ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS INSTITUTE 88, GORODOMLYA ISLAND, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01030R000100380004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 14, 2013
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: September 14, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
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? SECURITY INFORMATION
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This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18. Sections 793 and 794. of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. ' The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
COUNTRY USSR(Ralinin Oblast)
SUBJECT
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRE
Economic and Political Conditions,
Institute 880 Gorodomlya Island, USSR
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
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14 September 1953
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THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
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PLACE
ACQUIRED :
DATE
ACOUIRED
USSR
OVINOrM
10.60.11.440
SECURITY INFORMATION
Economic and Political Conditions, Institute
889 Gorodomlya Island, USSR
D&E:, OF, INFORMATION
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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IStRODUCTION
The . only part of the: USSR ,withothieh I am familiar i!. Gerodemlya
Island and the town of :Ostashkove, my speaking knowledge _of, the
Russian langUage is very pooh my ability to understand the
language comparatively opap.
.*RtdE AND AVAILABILITY OF CONSUMiR GOODS
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Decrease in ,pticet
21:Bifferenbas 1.11 prices: exieted, between the state stores and the free
market. Thie was partly, due to the fact, that certain. items, for
' example' eggeiwere ' some times not available in the state s totais
?'(magatiny). Other food items 9 for example pota toes, were of . mubh
lower, qualAtil in. the state stores than on the free market where
' .prices, depending upon the. seasons were much higher. However,
' 'during the. latter part of our stay in the USSR, prices in the
state' stores became relatively stable. In addition to the
_? ,:official free market, a black market e*is ted for some 1 tem for
example flour and yeast, the _ sale of which is forbidden An the USSR,
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3. 'Tte: prices of consumer goods which were offered for sale in the
state stores decreased considerably after 1946. Prices were
lowered on .8everal occasions after 15 December 1947, especially for
bread, thii4ain food of the Soviets. One kilogram of bread at the
and of 1952:cost only 1.80 rubles. Vodka also became cheaper (very
important'fo the Soviets). ?
TEXTIDE8
4. These price reductions were of great importance inthe Soviets, For '
. example, they could afford to buy textiles in 1952, whiCh had been
?too expensive in 1947. Old and young, men and women, wore only
qiilted ce:ttOn7wool'(watiekleidung) clothing during the summer and
Winter of 1947 wheread in the suite! of 1952 such clothinlwas seen very
rarely._ '
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5. When. I had'airived in 1946, practically nothing was .available in the
aate storia'deslite rationing. In 1952 the supply was large, en-
- pacially int-Croth fabrics. Wool material was of good quality, but
badly threalded,anditwonseutquiokly by friction. 'A jmn10400d suit.
of Soviet Material cost at least 800 rubles and lasted about a year.
Olored printed. materials faded, and the Soviets refused at first to
)134rdva-tEgi our material was of fait color. Discovering that this
irad'trUe, they tried to buy all our 'Stared clothing. -!
?Imported_Marehan.disp,Czeohoslovakian shoes (Bata), German watches
IThip,isjYaeiitial Czechoslovakian and Polish textiles, 'German
photagrap4t produotic(Agfa) and to a lesser extent Hungarian
4:Aismetiotassiaa available:After'1948.
T,
FOOD 1,L
A constant-eiortage of flour existed and was available only on the
anniversari:Cf the October Revolution, the first of January and the
first'of May. Each Soviet worker and employee was then entitled to
tic to threel!kilograms. According to a special arrangement with
?the'Sovietinanagement at Ostashkov, every German specialist received
one kilograM, and every non-working family member halfa.kilogram
'of flour-on-the above mentioned holidays (three times a year).
Every. year,flphortly 'before the new harvest in June, bread yas scarce
for severalreks; only one kilogram was sold per person., :2Men,
Women aneltildren waited on the street in front of the'sfate stores
froi early. in the afternoon until the next morning, just'A8 buy one
kilogram of bread.
