Russian Life Today: Inside The Soviet Union, 1958 

Women in the USSR had a very complex role. During the early period, until the mid 30s, women were almost at the same level that they are now at in liberal democracies. They had equal minimum wage, paid maternity leave, legalised abortion, separation of church from the legal aspects of marriage, single-parent households were supported, abortion was legal etc. and there was a special organisation in the government that oversaw the "equalisation" of women to men. Lenin saw that women had to be freed in all aspects from men and from being forced into traditional maternal roles. This started falling apart in the mid 30s with a return to the old moral traditions, which again broke down during the mass conscription of men during the war, returned back to the nuclear family in the 40s, and then sort of improved in the 1950s, though never going back to the egalitarian doctrine of the 1920s.

@@ChaplainDMK yes, this was a good article about it - www.versobooks.com/blogs/3202-women-in-russia-before-and-after-the-revolution

It seems the more free a society is the less women are represented in the work force.

In fact, women's liberation was a priority during and just after the revolution, but it was held back by Stalin. When the USSR was least free (under Stalin), women had the most traditional roles (family). After WW2, with relative liberalisation under Kruschev, women entered the workforce in all areas including science and engineering.

@@saazsakrikar6603 Not true. There were no changes from Lenin period to the end of the Soviet Union in terms of women rights. They were practically everywhere in science and in heavy labor work. In Stalin times women played most important role because most of men was maimed by war, 10 million casualties of Red Army plus another as much civil casualties, majority of them men. During WWII shifted the gender proportions to 7 men to 11 women. Women had to take part in every aspect of life whether they want or not. Later on during Brezhnev period they them self given up more responsibility to men. During the Stalin times women played a major role in society as main working force, plus they played huge role in army e.g. snipers like Lyudmila Pavlichenko who have twice as many kills as best man sniper Zaitsev, or as pilots of famous female bomber squad "Night Witches". If you check number of Heroes of Soviet Union awarded to women, this number will be significantly higher than awarded women taking part in war in general in rest of the world. And it was all during Stalin time. I agree to the person that say the better the time, more women indeed prefer to stay home and be housewife. Time were women fight like men and having to work like men are times of difficulties.

wtf i wanna go back to soviet union now

Or food either! Who needs food anyway. Oh and those vacations everyone gets despite the fact they can’t actually afford to do anything on them.

It sounds like heaven to me.

Tracie Smith Only if you don’t like those thing called rights and if you enjoy being arrested by the secret police and thrown in labor camps because you asked a question they didn’t like in school.

G W B That’s wrong, but go ahead.

Saibal Republic What good qualities?

There were many good qualities.

G W B Many good qualities.

Роман Пахомов Sub par pay, poor living standards, low quality healthcare, low productivity because people realize they’ll make the same money no matter how hard they work. We already have an 8 hour work day, 5 day work week, paid time off, insurance, high quality healthcare, and we make enough money to buy superior housing that we actually own ourselves and can do what we want with.

@@BB-kt5eb Disagree on low quality health care, the health care there was based on prevention and holistic approaches with no ties to pharmaceutical/ insurance companies. The population was generally healthy due to a policy of promoting healthy lifestyle: proper nutrient-based diet, exercise, ,regular restorative vacations and outdoor sports and recreation. To be fair, critical care wasn't equal to the Western standards, mostly due to being behind on emergency care medical equipment. As far as sub par pay, in the context of free guaranteed medical care, free housing, free education, low cost utilities and day care, no need for any kind of insurance, mortgage, taxes, workers were paid enough to live comfortably. Yes, no one owned mega-mansions, but people believed in working for --gasp -- common good. People were friendly and helping each other. Women could retire at 50/ men I believe at 55 (?) with pension. No system is or had ever been perfect; the wisdom is in being able to transcend brainwashing and think for yourself... a rare commodity now days.

@No No I lived there! Look up my comments.

@No No ha-ha-haa. I lived there. the best country in the world.

With all due respect the good things about the Soviet Union were only true for Russia, which got the priority of legislation which was actually enforced by law, the other union countries were filled by famines and anti-soviet revolutions. The union overextended itself, it itself was an Empire, I don't think it would have dissolved if it was only Russia. Not 15 countries. Especially when the other countries were treated as second class citizens compared to Russians.

@@FATHOLLYWOODB123 you are very wrong my friend

YOU GO TO GULAG!!

cucumber that’s American media in a nutshell.

that's media footage from 1958.

@@AR15.666 check media footage of the sovjet union from 1958.

Your to young

ask me what you want to know, do not trust everything what is shown on such propaganda videos. Yes there are horrible strawman statements in the video

@@cicik57 Не верить надо таким как ты!!!Надоели вы все кто грязью бросает в СССР ‼️

It was alright in back then in 1958

This video is 1958. By 1960 in the US over 90% of homes had a television.

