LIVING CONDITIONS AND PRICES IN LITHUANIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R009000480003-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 19, 2011
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 1, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL IN-112 LF I' ENCE ACf..N(C'' REPORT
CD NO
Ccurs,
COUNTR"\ [TI-SR, (j&thuajjLan SSR)
SUBJECT i .'ving Uondi.ons and Prices in i.~tbL
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
THIS DOCOEI6UT CONTAINS INFORE2ATIOW AF.ECTINS7WC UATIONAL DEF2NSR
OF TAR ONfl2D STATIC WITHIN TUR 3EAN110 OF THE ESPiONASE ACT s(5
a. S. C., St AND 92. AS AWEHDED. ITS TWf. !SCISSION OR TEIS RETBLATIOA
OF ITS COSTCUTS I8 ANT NAN8E8 TO AN -E:AUTHOSTLWD P58555 Is PRO.
RU33= DH LAW. IIEPRODDCOOS OF THIS FO8W IS PROiii15TED,.
['A1'_ t" ? .
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
I1viz Conditions
STATE j ?~ ;' tSI S1Y
ARBWY Ala
!_ DISTR1BUTiON
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"S""
~ 1 1
Genera? ''o st4f ar Conea. ti on?s
1. In ordsr to obtain a fail picture of life in Lithuania &t present it is
necesc;.ry to glance back at the years immediately after the war (1945-1949),,
The fF ctories in Ksunas had been destroyed by the Germans in :1944 and the
Germa:.i~ had also removed what machinery they could to Gea . s
a In the be-
ginni_ig, the workers did not receive any pay fir about siz months,, and
later they were paid with delays of one or two months,, They lived as they
coule, The peasants and the farmers were better off and, although the
Rolsle.viks had also carried out requisitions, had n.anaged to hide away some
rese-yes of food. In the towns, the shortage of food was acute. Therefore.
ever rune "speculated" in any way he could.
2. Some: two months after the occupation by the Russians, general mobt:.ization
of e:.l men aged 17.1E up to 40 and over was nroclaird. Many tried to
awn l mobilization, and the story of the beginning of the partisan movement
is 31l known.
3., T' iw~.rd the end of 194;5 and in 1946, Germans from East Prussia, forced by
fnrt_ne, began spreathr)g to Lithuania. They were mostly women, girls, and
;hildren. They were often to be seen in the towns, sleeping in the streets,
a thout shd;lter, foInd, or adequate clothing- many died of starvation. later
r,ost of th~ise who varvived were sheltered by the farmers and settled down
somehow. llhen the repatriation of all Germans was ordered in 1951, it ap-{,
)eared that there Ysere 12,000 - 15,000 of them in Lithuania. There are now
Zo German: left irl the Kaliningrad area.
4,, From the end of the war, when Red Army units began to be moved back to
Soviet Ru:sia, there were robber .es on a large scale.. Hardly anyone escaped
t;LASSIFICATION SEC T/CoNTROt7S OFFiGIALS ONLY
CONF1DENT1 ocalanent No. ---n'3 ----------------
No Change In fl
Declassified
Class. Changed To: TS S
Auth.: HR 70.2
16 auG
Date: -=-~aza ------- By: '
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i7.i l,lliel r" ?.~16UL t df~'F :I;i b au r
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 1 150X1-HUM
wing robbed by a demobilized Russian, eaceoially in 19458 and this con-
tinned right up to 1949. These Russians,, old and yctngm came to Lithuania
from Russia after the war looking for food,, and the'young ones, in particuu
lar, were very skilled thieves. The bandits did not stop at robbery or thiev-
ing; sometimes the victim was murdered before being stripped. Hardly a day
passed without some new story of robbery or murder. The robberies were
carried out by day as wallas by right, and it must be remembered that elec-
tric light was supplied only to the center of the city and to offices.
Some women shopkeepers were killed on occasions when the bandit came in when
nobody else was about and then quietly walked out with the contents of the
till. Sometimes the bandits posed as nartisans and went robbing the farmers.
