To what extent did conditions of living for ordinary people in the Soviet Union improve in years 1941-
1964?
Yes under Stalin – people content after war – Stalin hero; had hope after seeing west of what could do;
comradeship among soldiers; war years helped bring state + people closer. To maintain morale, peasants
allowed to keep private plots to sell produce from 1941
No under Stalin – terrible wartime suffering – poor and strict rations which were only given to those who
turned up for work; huge starvation as food needed to be sent to soldiers; many in west lost homes so had
to sleep in factories which became normal or during awful winter 1941-42, thousands forced to live in
improvised huts + tents due to hardly any substantial accommodation near factories. returning prisoners
of war sent to gulags + many made essential supplies + airports; women essential workers yet expected to
raise large families. During ww2 working hrs increased, wages decreased; everyone expected to help out;
factories under martial law
Neither 4 or 5 yr plans substantially improved life – peasants countryside squeezed on quota system so
lived on income 20% less than industrial worker; diets poor + consumer goods in short supply; wage
differentials favoured elite and meant they had higher rations; 12 hr working day post-war; continue
Stakhanovite – relentless + exhausting. Between 1945-53, 12m to labour camps where they suffered
appalling conditions – lived in persecution.
Yes under Khrushchev – committed to improving – 7th yr plan 1959 but was 1961-65 promise 40hr week
& 40% wage rise by 1965. De-Stalinisation – more consumer goods; tax lowered 1958 – for peasants +
others compulsory voluntary subscriptions abolished – bachelors tax and that on childless couples
removed; pensions improved; wage equalisation saw increase in wages of lowest paid – helped social
equality + wage differentials lower than any other highly industrialised country. Wages improved so could
afford more consumer goods. Better healthcare + education
Accompanied by thaw – greater personal freedoms of foreign lit, radio, western values. Tried to rehabilitate
those under Zhdanovschina – ie. Solzhenitsyn who wrote one day in life of Ivan Denisovich. New housing
initiatives – prefabricated flats to alleviate overcrowding
K encouraged tourism ‘intourist’ where foreigners could visit the ussr and witness soviet achievements first
hand – not only did this improve economy but it meant the normal people’s lives were improved after
seeing western values and opened their horizons – excited by jazz, makeup etc
No under K – high ranking officials retained privileges; workers challenging communism banned – Dr
Zhivago – expelled; consumer goods improved + foreign goods sold out quickly but still less than other
industrialised countries. Atheism in schools; mass closure of monasteries, orthodox churches – latter from
22,000 in 1959 to under 8000 by 1965. Privileges non-wage payments ie. holidays, health care – unequal
society. Cars reserved for party officials despite being common in early 1960s. Peasants frustrated with
agriculture reforms – low prices state paid for products + led to reduced peasant output – officials kept
altering prices. Favoured other things like industry and modern industries like space race instead of
improving life for people at home
Ethnic minorities still targeted; restrictions on Jews maintained
Conclusion – living conditions improved to a very small extent from 1941-64; declined signf under stalin.
Not until Khrushchev where started to increase but any change was seen as amazing compared to Stalinist
years. Better wages + reduced working hours was key so workers being prioritised but overall still
extremely far behind west + limitations to quality of life; wage differentials
1964?
Yes under Stalin – people content after war – Stalin hero; had hope after seeing west of what could do;
comradeship among soldiers; war years helped bring state + people closer. To maintain morale, peasants
allowed to keep private plots to sell produce from 1941
No under Stalin – terrible wartime suffering – poor and strict rations which were only given to those who
turned up for work; huge starvation as food needed to be sent to soldiers; many in west lost homes so had
to sleep in factories which became normal or during awful winter 1941-42, thousands forced to live in
improvised huts + tents due to hardly any substantial accommodation near factories. returning prisoners
of war sent to gulags + many made essential supplies + airports; women essential workers yet expected to
raise large families. During ww2 working hrs increased, wages decreased; everyone expected to help out;
factories under martial law
Neither 4 or 5 yr plans substantially improved life – peasants countryside squeezed on quota system so
lived on income 20% less than industrial worker; diets poor + consumer goods in short supply; wage
differentials favoured elite and meant they had higher rations; 12 hr working day post-war; continue
Stakhanovite – relentless + exhausting. Between 1945-53, 12m to labour camps where they suffered
appalling conditions – lived in persecution.
Yes under Khrushchev – committed to improving – 7th yr plan 1959 but was 1961-65 promise 40hr week
& 40% wage rise by 1965. De-Stalinisation – more consumer goods; tax lowered 1958 – for peasants +
others compulsory voluntary subscriptions abolished – bachelors tax and that on childless couples
removed; pensions improved; wage equalisation saw increase in wages of lowest paid – helped social
equality + wage differentials lower than any other highly industrialised country. Wages improved so could
afford more consumer goods. Better healthcare + education
Accompanied by thaw – greater personal freedoms of foreign lit, radio, western values. Tried to rehabilitate
those under Zhdanovschina – ie. Solzhenitsyn who wrote one day in life of Ivan Denisovich. New housing
initiatives – prefabricated flats to alleviate overcrowding
K encouraged tourism ‘intourist’ where foreigners could visit the ussr and witness soviet achievements first
hand – not only did this improve economy but it meant the normal people’s lives were improved after
seeing western values and opened their horizons – excited by jazz, makeup etc
No under K – high ranking officials retained privileges; workers challenging communism banned – Dr
Zhivago – expelled; consumer goods improved + foreign goods sold out quickly but still less than other
industrialised countries. Atheism in schools; mass closure of monasteries, orthodox churches – latter from
22,000 in 1959 to under 8000 by 1965. Privileges non-wage payments ie. holidays, health care – unequal
society. Cars reserved for party officials despite being common in early 1960s. Peasants frustrated with
agriculture reforms – low prices state paid for products + led to reduced peasant output – officials kept
altering prices. Favoured other things like industry and modern industries like space race instead of
improving life for people at home
Ethnic minorities still targeted; restrictions on Jews maintained
Conclusion – living conditions improved to a very small extent from 1941-64; declined signf under stalin.
Not until Khrushchev where started to increase but any change was seen as amazing compared to Stalinist
years. Better wages + reduced working hours was key so workers being prioritised but overall still
extremely far behind west + limitations to quality of life; wage differentials