@@davidstephens7399 only like 20% of UK homes though, European countries, (especially those on the Eastern Front) had a lot of damage and had worse off economies than America, who had little damage from the war, and who actually benefitted economically. This can be seen with electric fridges too, in 1959 13% of people in UK had a refrigerator, but in America 96% did

@@z9ey that would be relevant if this video was comparing life in the USSR to life in the UK. But it isn't. It's comparing life in the USA to the USSR.

​@@davidstephens7399 I wonder how many would they have if they went through same things Soviet Union went through from 1917 to 1945. I will name them: Complete collapse of economic activity during the civil war, then brutal industrialization from scratch and it's accompanying famines, economic and political isolation from the world and then a massive invasion by Germany which led to the deaths of 26 million people to top it all off..During this time, the U.S. only had the Great Depression as a national catastrophe, which while horrible doesn't even compare to what the Soviets had to go through. And this is ignoring the fact that the U.S. was a many times more developed economy even prior to the World War 1.

@@markdiamond9819 Cutting out middleman does reduce price, but cutting out competition not. I have been living in USSR and I partially agree with you in terms of luck of production rates that would satisfy public demand for cars. However, Car was not too expensive it was affordable and there were no monopoly at all. There were around 4 companies producing cars. They simply didn't produce enough cars for all and people had to wait, because Soviet government didn't think that producing 1 car per citizen is a priority. Please note, currently we have huge problems with cars all around the place, no parking, too much pollution and at least here in Europe people are encouraged to use public transport. May be it was wise decision to make people to wait for their car? In terms of capitalism it doesn't make sense, capitalism says "lets sell everyone a car , make money and let this world fuck up tomorrow who cares?" But socialism is not about making money and profit its about society, "do we want many cars and the fight with pollution?", "do we want every one to drive their car even to near by bakery and then fight with obesity?". Consumption, Consumption, Consumption is recipe for dead end. And how can you judge prices in USSR when there were no mortages in USSR and apartments were granted for free? Sorry when my parents were 22 years old they received a two room apartment for free as many others in their generation? Do every 22 years old in US or EU are reliefed from the burden to pay rent by being gifted with such property?

@@omanvictory4011 What?

Propaganda should not stand still. At that time, Stalin was accused of putting 700,000 people in prison on unproven charges, and some of these people died. This was enough to make Khrushchev weep, repent, and swear that nothing like this would happen. Now they say that Stalin killed 100 million people, and this does not make too much impression on the public.

It's not that way there any more, In Russia you can have the same as everyone in America if you work for it.

You don't know Russia. You have never known it.

You aren't right. Officially, it wasn't obligatory but children were much encouraged to become Pioneers. This organisation helped much their education, socialisation and entertainment. It was perceived as a usual stage of life of every person and I can say it covered all the kids from 9 to 14 (not from 7).If a 9 year old lagged behind his class or seriously misbehaved he was threatened to not be allowed to enter the Young Pioneers and it often helped.

As an ex-Pioneer I confirm it was not mandatory neither to join organization nor to join Pioneer summer camp (which was military styled, it was quite close to Soviet army living style). However most of children joined Pioneers, out of my classmates I don't remember anyone who would not join, we considered this as honor. Wearing Pioneer insignia and tie, was something what children wanted. It's like being Boy Scouts, very very closed to Boy Scouts but more military style. I don't know if Boy Scouts were training to shoot and throw grenades... we did! We also did in average for boy 50 push ups in 60 seconds (it was considered normative) we run 3 miles cross and did 6 pull ups, for us it was good. But this was minimal requirement for Soviet Army. Pioneer camp was separated into 10 companies, 1nd company were eldest boys, 2nd were eldest girls, 3rd boys, 4th girls and so on, 9th and 10th were 10 years old girls and boys. 1st and 2nd company was playing sort of military games with scouting, Pioneer camp also had a club for Radio triangulation games called "fox and hunter" where two teams were detecting location of other team members in the forest using radio triangulation, it was practically like a war game.

Arman thank you for this explanation

100% of kids were pioneers

@@HashishtaniEvery year I spent 1month in a summer camp . It was great !!! I don't remember anything that was related to military. Yes we had really strict day schedule , discipline , lots of activities physical and intellectual , we were creating some kind of shows , playing КВН(KVN) and What ? Where ? When ? and a lot of fun disco-dance , singing songs with a guitar , sitting around firepit , maybe some felt in love for the first time (you know kids love) . And this warm memories stays forever .

I think the skipping was added, to be able to publish it on capitalist RU-vid lol!

SpetsnazUS because Americans are healous of how good the soviet health care was

Look at the infant mortality and life expectancy rates from 1933-1964

Can't show them the benefits of socialism after all

Soviet citizens had everything they needed, they all had jobs, homes, education, healthcare, food, etc. just not extravagant luxury or tons of frivolous and unnecessary consumerism. In the US the rich have luxuries while the poor are left homeless, without education, healthcare, and without the basic necessities of life. Which is better?