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Stigar was scarce mo d'i bEihd'iime. In the beginnikesugni.iaa also.
...,::aVailable only on theaertareeholidays. Later tha,sithatiOn.'improved
kia sugar became availabld.-tmOre.:frequently. Arguments and trOuble
filth 'the 'Soviets al44YearOge,140ause we Germans bought larger
5.4ntititps:0 one .time the Soviets couldtonirafforA to
buy a small mount,
After the outbreak of the Korean war, butter became scarce. When
' butter wasavailable in the stores at all, no more than 500 grams
wee sold psi- person; but it was possible to stand in line at the
store several times for the same item. On the free market in. -
Ostashkov.the.deMand for -butter was also greater than the?supply3
Prioesliere correspondingly higher. Fruits and vegetablet were
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almost completely missing during the winter. When the supply of
carrots was exhausted, one had to rely exclusively on pickled cabbage,
if available, and preserves.
SOVIET ATTITUDE TOWARD STANDARD OF LIVING
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10. I am of the opinion, that the_great masSes of the SovisI4Ackers are
satisfied with their standard of living. /t is emphaa4ead'agaln
and again in the newspapers, that the living standard is constantly
ihrovingqina the 88f4te-telieve it. The press also stetei
constantlylhat the worker in the capitalistic sountrieellie exploited,
goes hungxyLfind is unemployed.
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11. Every year-since 1948 the population has believed that next year
bread (white., gray slat black) will be given away free in unlimited
quantities in the state stores. Several times the press and large
colored posters mentioned this plan. Simple People were inclined to
believe it,,tut the intellectuals were not convinced.
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HOUSING CONDITIONS
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12. The housing, conditions of the Soviet employed at Branchr.No,l, Instiute
88, were,geeSording to our standards, terrible. A Soviet family.
nornially pcOupied only one room of a several room Apartment, awl
-FET-C?e-trritchen with the other families. Onlyaslileatpi_of
athree-room apartment by himself, and!the chief of
Department No. 1, KHUTORYANSKY, had a two-room. apartment; A teacher,
Antonina IVANOVA, who will a pulmonic patient, had to live' 11th a
family with two children in one room.Abcording to school children,
who visited her, she had a bed in a back corner of the roan with a
Small table"in front of it (40 x 60 cm), where she did heirechool-
work (lerreetions).
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13. Oak, maids'Often asked,how many rooms we had in German1,-bUtthey never
really .believed us *hen we anewered. In the beginning'ibleihSoviet.
iailds officially, leiii-'seereily, because the Sovieifleregectallowed
'a enterGerian houeee:' Myciist maid, Mascha, onee'kekeiri4lhow
rooms_Erefessor 8CHUETZ had in Germany. I teld'hei'lhitnhe had
Yieen the grtctor of the Institute of Physics at Koenigetiel.g, and had
occupied an:;eight-room apartment there. In response, she bust
laughed alirieplied: 'Se, they told you the same fairYtnle.."
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14. During a Russian languagelessocfor Germans the Soviet interpreter,
Lida SHEIFER'told us that she lived-in:?Wo.roella with parents
in a seven-room apartment SAkfle MayakovskirsqUare'in Moscow.
Pibe more families Hied in'the'five remaining rotightutEheiglaid,
$Hkt a time-table birth6FhOnriAs,set up for the kitchijeanaqf the
oebking could not be finisheein time, it simply was continued on
a hot plate in the room. Endless quarrels also resulted inregard
to cleaning up, etc.
15. There was also a certain difference in the location of houeing
alloted to leading Soviet employees (engineers) and to simple
workers. the engineers were billeted St the island, whereas the
okers had to commUte'dailrover the lake from atashkdir EliePesky.
I believe that thisriai'done4for social reasons. ethet8Oviiitre
eOrkers regarded these poor housing conditions with indifference.
