Distribution By "#11.1
Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001600270007-8
USSR (Kalinin Oblast)
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
Living and Social Conditions in the USSR DATE DISTR.
X1
 Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001600270007-8
a 4
SFCRETI
1JVIN CONDITIONS IN GORODOAJ Y& -OSTASHKOV
Soviet Attitudes toward Living Conditions
1. There was a very pronounced improvement in living conditions in
the Soviet Union after the introduction of the 1947 currency reform.
This was apparent not only in such concrete manifestations as lower
prices and greater availability of consumer goods, but also in the
clothing and general physical appearance of Soviet employees at
Institut 688 and :branch No. l*
2. the average Soviet citizen was satisfied with living
conditions in the USSR as they stood in 1952. To be sure, many
Soviet workers and employees complained about the fact that some
goods were not available or that prices were too high for their
modest incomes. However, they were undoubtedly satisfied in a
general sense as a result of the great increase in their standard
of living achieved after 1947- Purthermore, the average Soviet was
easily satisfied. A large percentage of the Soviet urban population
was not particularly ambitious and was not covetous of the better
material well-being of others. The average worker seemed content
to do the work which was expected of him and nothing mores to continue
living on the same economic plane.
25X1.
The prices of basic food products have probably been suffi1ciently
reduced by the series of price cuts introduced after 1947 to satisfy
the average Soviet worker. On the other hand 25X1
food prices were still higher an a ore
the war. The Soviets also complained that shoes, clothing, bicycles,
furniturep and. other hard consumer goods were too expensive and ex-
pressed their hope for improvement in this direction. 25X1
25X1
Quite a few of the Soviet employees at the Podlipki Institute and
on Gorodomlya Island had been in Germany after MI. As was the
case with other sensitive topics, they were reserved in talking about
their.impressions of Germany. They evidently had been favorably
influenced by their experiences in Germany,as they remarked about
the fine furniture, clothing, housing and many automobiles which
they observed there, but they said little more.
5.
Soviet citizens I might have viewed
Germany as paradise in a material senses but that the i SR was still
their homeland. The extremely strong national pride as expressed
by the Soviets probably diminished the effect of im-
pressions gained abroad, rthermore, living conditions had improved
So much in the Soviet Union in the last few years that East Germany
no longer appeared so prosperous by comparison.
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001600270007-8
 Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001600270007-8
SECRET
-3-
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
Con sumer Goods
6.
was quite pparent that tber last
two price reduction awe 1951 and 1952) had less effect than the
previous three in lowering the prices of consumer goods. Not
only were the reductions smaller3but the prices of a few goods,
in particular butter increased after the introduction of the last
two price cuts, the Soviet population
I Iwere undoubtedly disa'ppoinied
a the German specialists
Certain goods were always in short supply, even after the currency
,reforms These included flour, rolls, fish, sausage, vegetables,
fruit, pepper, cinnamon, underwear,and electric light bulbs. Further-
more, many food products were always delivered to Gorodomlya and .
,Ostashkov stores on an erratic basis. For example, there would
be only one type of sausage available for a period of two months.
Then during the next three months,we could only buy another variety.
The procurement system evidently functioned very poorly.
8. Other products were in short supply during the years 1950 to 1952
which had been available in relatively abundant quantities in 1948
and 1949. These included butter, sausage, noodles, macaroni, rice,
and grits. Sugar in particular was less available after October
19.50 than in the preceding two or three years. Furthermore,
certain bakery products such as white bread and rolls were especial-
ly hard to get in Ostashkov. There were always long lines standing
in front of the bakeries there. Black bread remained available
as before but it was frequently sour and had a very high water
content.
On the other hand, certain products were more available in recent
years in the Gorodomlya-Ostashkov region than was previously the
case. These included canned vegetables, preserves, condensed
milk, cocoa, coffee, bicycles, cameras,and better-quality shoes.
A few imported products were available in the state stores there,
including Czechoslovakian shoes ( Bata ), women's stockings from
Germany, Danish butter, German bicycles ( Diamant Plant), Czeoho.
