RECEPTION OF FOREIGN BROADCASTS IN THE CARPATHO-UKRAINE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000200010014-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 29, 2009
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: July 31, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/05/29: CIA-RDP82-00046R000200010014-3
SECURITY INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY USSR.
SUB3ECT Reception of Foreign Broadcasts in the
Carpatho-Ukraine
25X1
DATE DISTR. 31 Jul 53
NO. OF PAGES 2
PLACE NO. OF ENCLS.
ACQUIRED (LISTED BELOW)
DATE SUPPLEMENT TO
ACOUIRED REPORT NO.
DATE OF IN
THIS 18 UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
25X1
Radio receivers which could be purchased in the Carpatho-Ukraine by
the, general public were the following:
a. "Ural" make, eight tubes, four wave lengths (long, medium, short,
and iltra-short, equipped with a built-in record player. The
price of this set was approximately 1,100 rubles;
b.. "Moskva" make,,six or seven tubes, four wave lengths. Price-of
this set,was around 900 rubles;
a. "Universal" make, six tubes, three or four wave lengths (long,
medium, and short), at the price of 600 rubles;
d. "Moskva"make, (referred to as "Little Moskva"), two or three tubes,
two wave lengths (long and medium),'pbout 200 rubles.
There were no restrictions woever on the purchase, of receivers;
anybody, If hd h" enough money, could buy as many sets as he wanted-
no records of purchases were kept by the stores.
3. Almost'all of the Polish.. Czechoslovak,'Hungarian, and Rumanian
broadcasts 5could be received by practically any radio set in
Uzhgorod 838N-221 and Mukachevo ff826N-2242 and probably
throughout the Carpathian Oblast; Some of thost-broadcasts were
heard even better than those which originated in Kiev and Moscow.
However, since the contents of.th se Satellite broadcasts did not
differ much from that of USSR broadcasts, people in the Carpatho-
Ukraine ignored them for the most part (unless they still
relatives or property left in any of those countries). 25X1
25 YEAR RE-REVIEW
Approved For Release 2009/05/29: CIA-RDP82-00046R000200010014-3
 Approved For Release 2009/05/29: CIA-RDP82-00046R000200010014-3
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION
and RFE broadcasts-could-be received by any of the radio receivers
25X1 ,
25X1 ~r?
There was a sufficient supply of replacement parts for all radio i`
receivers normally on sale in all cities and towns of the Carpathian
Oblast. Repair service for radio receivers was available throughout
the Oblast, even in villages and kolkhozy where there would always.
be one or two amateur radio repairmen. Supply of radio repair
parts had been somewhat scarce in the first years after World War
II, but from 1949 and especially 1950 on, there was practically
no shortage of any spare parts for Soviet-made radios.
5. Because of the high prices of the better radio receivers, only
well-to-do people were able to purchase the radio receivers capable
of receiving Western radio broadcasts. This group was restricted
to leading personnel in the administration, industry, and Party s
and of course
Stakhanovites
,
.'
in cities such as Mukachevo and Uzhgorod, the number25X1
of families which had radio receivers capable of receiving Western
broadcasts did not exceed five to seven per cent; in rural areas,
where there was electric current, this percentage dropped to from
one-half to one per cent.. It should be kept in mind that even in
May 1951, 50%%of rural communities in the Carpathian Oblast had no
electric current,. (In such villages, if t o1 or a
cluib, there might be a battery receiver.) in urban 25X1
areas the percentage of the population possessing receivers of
limited area reception capacity was about 30%. In rural communi-
ties with electric current this percentage. was 10 to 15%. The
percentage of the population using wire diffusion loud-speakers in
lietening.to any foreign broadcasts was not offic a y LJ~I
prohibited. However, everybody knew that this was frowned upon by
the authorities and that the consequences fort persons reported or
caught listening to'foreign broadcasts could be severe. 25X1
_ Some broad-
casts from the West in the Coach l&n2uA a warm not iammad tno h
taken for il
rants a
t raa ioau ever o n e CarpathianeOblast who
owned a powerful receiver listened occasionally to some of the, A
Western broadcasts. If the Jamming had not been so, strong, people
would have listened to them more. Listening to Western broadcasts
was normally done in the evening, when no-neighbors were around,
either by single individuals or in family circles.
Mukaohevo.
only one wired
cud-speaker installation, which was in
a similar one was probably in Uzhgorod. 25X1
About 50% of all radio receivers, in Mukaohevo were able to get
nothing else but the broadcasts through this installation.
SECRET
Approved For Release 2009/05/29: CIA-RDP82-00046R000200010014-3