C.F. Gauss And that in the US you can work 2 even 3 jobs and still barely afford necessities

@@transsylvanian9100 freedom

@@jukodebu It is difficult for me to imagine what "freedom" is enjoyed by an unemployed person, who goes about hungry, and cannot find employment. Real freedom can exist only where exploitation has been abolished, where there is no oppression of some by others, where there is no unemployment and poverty, where a man is not haunted by the fear of being tomorrow deprived of work, of home and of bread. Only in such a society is real, and not paper, personal and every other freedom possible.

@@transsylvanian9100 freedom of the human spirit. Obey or else will never survive. One cannot force their will onto others because the human spirit will always choose freedom

Люди были здоровее, не жирные, жилось сложнее но и веселее. Конечно если любил языком потрепаться за политику то проблемы будут, в любом государстве 20 века.

@@artemb.3867 Translated: "People were healthier, not fat, life was more difficult but also more fun. Of course, if you liked to wag your tongue about politics, then there will be problems in any state of the 20th century."

Absolutely right.

What are you talking about, the film shows different places.

Paolo Furfaro If you don’t mind having a life of restriction and being poor. Watch the Ushanka Show

@@run2fire It depends on what you consider restriction. Ushanka Show sound like stereotype.. I grew up in USSR, so I wonder if someone can "open my eyes" on something bad. I bet I know more real Soviet problems that those who try to portrait something that the problem we had in USSR. In general life there was good, especially in terms of education. You could even be high flyer in USSR, but you would have expensive home or expensive car, because there were no such thing there :)

Life got better after Stalin

@@briandelaney9710 worst and then worst after collapsing of USSR. as much as I have researched. ask deep villagers(former USSR countries) you will know how good life was.

@@poopybutthole4707 Russia put the first man, woman and even dog in space. there country was destroyed during the war. They fought the bulk of the war in Europe. They lost 29 million people. America lost 250 , 000.

Cobra Kai that’s in the Don Bass isn’t it ?

It takes a long time to recover from a failed economic system.

@@briandelaney9710 it could be born there, those guys fight like crazy. Almost like Vietnam war there

I lived in Kirovograd nothing changed in decades

Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried - whatever its good intentions

@@willx9352 sOcIaLiSm HaS fAiLeD. Classic 'argument' from a know-nothing. Fact: every socialist state (or even capitalist states with 'socialist' governments like Venezuela) has succeeded in improving the living conditions of the majority of its people, even while undergoing extreme external pressure from major capitalist military powers. All socialist states have dramatically reduced poverty and ensured universal health and education for citizens, despite facing economic blockades, invasions, sabotage, espionage, all kinds of covert operations and much more. They did this emerging from major wars (first western then Nazi then US aggression in USSR, US aggression in Korea) or colonialism (Cuba), and never having had colonies or slave labour from which to generate massive profits. No capitalist state has succeeded in eliminating poverty, homelessness or unemployment, even the wealthiest which attained their wealth from colonialism and continued exploitation of resources and labour from the Global South. The majority of rich capitalist states cannot provide universal education and healthcare to citizens, while billions suffer from malnutrition and easy to cure infectious diseases across the (capitalist) Global South.

@@kailash3496 Blame everyone else for the political persecutions and mass executions, the show trails, the gulags, the mass starvation and deaths of millions of people both intentional but also due to misguided agricultural policies, the colonisation of surrounding countries. Yes 'socialist' countries have reduced inequality and poverty - they have made sure that misery is equally shared (except of course for the inner circle of party officials whose lifestyle emulate of those of the capitalist west).

@@willx9352 What do you call "fail" ? And do you actually know ALL the reasons why it failed?

@@willx9352 The above events took place from the 1920's until Stalin's death in 1953. That period was miserable. Just like the Great Depression and the mob activity in the 1930's in the US. The video was shot past 1953, and the society was moving forward with social advancements. Nothing is black and white. Stretch your knowledge base and thinking capacity.

shut up

jesse p this isnt propaganda you idiot. youre clearly brainwashed

Just because you can't believe your own eyes of what you have been brainwashed to think, doesn't mean it is the truth.

Gotta love how on every video like this there's always those people shouting "But Murica...!"

Why did they say bortsch was Russian? Isn't it Ukrainian? AND what's with the raw egg? Dirty propaganda trick.

@@khersongirl3591 it is russian ukrainian and even Pilish - same slavic people but never hears about row egg. have seen Malasia people place a row egg in soups.

Когда Америка и Англия нападала на СССР? Дай пожалуйста дату.