5. During this period, the workers had live as beat they could. To keep
themselves from starving they stole what they could from the factories and
passed it on to the .black rarket. This practice still continues. Soviet
authorities inflict=severe Penalties if anyone is caught: up to five years
for carrying away a-3, kg bag of flour or some other commodity. Such punish-
ment does not stop the pilfering, however. One cannot manage to get enough
on which to live otherAse. Until 1949, food remained scarce and difl.?
cult to get.. Since 1950 conditions have improved in both respects, but one
still has to "combine" (work petty rackets) however one can, and so every
worker tries to carry away from his factory ;nay products he can get hold of.
For example,, if one works in the Kova cigarette factory,, Ozeskienes Street,
one tries to take away unpacked cigarettes, pack them at. home, and then
sell them to-someone in a kiosk or on the market. If the packet of cigarettes
is .rettailed at 1.65 rubles, one sells it to the kiosk wan ' for I. ruble and he
sells it at the official price of 1.65 rubles and pockets the difference.
"If you do not combine, you cannot live". is the general-rule6
Woes and Other Forms of Incas
6. In 19518 the nrices of various articles were reduced, but this was offset
by:Increasing the norm to be fulfilled by the workers. A worker is not
paid unless he fulfills the whole of this norm. Those doing heavy work,
for example,, loading in the ports, can earn 800 rubles or even up to 18000
rubles a month, but they have to work like slaves, with no time even to stop
to smoke a cigarette. The ordinary and unskilled workers and lower class
civil servants receive very low wages. A few examples follow.
Position
Rubles per Month
Cinema mechanic 450
Postman 370
Hospital order],y' 310
Hospital nurse 370
Unskilled worker, from 270
Ordinary worker 400 a- 550
7. It must be remembered that wages in the above scale are subject to compulsory
deductions for state loans and insurances at the rate of 50.60 rubles nor
month, while for single persons and those having fewer than a specified
number of children there is an additional tax. Thus a gross salary, for
example,, of 370 rubles per month is actually equal to 310 rubles per month.
8. The pension for the mother of a son killed in the war is 150 rubles per month.
Drivers of trucks taking goods into the provinces are considered well off
because they can often get something extra for nicking up passengers. To
ordinary people, 450.500 rubles is considered quite good nay, Naturally,,
higher officials who earn more than 800 rubles, or 1000 .- 2000 rubles, can
and do live quite well. There are some who receive up to 108000 rubles per
month; "they can live like gods," The ordinary ran sees clearly that the
Bolshevik system is to form a privileged class (artists, professors, higher
officials, etc,,) and to tr:, to attract the youth of the country (students ge ,
stinenda of 200.300 rubles per month). Nothing is cared about the others,
the lower grade officials or the common workers. The rule is to play them off
against each other.
9. In the pagtg the poorer people suffered great hardship. Conditions are
better now, and they are learning to manage. For example, some keep goats.
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CE!T RAL INTELLIGENCE AGEVCY
A young she-goat costs about 100 rubles and there have never been no many
9`tl~ in Kaunas as there are now. Requiring very little food, they are
very useful for their milk and cheese. Whoever e an keeps a cow, chickena?
or pigs; a live rig sold on the market, weight 2 - 3 centners (1 centner
50 kga)a costs 1500 - 2000 rubles. The people have learned to be very e; i(::--1; not a crumb is wasted and use is made of ev=e y last scrap of food,
The crowded street market or To chka plea a great part in today0a life in
Kaunas. Tf.litiamen raid it from time to time9 but not as they did two or three
years ago,
g
Shortage
10. There are still queues, but this is probably the result not so much of
shortages as of the system of distribution. Naturally when white flour is
brought to the shops for sale twice a year9 before the first of May and the
October Revolution holidays, queues form at once, but from time to time there
are also queues for the ordinary black bread. The reason for the occasional
shortage of bread is that flour is delivered periodically to the bakery
(the central bakery in M.un~._- is the P )m in an ar-ount that should suffics
until the next delivery. If it is used up ahead of time9 there is at once a
shortage of bread until the next consignment of flour arrives. This also
applies to other products; they come, so to say, in wanes. At one time,
there m y be plenty of everything-3 at another there is nothing to be obtained
until the next supply arrives. For example, it is quite usual for winter
t+3ings, each as warm-lined leather gloves, to be available only.during the
summer,, and summer things only in winter, The winter things are quickly
bought'un in the early autumn- and the next supply does not arrive until. than
following summer, and vice versa.