Slovakian cloth and German Agfa film,
25X1
10. prices and comments on availability of a
few articles sold in Gorodomlya and Ostashkov state stores and free
markets in 1952.
Article le
State Price
(in rubles
Free Market
Price
(in rubls
1 kilogram beef
10.00-15.00
25.00-30.00
1 kilogram pork
18.00-25.00
25.00-45.00
Comments
Seldom available
in state stores.
Seldom available
in state stores.
25X
25X1
25X1
25X1
Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001600270007-8
 Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001600270007-8
u
SECRET 25X1
-4= r1
Free Market
State Price Price
Article rubles n rubles' comments
1 kilogram butter 36000..42.00 50.00-60.00 Butter sold in
free market'was
not as good in
quality at that
sold in state
stores,
1 kilogram potatoes 0.80- 0.95 1.50- 3.00 Poor quality
sold in state
stores. Free
market price was
1.50-3.00 rubles
during harvest
time. Prices
rose to 5.00-
8.00 rubles in
winter.
It
l kilogram flour
6.00- 8.00
20.00-25.00
1 kilogram apples
10,00-12,00
16.00-20.00
1 egg
1.00
1.50- 2.80
.1 chicken
15,00-25.00
1 lemon
4.00- 5.00
4,00- 5.00
1 meter suit material
80,00-550.00
1 meter silk _
(crepe do Chine)
200,00-220.00
1 pair shoes
60.00-400.00
Available only
four to five times
a year in state
stores. Bold in
black market for
20 to 25 rubles.
Seldom available 1
in state stores,
Seldom available
in state stores.
Price in free mar-
ket varied accord-
ing to season.
Only available
one or two times
a year.
550 rubles--very
good quality.
1 kilogram knitting 200.00-250.00 Rover available
wool in state stores
SECRET
Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001600270007-8
 Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001600270007-8
SECRET
25X1
Article' t
State
in rub
Fr
Price
les) in
ee Market
Price
rubles comments
1 raincoat
200.00
1 razor blade
0.40
1 bicycle
800.00
-900.00
25X1
Housing.
11. 111 German specialists I Iwe housed in two- 25X1
story apartment buildings located on e island. 25X1
one square
meter of that was taken up by tone ea ng 25X1
25X1
25X1
12.
13~
ome ,.par seen
on Gorodomlya Island were in. better condition, in particular.
the new brick buildings which had been constructed for the Soviet
technical intelligentsia. These buildings were all provided with
steam heating.
25X1
25X1
no automatic regulation of current.
14. monthly rent of 21.50 rubles for our 16-square-meter room.
In addition electricity, ranging from about 20 rubles in
the summer to 40 rut as in winter. the Soviet
inhabitants paid the same rent as the German epeoialists.
15. The electric power facilities on Gorodomlya Island were entirely
inadequate. Some buildings were frequently subject to power blaok-
outs. The current was never regular. 1180 to
190 volts and on other days 230 to 235 volts. The voltage often
increased suddenly to 360 volts and thereby ruined electric light
bulbs and radio tubes. Buildings on one and of the islbnd very
often received only 170 volts while simultaneously those on the
other end.reoeived 260 volts. The power station on the island.-had
SECRET
Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001600270007-8
25X1
25X1
 t'Approved'F:or Release 2005/08/1fl`: CIARDP80-0A8tb
di-ii l0, ib,0270007-8
16. Piddle-ranking engineers and technicians had in general the same
type of housing as the workers in Podlipki. Only,the very top
personnel there received better housing. The differences in hone.
ing conditions were more pronounced on Gorodomlya Island. All of
25X1
25X1
the Soviet technical intelligentsia of Branch 3 1 lived in newer.
apartment buildings which had been constructed on the island.
25X1
only two workers lived there and they were activists.
