SOCIOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN MOSCOW AND SEVERO-DONETSK

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01028R000100110004-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 15, 2001
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: May 14, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

 Approved For Release 2001/08/02: CIA-RDP81-01028R000100110004 -5X1 A
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160,
the 14-year old son of a Russian
25X1A acquaintance once told me of the para-military exercises which
were conducted weekly during his physical training period.
These included extended order-drill, throwing of dummy hand
grenades, and military obstacle courses.. After completion of
the obstacle course, the students were required to eight in on
imaginary enemies with dummy rifiee. I believe that para-
military training began at the age of 12.
Reception of VOA other Broadcasts 25X1A
17, a six-tube ?Vef" radio,. a Soviet
model for'whioh he paid. Rubles i,600. With this radio and e.
high antenna, our family was able to receive many,foreign broad
25X1A caste in our- apartment. Few, if an7, Russian
families erected outdoor ,radio antennae for fear of drawing
police suspicion, I an unable to ,estimate what percentage of the
radio-owning Soviet f amlies listened to Western broadcasts be-
cause this subject was seldom discussed. I gathered, however,
that the percentage was very high, I very frequently heard
people in the market discussing news which obviously had not
been propagated by Soviet sources and several Soviet housewives
confided in me that their families frequently listened to broad-
casts from the West, We could listen to the VOA East Zone
German-language broadcast, the BBC German (East Zone)-'and Russian-
language: broadoasts, Radio Mosesow, RIAS-Rorlln, and Radio Leipzig
on our radio, The Australian German-language broadoast, oddly*
enough, came through very well on occasions. I never listened' to
the VOA Russian-language broadcast and therefore am unable, to'
offer.: any information on their programs or reception:.. Reception,
of German-language VOA broadcasts was generally better than
EEC German broadcasts and could be heard on all but a few days
in the course of a month; German BBC broadcasts were received
with great difficulty. Jamming on both VOA and BBO was done on
a periodic basis. For a period of ten days VOA and,BBC ?would be
heavily jammed and then not at all. Reception for all broadcasts
in the Ukraine was better in the winter than in other seasons of
the year,
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The Source's comments on the attitudes of Soviet women toward their
role in society appear to be somewhat rosy in oomparison-with other
reports on the same topic, and caution in interpreting them is. .
recommended. It ,is more than likely that Soviet women, in talking
with the wife of a German soientiet, would be careful to avoid.-any
criticism of the regime and thus would leave the impression of being
more satisfied with their lot than is truly the case. On the other
hand, it is possible that the Source gave a somewhat exaggerated
account of the moral laxities in Soviet society ,because of her
proper and-,-comfortable middle class background in Germany* She would
be quick :to notice divergencies from her norm and might tend to
exaggerate their importance, It is believed that the statements by
the informsi t concerning the Ruesianizatioi of the area with which she
was familiar in the Eastern Ukraine are of particular interest and`are
probably less subject to distortion than her remarks on some other
swab jeets covered
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SECRET
SECRET/SECURITY: INF.ORMATIOR
Approved For Release 2001/08/02 : CIA-RDP81-01028R000100110004-4