[Political Interest]

It is very difficult to get a definitive answer about what living standards were like in communist countries.

In all Soviet films I have seen the living standards looked very good. Everyone is portrayed as living in an apartment. But films are never an indication of reality, especially not in a country where there was heavy censorship. If I were to judge the Soviet Union's living standards by those movies I would easily be able to conclude that all Soviet people lived a middle class life.

When we hear that living standards in the USSR and Warsaw Pact countries were lower compared those in Western countries, what does this actually mean? How big was the disparity? Were the Soviet peoples living a completely deprived existence, barely eating, absolutely no consumer goods, or was it just that they could not buy tons and tons of consumer goods whenever they felt like it?

[Zionist Nationalist]

Living Standard in the Warsaw pact countries was much better than in the soviet union (for most of the time) well except Romania

in Soviet union a car was costing about 4k rubles while the salaries were 70 to 250 for most workers
even after buying a car you had to wait years to get it

The good things in the soviet union was free education free healthcare and free apartments (but not for everyone)
and you didnt had to worry about finding a job because the state would do it for you (unless you were a political prisoner than you would stay unemployed)
everything else was crap

How big was the disparity? Were the Soviet peoples living a completely deprived existence, barely eating, absolutely no consumer goods, or was it just that they could not buy tons and tons of consumer goods whenever they felt like it?

there was no mass starvation in the soviet union when it was about to collapse only because many people owned houses in rural ares where they were growing vegetables

before all the mess begun there was a lack of products but not very critical and you could still buy almost everything (well expect western products)
but the products that were available in the soviet union were of a bad quality even the meat that you could buy was mostly full of bones

[Decky]

Living standards in the Soviet Union are far better than in the west at the time (and today).







You live in London for gods sake PI, look around you. It is obvious that Soviet living standards were infinity superior.

[Pants-of-dog]

You can compare Cuba's standard of living to the living standards of other Caribbean countries, and just keep in mind they are still dealing with an embargo.

[Zionist Nationalist]

if communism is so great why did it fail in Europe?
and China is no longer communist since it was scared to have the same fat as the Soviet Union

[Political Interest]

The year is 1975 and you are a Soviet citizen living in Chita. You earn the average Soviet salary and live in a typical apartment.

Can you:

-Eat everyday or more than once a day, everyday?

-Eat meat regulary or even daily?

-Drink beer or vodka every day?

-Buy basic consumer goods like television etc

?

[Zionist Nationalist]

-Eat everyday or more than once a day, everyday?

Yes

-Eat meat regulary or even daily?

No

-Drink beer or vodka every day?

Yes

-Buy basic consumer goods like television etc

Television was extremely expensive and people had to work one or two years only to buy one

[One Degree]

In 1975, I bought a TV (home entertainment center) for $1500. That would be $9,000 today. TV was expensive everywhere.

[Stormsmith]

Russia and Cuba became communist countries, and many of the homes or apartments and stores, nightclubs etc existed before the conversion. That's probably why they looked affluent in films, as opposed to life in "Dr Zhivago", which focused on herds of unwashed people being stuffed into a stately manor.

Decky

Two snapshots ain't the full meal deal. All countries have both scruffy areas and your Downton Abbeys.

[Political Interest]

Yes

Eating twice a day is better than in a lot of countries, including India and African countries.

No

How often could Soviet people eat meat?

-Drink beer or vodka every day?

I have something else to ask. If in the Brezhnev time you were travelling on a bus, maybe you are drunk and then you shout, "Brezhnev is an idiot!" or that "Lenin was mentally ill!", what would happen? Would you be shot, beaten up or what? I mean, how quickly could you end up in trouble for doing something like this?

[Zionist Nationalist]

How often could Soviet people eat meat?

depending on where you were living and working

usually about 3-2 times a week but in some places and during certain times you could eat meat daily

I have something else to ask. If in the Brezhnev time you were travelling on a bus, maybe you are drunk and then you shout, "Brezhnev is an idiot!" or that "Lenin was mentally ill!", what would happen? Would you be shot, beaten up or what? I mean, how quickly could you end up in trouble for doing something like this?

Brezhnev was not Stalin. during his time people were telling jokes about him and and other famous soviet figures
usually nothing was done to those people but in extreme cases a preson would get arrested and put in an asylum