life in USSR Flashcards
(21 cards)
how was life in the countryside and towns in the Soviet Union?
poor
give 4 ways that life was poor
-There was only basic housing, with outside toilets and no running water.
-internal passports
-There was rationing, confiscate excess food for distribution in the cities
-The peasants received less food than the workers in the towns
give 6 ways that life was poor in the towns
-overcrowding (no enough housing)
-Each family had one room for their whole family to live, but shared the kitchen and bathroom
-food rationing
-shortages in goods
-
what were ‘corner dwellers’?
they lived in a shed, a cupboard or, literally, the corner of a corridor.
during WW2 how many urban houses were destroyed?
1/3
What did the government do to improve living conditions in towns in the Soviet Union?
-The government tried to improve the towns and cities by providing leisure activities such as cinemas, parks (gorkipark) and various sporting facilities
-transport such as Moscow metro
what were conditions like in new factory towns? (examples needed)
-awful
-poor sanitation so disease spread quickly
-little infrastructure such as proper roads, sewers or electricity
-many people lived in barracks
how many farms were collectivised?
240,000
how many kulaks were deported?
5m
What were the living conditions of the party officials of the Soviet Union?
-Their accommodation was larger and not communal
-They had access to special shops where they could buy consumer goods as a reward for their loyalty, and access to more and better quality food.
what did the population of Moscow grow from?
1M to 4M
What were working conditions like in the towns in the Soviet Union? (5)
- the poor working conditions or low pay
-Working conditions were dangerous and there were many accidents
-To encourage workers to work harder, piecework was introduced - people were paid by how much they produced.
-Workers did not have the right to leave their jobs
-Stalin brought in an incredibly harsh labour code (punishments for lateness)
how does life change for youth/education?
-more higher education
-812,000 students in university 1940
-need to be in school until 15
-literacy rates from 49-94
What were working conditions like in the countryside in the Soviet Union?
-The pay was terrible and much lower than in the factories.
-They were told what to plant and when, and could not leave the collective farms without permission.
-The work was very physically demanding with long hours
- lack of machinery at the machine tractor stations.
what happened to ethnic minorities?
-Russification
-treated badly/cultures suppressed
give example of ethnic minorities treated badly (Ukraine)
-Holodomor
-Ukrainians starved
give example of ethnic minorities treated badly (Korean)
-14,000 deported
What were the positives of the working conditions in the Soviet Union?
-There was full employment
-The factories had canteens which provided relatively cheap food.
-Women with children could access childcare facilities
-Shock brigades, or workers who exceeded production targets, could earn more
What policies did the communists bring in to improve the legal rights of women in 1917?
-abortion legalised
-right to vote
-equality
-divorce
-allowed to own property separate to their husbands
give an example of a female role model?
In 1923, Alexandra Kollontai became the world’s first female ambassador, serving in Norway
how did women’s rights get worse?
-abortion illegal again
-women expected to work and take care of family