AIL ra , wrie workers and lesser employees at Branch No. 1 either
lived in Ostashkov or in a small village located on the island itself,,
This village was nothing more than a collection of primitive ahackse
17, in the town of Ostashkov
'k-4 -1 A 4 n
s ern were i n a Ai 1 a
i Aa+eA cnndi tion_
Moo e
g
p
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
The town of Ostashkov was provided with eleotrioity,but only at ni ht.
There was a power blackout there during the daytime. 25X1'
most parts1 if not all of the town, were w ou
any sewage or water facilities. Pumps were located outside of
dwellings and excess water was carried away in surface street ditches.
running water only in the Ostashkov hospital. {
8.OCXLL?CONDITIONS,
Class Distinctions
18 strong awareness of social or class differences among
the Soviet population. Engineers and administrators never went 'to
'taverns or cafes frequented by workers and vice versa. Infect,
poor workers dressed in felt boots and quilted Jackets would not
Oven be allowed to enter a fancy cafe in Moscow. The doorman would
prevent him from entering0 Workers and bosses automatically kept
apart when they sat in the same restaurant or gathered on a street.
cornero
19.' It was noteworthy in respect to class distinctions that workers at
Branch No 1 ate in a large hall in the Gorodomlya club while the top
administrators and engineers ate by themselves in a small, well-
furnished dining-groom. The technical intelligentsia sat together
apart from the mass of the workers even at May Day and other official
celebrations. This was also true at public movies,where the bosses
sat in the loge and ordinary workers in the rear of the theater*
class stratification was not as strict as in German society. Further.
more,'Party members tended to associate with one another and thus out
across class lines.
Lug of class inferiority,but simply. because of fear. They knew that.
their supervisors enjoyed great authority and felt that it was better
to have nothing to do with them.
21. ,ind,,so, it was generally true that the bosses associated onl k
with bosses and workers with workers. 25X1
.SECRET
.ex e
it was simply an mp o recognition or
of class differences. .
20. As far as the workers were concerned, their pointed aloofness from
their Soviet. bosses probably 'developed,not as a result. of any feel.
BEC RET
Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001600270007-8
Concerning the latter example
 Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001600270007-8
SECRET 25X1
X17..
22. It was difficult to determine the attitudes of the working class
toward. class. distinctions and preferential treatment granted to
the, technical intelligentsia. However,, certain conditions caused
friction between, and probably tended to isolate, the workers and
bosses. As a general principle, Soviet sector chiefs and foremen
were always pressing the workers for more work. The workers resent-
ed.these persistent pressures,as they knew that sector chiefs and
others like them were solely concerned with bonuses which they
hoped to receive. The method of distributing bonuses was a specific
sore point with the workers. They regarded as unfair the fact that
they did the work'while those on top received bonuses and recogni-
tion for this work:,
23, Workers frequently had to suffer for the mistakes of their supervi-
25X1 8ors. In a case a worker was ordered by his foreman to
operate a pump. The worker refused, explaining that the pump was
insufficiently oiled. The foreman told him to do it anyway. The
worker obeyed and the pump was damaged. At a subsequent investi-
gation it was determined that the worker was to blame and he had to
pay for the repairs.
Anti-Semitisra
25X1 24.1 '? t non-Jewish Soviet citizens, in particular Great
ss ansg were strongly prejudiced against their fellow Soviet
citizens of Jewish origin.
25. This prejudice probably resulted from the fact that Soviet Jews
were more ambitious than the Great Russians as a group. Their
25X1
25X1,
ambition and drive enabled them to occupy a large number of top
positions in proportion to their numerical standing within the Soviet
population. Perhaps 15% of the Soviet technical intelligentsia
of Branch No. 1 were Jews. In addition to resenting the overall
professional success o1 Soviet Jews, Russian workers possibly dis-
liked them becau.ee.ae a group, they were identified as bosses.