Don't work for fashist, then you have No problems in the USSR

Yulduz Ibragim, I guess if you are dirt poor and sustain being dirt poor, then you could convince yourself that those are "good times". Socialism has failed everywhere it has ever been tried. Socialism is a failed economic model that takes, takes, and takes by force. I've been to two Socialist nations, Iraq and Somalia, both failures, so I do know what I am talking about.

@@TheGuy030770 well no they weren’t poor. They were comfortable with sufficient food for a big family, a big house, and loads of time for entertainment such as parks and museums. However, I didn’t say it lasted. When the Soviet Union was crushed, my people were once again pushed to Russia this time, and in Russia (where I was born) we were very poor and that wasn’t a good life. In addition to that, I did say some places lived badly when some lived good. For a communist nation to work that’s the case. So I agree with you but you misunderstood me :)

@@TheGuy030770 no, you don't.

@@aytacdenizacar7703 How can I not understand Socialism when I have seen it first hand and know how it turns people into slaves? Where are you from? Where have you been? Truth is, Socialism is a failure 100% of the time, why subject people to failure?

Portland4114, it was so nice that they didn't allow their people to leave. Thousands if not millions were slaughtered trying to flee. Stalin murdered 45 million of his own countrymen because it was such a nice place....(to die I guess). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_killings_under_communist_regimes

@@TheGuy030770 Where does this figure come from, why not 100 million or billion. Maybe at first, think a little.

@@TheGuy030770 In the USSR before the war there were 160 million, the wiki in general (and more in English) in this matter contains nonsense.

@@ammm-wq2mz How many articles do I have to link that shows that you are full of crap. I have a good idea, why don't you link a site that bolsters your claim?

@@TheGuy030770 You are not able to find the population of the USSR in different years on your own and calculate the percentages. This is what your school teachers should have taken care of. You cannot talk about more complicated things.

Russian Federation Not true women were finally allowed to initiate divorce starting in 1917 along with every single other right by Vladimir Lenin who was a champion of women’s and workers rights. Stalin however did instill a “Soviet Family portrait” style way of living witch made divorce difficult if not impossible and abolished abortions which is what Lenin was in favor of.

Russian Federation Я согласен. It's true, the man and woman are inseparable and mutually support one another in everyway. They are the lynchpin of society.

You exceed the Indian standards.

Stalin died in 1953.

2 years into de-Stalinisation.

@@dmitrydemidoff1973 your opponent simply doesn't know how to count..

@@jaskkk 🤣👍🏻

Daniel Dean u mean crapmany in the 50s

He said arcade; arcades do not have to have pinball machines in them.

O COMUNISMO E A CIENCIA DO TRABALHO ,E O FAROL QUE IRA GUIAR A CLASSE OPERARIA PARA UM FUTURO GLORIOSO 3:22

MOMENTANEAMENTE A LUTA SOFRE UM ATRASO ,PORQUE O INIMIGO DE CLASSE ESTA ORGANIZADO, MAS NADA VAI DETER AS MASSAS NO MUNDO TODO EM DIRECAO A SUA EMANCIPACAO,COMO DIZIA O CAMARADA LENIM O TRABALHADOR NAO TEM RACA NEM COR NEM SEXO,ELE E SIMPLESMENTE OPRIMIDO 9:18

O SOCIALISMO COMUNISTA E FATO MAIS NOVO DE TODAS AS TEORIAS,TODAS AS IDEOLOGIA,O SOCIALISMO E SUPERIOR PORQUE E A IDEOLOGIA DA CLASSE TRABALHADORA ANTE O ATRASO DOS PARASITAS CAPITALISTAS E BURGUESES 13:20

Oh right Sally, because you were there and know for sure...

@@alejandroWar23 and you were too?

@@matt309 yes I am hundreds of years old

So it was a Christian society?

GULAGS (true) Bread shortages / lines : propaganda. Consider primary sources.

@@khersongirl3591 you are right

for profit prisons,extreme poverty and food insecurity, homelessness You cannot bring up the bad without confronting your own existence

geepgeep567 ................

sandor gobel wassup nigga

Lol

Im Russian, and if the USSR never collapsed I would be still living there, And I wished i was still there!

Look5Alive The good Russian women are the best, they are absolutely loyal and supportive of their men.

Ur brainwashed Stalin was good you Capitalist sheep.

так и есть,Украина,как Новгородская и Псковская область,всегда была Россией

اوكرانيا جزء من الإمبراطورية الروسية

because it IS Russia, historic part of it since 10th century.

@@egortartarin7461 учи историю, дятел - Псков был оккупирован Москвой в 1510-м, а Новгород в 1477-м. Каково оно тебе жить без мозга?

@@jaskkk Ukraine is 600 years older than Russia and was occupied by russians in 1655, despite the fact that in the 10th century no 'Russia' existed at all. Study history, you idiоt.