If anybody lived in communist USSR can you tell me about how it was like to live there?

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Little Witchy Girl

Russia has never been communist only socialist. The education was great (free and very high level), taxes were the same for everyone - the rate was fixed (just as it is now).
But there was even pay for many (it did not matter how good or bad you worked). The food was scarce (we went to a big city to buy meat for the whole month). Then we even had coupons for food, alcohol, sugar, tea, soap, laundry detergent (everything was rationed).
But back then people were making enough money to afford a nice vacation, and it was easier to save money to buy clothes.
Nowadays most of Russian population is poor. So, there's everything your heart desires in the stores (it's just like any other civilized country) but not many can afford the stuff. I am not even talking about the vacations - most people stay at home now.

Aurora

The level of education was and is still superb.

Cossak

so taxes were been low,education world highyest and free,people had by all jobs,before 1980-th have no crime in society,all were sure in next day,intusiasm,good days,but in Czeho-Slovakia was soviet Heaven,there was so beautiful life that USSR citizens wanted to live in those socialistic country,soviet Czeho-Slovakia indeed good place for living...
My granny had pan friend from Pragua,she got some good "western" clouthings,like fashion,she weard czehian good clouthings and had been in young days like pfoto model)....in USSR everything at clouthing way before 70-th was so bore....

anikan

The main thing we were equal, we had the same rights for higher education, and medicine. Only after i emigrated to Israel i understood what the class division means. Rich areas boarder poor areas, and u easily see the gap.

â™« â™« Karina â™« â™«

i never lived there, but my parents told me that life was good in the beginning- before the perestroika when another president came to power and many common people got poor.

Ramlana

Totally agree with Aurora.Our education was the best, plus,free for everyone,even school books. Our teachers were really intelligent people,not money minded people.It's wasn't like now,jungles rules-the strongest will survive.It was really sweet time.And we had a best childhood,whatever they all say.Of course,was many negative sides,but kids and elderly was well taken care by government, it's most important for every country, IMHO

Trouble

I lived there from 1983-1992 and was a little girl. The main language was always russian.

We did have the coupons and could only get what the coupon said ( it wasn't a "rebate type" coupon, but a ticket type thing that families got. It would tell you that this coupon allows you to buy 2 kg of sugar, for instance. When you use it up, you get no more sugar until you get a new coupon)

The thing that bothered me was what my sis said: she saw a video on the maternal wards in the ussr. In the video, when a newborn was born, the mother wouln't get the baby right away, but was told if it's m/f, and the birth would be considered more of a patriotic thing, as in, " now, we have a new little citizen to serve the country". The baby would be taken away for the usual measuring and registration procedures, and only afterwards would the mother be able to hold it for the first time. So, this practice instilled the idea in parents that their child doesn't really belong to them, but to the country, and so that's why parents had no problem talking down to their children and often treating them in a very derogatory way, never treating them like equals, deep down. This has changed of course.

The female of the house was expected to work, to cook, to clean everything, to educate and play with children, to hold the household and family together, to look good, to treat her husband as a decision and rule-maker of the household. Sounds tough, but it was easily done.

The education was very seriously taken by teachers, who were expected to be strict and intelligent. They were tough on you and you were expected to obey everything they said. The school would celebrate major holidays in school that were patriotic. We had uniforms, and once we were in grade 2, we got a pin, to wear on our uniform, in a shape of a star with a pic of Lenin, in a way to pay tribute and respect to him. Then in grade 6, i think, we would have to wear a red little scarf.

carmelo_sabato

i never lived in soviet union but i visited and stay there a lot in 1963 i know their system it would change by 1999 they beet me by 10 years i could see the young people they were friendly and nice people like every body else not like Reagan made them look there is a lot of poverty now but they can work and make their life's Russia is a booming country now they build like the us was building after ww2 and it has nothing to feel inferior to any one DA svedani !!

Obama Happends

I lived there from 1959 until 1989, served the in Army during Afghan war.
Ask me, I have different opinion.
Education was free? What does it mean, free?
Nothing is free. We were underpaid, so Government could tell, that education was free.
Medicine was free? You do not want this kind of medicine.

Remember one thing - nothing is free, even cheese in the mice trap. Somebody had to buy it.

Want to see it yourself - vote for Hillary Clinton

mamulechka

Well I was 2 when it collapsed. It was pretty **** afterwards, we had a few people get murdered in our driveway, although they were drunks.
(Still, my short childhood in Russia was perfect in my opinion lol).
But from what I hear, the education in the USSR was second to none.

olegu

Russia: Broken Idols, Solemn Dreams: By David K. Shipler

The book was written by American journalist who lived and worked in the Soviet Union in the period 70-80. Very interesting and very accurate book (IMHO). If you serious about knowing what was the live in USSR, do read the book.
All who answered on your question here have very limited experience of living in the USSR and not able to give you correct and detail information.

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