26.
were presumably di
two governmental actions which
eted against Soviet Jews.
no Soviet Jews were being accepted into the diplomatic c service
after 1947-
.27- it ?east-two Soviet Jews were relieved of im ortant positions at
Institute 88 in 1950 or 1951. this was the result
of. a move to reduce the influence of ews a at institute. One
of the individuals affected by this move was General GONOR.who had
been director of Institute 88. He reputedly was relieved of his
post and'transferred to a textile plant in the east. The second
individual was Senior Lieutenant UMANSK17,who was relieved of his
post as director of the rocket-testing grounds of Institute 88.
25X1 28.
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1 of society in the 5 Union. 25X1 SECRET
Corruption and Crime
corruption an everyday occurrence among all levels
Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001600270007-8
 Approved For Release;2005/p8/17 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001600270007-8
SECRET)
I most top Soviet engineers and
administrators a rant No--1--were engaged in shady practices of one
kind or another--F- I
30J
31. The workers and employees of both Branch Na 1 and Institute 88
Committed an extraordinary amount of petty thievery. Everything
in the two installations which could be moved had to be nailed down.
At Podlipki, for exam.p:les, it was impossible to find a roll of in-
sulating tape in the entire institute. But you could buy all you
wanted at a public market 100 meters from the institute,where
workers were selling stolen goods.
32. Soviet workers at 'Branch No.1 frequently stole and consumed alcohol
(97%) which was used for testing rocket engines. On one occasion,
two workers bored a hole in an alcohol tank and promptly started to
drink large quantities of the stuff. Their greed proved their
downfall, however, because they soon dropped senseless to the
ground. and were found there by a watchdog.
33. The driver of the bus which carried the German specialists to and
from work at Institute 88 evidently sold large quantities of gas.
oline which were entrusted to him. D one Soviet engineer there
was continually taking long outings on his motorcycle at a tide
w en gasoline was extremely difficult to obtain.
he purdhased the gasoline from the bus driver. Also, the magazin
on Gorodomlya Island was the scene of an extraordinary number of
shady deals. Personnel employed in the magazin were continually
being arrested for embezzling funds and property.
34.
characterize the entire Soviet industrial machinery as one
big swindle. The widespread incidence of corruption undoubtedly
had a negative effect on the. efficiency of the industrial machinery.
The people t tale top, the plant directors and their assistants,
SECRET
Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA001600270007-8
 Approved For Release 2005/08/17 : CIA-RDP80-00810A001600270007-8
SECRET)
were as involved ir, corruption as anyone else and this fact was
known to their :~ .bc rdfiMe es and the mass of the workers. This
weakened ,dao~pl' a.a~: exercised by the leading administrative and
technical perho nr_, at., they always stood in danger of being
exposed, by an worker who was in the know".
isoellaneous Commeni e
35? a small
revolution on took p,:Cace -.n the sou ern area o in about
1948 or 1949= the
Nazakh SSR or >o e other nearby republic.
25X1
25X1`
36.1
?c y n western 25X1
113
.
the interest r l.F.. f , 0 a a'~ popu a ion in ra i a a
I Iz3,:> Soviet citizen who listened to these broadcasts
wou, ever Have a,;daitted the fact openly.
37. suite a few of the Soviet technical intelligentsia on Gorodomlya
Island owned radioao There were perhaps 60 radios in the possession
of the Soviet- Inh.rabitt;a.uts of the island. listened 25X1
to broadcasts r4: rta "r;. i West. Only those who trusted and Knew their
neighbors c.auld. have a:forded to do sos due to the very crowded
living cond.itior:u>> a .ad thin walls.
38.
25X1
the Soviet pop%1L,_- .J.,)-.,, the Great Russians in particular were
chauvinistic 4+~ :k::r =rc7t fanatical degree. Secondly, 25X1
Phe citizen greatly fears and is strongly
opposed to of a new world war. There was absolutely
no doubt On the basis of these two facts, 25X1
Othe.re }t:> a good chance of a revolution within the Soviet
Union if wa: C1;0'11.(- t16 3, result of Soviet aggression, However,
if the Sov:_C1e e..t waoked or appeared to have been attacked,
then the strong : {.