SHORTAGE OF FOOD AND CONSUMER GOODS IN THE MOSCOW AREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A005900880008-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 6, 2008
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 14, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/03/06: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900880008-6
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
'This material contaius informatiol, aftecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States within the mean-
ing of the Ropionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C. Secs. 793
and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in
any manner to an unauthortasd person Is prohibited
SECRET/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Shortage of Food and Consumer Goods DATE DISTR. 14 February 1955
in the Moscow Area
stn, 1~
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
12-9 UITED
1 T`S, 1. "E BORDERS REFERENC This is UNEVALUATED
F TIE U Si ES, V;NIOUT THE
7
I
nformation
,wiRESS YERN?JSSION OF THE RELEAS-
II L OFFICE.
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT. IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
1. During summer 1954, the inhabitants in various towns 80 to 25X1
100 km from Moscow were rather depressed by the adverse economic conditions.
The queues which formed in front of the bakeries were indicative of the
shortage of bread, and near panic set in whenever bread became scarce in the 25X1
local bakeries. Such shortages led to the widespread buying and hoarding
of bread. and this only aggravated the situation.
Velikiye Luki (N 56-20, E 30-32),
USSR (Moscow Oblast)
that similar conditions existed in that area and that the local population there
sometimes had to stand in bread lines for more than six hours. 25X1
2. Numerous rumors concerning the cause of the bread shortage were current among
the inhabitants. One of the rumors attributed the shortage to a very severe
drought in several areas of the Soviet Union. Another rumor
claimed that the increased military preparatiorn and the stockpiling of grain 25X1
by the government were the cause of the shortage. This last rumor was
vegetables were comparatively easy to obtain.
of fats, including butter, was only occasionally available. Potatoes and other
particularly current at the time of the Soviet announcement that US aircraft
had violated the Soviet border in the Far East. Other rumors of a local nature
blamed the shortage of bread on the poor organization of the bakeries in the tc25X1
Bread was not the only food item in short supply, but its scarcity was the most
dramatic of the shortages. Although fresh meat was available, there were
practically no meat products such as canned meat, sausages, and ham. The supply
Butter 30 to 35 rubles per kilogram
Fresh meat (average cut) 16 to 20 rubles per kilogram
Milk 2 to 2.50 rubles per liter
Eggs 1.10 rubles each
SECRET/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Ain
(NOTE: Wasbinpfon distribution indieafed by "X"; Field dishibrHan by "#".)
Approved For Release 2008/03/06: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA005900880008-6
 Approved For Release 2008/03/06: CIA-RDP80-00810A005900880008-6
SECRET/US OFFICIALS ONLY
4.
the prices on consumer goods were still very high. All 25X1
textiles were always in short supply, and cloth of better quality was either
unavailable or prohibitively priced for the average income. While these
shortages of consumer goods existed in the small towns and rural centers in
the Moscow area, practically anything could be purchased in the city of Moscow.
Even in Moscow, however, lines could be seen during the morning in front of
goverment department stores; most of the people in these lines were waiting
to purchase cheap textiles and other consumer goods.
Altho 25X1
ugh the local inhabitants were rather dispirited because of the various
shortages, there was no evidence of serious unrest or any pronounced or open
the people were far from satisfied with the 25X1
promises of Soviet authorities to increase the supply of food and
consumer goods.
with panic to any rumors of war.
SECRET/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2008/03/06: CIA-RDP80-00810A005900880008-6