Since they do not own furniture and only rent the most necessary
pieces, one room is usually large enough. The plant, Branch Nods
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had furniture(which included everything from beds to pots,)and for
a monthly fee was lease4 to the workers and employees. When damaged
or worn out, the plant exchanged the items again for new or used
ones. The wives of the Soviet engineerscomplained often about the
housing conditions and werepromtsbdthat new houses would be built.
Finally Only three new houses for employees were built.
WOMEN AND FAMILY LIFE
16. I. believe that the Soviet women knowing no other type of 1.1.14, are
dentent to work like the men.. The Soviet woman realizes that work
is a necessity. There is no question of work interferiAg_ with
marriage'. 'According to 'Soviet interpreters and workers, all Soviet
wives have to work, except those who have a child less than two
years old:'. I knew only four Soviet women who did not work, and
all of them had children under two years old. The Soviet women
Could not understand why we German wives did not work. It is true
of course that they had much less work at home than we.:
cooking ibi4ery simple, one room is quickly straightened,but, and
the Soviet women practically never learned any needlework.
17. According to my observations Soviet family life is duat.as orderly
as it was in Germany under normal conditions: Soviet women 'tare
Chntent with theirfaiaililife. Only a few endied'us Occasidnally,
Because we used to. tiike walks with our husbands and Children;
ihich is not custoMnri in ihe USSR. The Soviets'are'eeldOM'at
hhme, which is quite.understandable in view of the crowded housing
conditions. They attend many movies (school children are encouraged
by their.toichers in this respect), go to clubs, to political meetings,
to political indoctrination courses, alone or with their families.
Mothers tike their babies with them.
18. I never heard about trial marriages in the USSR. I knoW of only one
divorce at the instltlite, Where the Soviet directer ilialUencgd the
Mien to marry the second Ulan because she was pregnanthOth
Women in question iiirkkd'in-iiie same department and the'didOrity of
Sbviet girls sympathiJeeirith-the first wife: 1'1 trc-hr et."
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19. During the last year a nursery was established. Soviet mothers or
fathers took their children there in the morning and undressed them.
Nurses dressed them with special clothes. In the evening the
children were picked up again by their parents. I do not know about
their diet, except that the children received some milk.
20. The procedure in the kindergarten was similar, only the children wore
their own ?Clothes. In my opinion the nurses were not really trained
and the children *ere unsupervised most of the time. The childten
had lice and scarlet fever was prevalent through the kindergarten.
The Soviets were not satisfied with the nursery or thel kindergarten
because ot)the constant danger of infection, but they. had no choice
since very l'ew could afford a babuschka (grandmother) .for the
children. :
-CLASS STRUCTURE
21. The most privileged Soviets are high ranking officer*, and the
d1rectorsP6i' large'Plints.r.r/h addition to high stilaii4i2and
i'requen.?onus paymentS,Yiheie'individuals reeethriaininlhri .
,advantages.. For example they may buy many goods at pheaper.prices.
The intellectuals,gineers., look with great contempt
on iiiktrIbrilborers. The difference between poor and riOWis
much greater in the USSR than in Germany. These upper classes are
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also privileged in the assignment of apartments. Engineers are very
different in their appearance, manners and clothes from the ordinary
worker. Our maid told me once that several parents on a Kolkhoz
i( wanted to send their gifted children to a high school for ten years.
This was not permitted because the children must continue to work
at the Kolkhoz.
MINORITY PROBLEMS
22. I never obierved any official or social antisemitism in thia area.
RELIGION .
23. One church was open in Ostashkov on the high holidays (Easter,
Christmas, etc.) and on a few Sundays. I heard that the church
(when openrwas generally full and that young people were present.
Collections resulted in relatively large sums compared to the
small income of the visitors. All other churches and a monastery
served other purposes. .Por example: the monastery was a jail for
juveniles, and the other churches served as a bakery, a repairshop
for automobiles and tractors, a Swedish bath, a milk distribution
shop, etc.,
24. All party members were opposed to the church. A party secretary,
SHURIK, once asked a German interpreter, if she believed in God.
When he got an affirmative answer, he laughed and -told her how
stupid she was to believe in things she cannot see. The:anti-
church atiltude of officials is reflected .in the fondling incident.
A girl once wore a small golden crops around her neck to school.
Her teacher demanded before the whole class the immediate removal
of the crose, because religious propaganda was forbidden in the
USSR. The child told her that her grandparents had sent her the
cross frgia dermany, and that.she would like to wear it for this
reason. The child had to leave the class and naturally never
wore the cross again.
CRIME AND CORRUPTION
25. No. gangs di- homeless orphans existed in this area, and crimes in
general were no more frequent than in other countries. Bribery
and oorruition were prevalent: The managers of the trairtFiinize-
tion Kalintorg Lost their jobs every one to two years because of
corruption. The sale girls ih.the state store on the island were
frequently changed, boos:gee of dishonesty. A typical example was
the case'of:SAYZEY, the chief for two years of some administrative
department (real. estate?) end.a former school teacher.: He was
placed in' jail for embezzlement, and after serving his sentence,
he.started'in a lower position in his old firm. However, he was
soon promoted and when we left Omtashkov. he handled our furniture
transportation. He demanded vodka from the Germans, and wee
constantly:drunk. Another Soviet, who corned himself 'Island
t?romairtretattt.:19-71 far taking vodka from the German,' He
then receivedA.Similar position in Ostashkov. .Another.Soviet,
chief of the militia on the island, mishandled money (premiums
for construction %workere.). He had to give up his job., but got a
good position in Moscow. Thus, although a Soviet has served a
jail sentmnce,he oa4 achieve a leading position again.;' I-do not
know how much bribery is involved in this procedure.
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26. A salesgirl at the magazine had sold mans goods such ail; thread and
soap at extremely high price's. She was sentenced to ten years of
forced laber by the court on the island. The interpretersLida
HEIFER, voiced the opinion to us that she had been unlucky, because
her case had become too well known,Pa public, especially among the
Germans.Y.7/I the court procedure had taken place in Ostashkov, she
would havelheen able to bribe the judge with enough moneycto receive
a,shortef4entence.
27. The population was accustomed to such incidents. Very:!011en they
sympathized with the culprit (like the above mentioneeialesgirl),
.despite the fact that they were the victims. A baker, *ho had
stolen large quantities of flour, to the detriment of everyone,
was generally pitied. This man committed suicide later for fear
of punishthint.
PUBLIC OPINION
28. In my opal:0u the masses were passive towards the Soviet system.
The peasants paid little attention to the party holidays in May
and October, but celebrated the church holidays. During the first
iinter of 1946-1947 derogatory remarks by returning soldiers about
Stalin and praise of Germany would be heard in the market: Later
such comments were never heard. However, the leaders Wire convinced
ComMunists, and there were many active followers amonethe workers.
29. All the SOviets were convinced, that it was the USSR alone which
defeated Hitler'Germany. All of them were also convinced, that
in comparison to the capitalistic countries, the USSR had attained
great achie'vements, such as no unemployment, free medibil care for
all, and_eqy ., ality ok.sexes. rpr.
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30. The SovieViopulation believes , that the United States is the
sole cauiii of world tension. All of them are afraid or a new war.
The intellectuals believe that the communistic and the capitalistic
system cannot exist side by side, despite the frequent:,statements
to the contrary by Stalin. They are convinced, also that the USSR
will not initiate a war, but if war comes, the USSR witIrkaturally
win after a hard struggle. ,; , ?
31. The outbreak of the Korean war was taken very quietly in'this area.
The accusation of basiteriologice warfare by the United States was
indiscriminately believed. The newspapers published reports and
picturesregularly about it. They published pictures of dropped
containers with English.labels,,of insects used as bdoterfumu
barriers, of infected-peisons, and reports of commissions' and alleged
testimony of American fliers taken prisoners.
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