11. The women in the queues and at the market do not hide their feelings, and there
are frequent rows with the militiamen when they try to interfere. The militia-
men are simple country lads and can do nothing against a crowd of angry
women, Sometimes there are regular fights.
12. Shopping is soretimes complicated in other ways. For example, pocket flash-
lights are available, but the case (ordinary flat type) is obtainable only
in one kind of shop, the battery in another, and the bulb in a third.
Housing.
13. Apartments are scarce and hard to get, and one cannot get a good apartment
without Paying anything from 1000 to 4000 rubles "key money". A Door apart-
ment (three rooms in a basement) is un to 50-60 rubles per month; an ordinary
three-roan apartment in a nationalized houso costa 100-120 rubles Der
month.
14. Private houses, which have not been nationalized because their cubic dimen?
lions (kubatura) were below the limit, :.re heavily taxed. The floor apace
per Person is 8 eqq am(,
15. If one has a garden, each fruit tree or bush is counted and registered,,
Feral Conditions,
16. At present the farmers and the peasants are badly off. They still live in
their own farm houses but new collective farm settlements are already being
built. The kolkhoz farmer lacks the incentive to work, while, on the other hand,,
there is a shortage of agricultural labor. The disorganization in the adrinF
istration of the collective farms induces young, people to leave the land and
move to the towns, where each endeavors to enter some school. This enables
him, in Kaunas, for example, to become registered officially, and this also
explains why all the schools are so crowded at present. Tre shortage of labor
and the lack of incentive to work aive the cause of the failure to collect the
harvest; here and there potatoes have remained in the fields and rotted, fl&Z
was not gathered, eta, Now the peasants are sometimes even short of bj. ead ,
'A'te On the other hand,, those conseeted with the administration of the collective
farms exe better off; they have much easier "working days", because the
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CENTRAL IICENCE AGENCY
agricultural workers must sometimes put in two or thee deysa work to earn one
Rworking day's" pay.
Collectivization
18. Collectivization is almost complete and now embraces approximately 90 percent
of the farms. Individual farmers cannot hold out any longer. Even those who
have only five-six hectares of land are forced to join the collective farms.
The taxes on the individual farms are so heavy that no one is able to pay
them? Some time ago,, loans were being granted quite easily- but after a while,
repayment was demanded and,,if the farmer could not pay, he was turned out
of his farm. This happened only too often. If a farmer cannot pay his
taxes and they are long overdue, he is lucky if he can get into a kolkhoz.
Otherwise he is liable to be arrested and have his farm attached to the
kolkhoz anyway.
19. The farmer can sell his produce on the market only if he can prove,, by a
eertificatea that he has fulfilled his deliveries to the state. For his grain
the state pays him 5 rubles per centner while grain on the free market costs
150 Q 1,90 rubles per eentner.
Dr
20. There is a little less drinking now than there used to be? chiefly because the
farmers have neither the grain nor the potatoes for making home,-brewed vodka
r'Samogono" Some time ago,, the people were drinking such spirits very heavily.
They used to cost five - six rubles per half-liter in the provinces and eight
mine rubles in Kaunas and were made of grain or sugar-best,,
21. Penalties are now imposed on persons producing Samogon illegally, unless they
can prove that they 4" doing so for their own rurposese such as for a weddings,
and not for sale.
=008
22,, The following are a few food and drink nrioee prevailing in Lithuania up to
June 1951s- '
Rqbleg
Butter,, "Karvute"e per * kg. 9
Butter,, poorer quality (at the r^arket),
per kg. 30 - 36
Flour (wheat flour)(at the market),, per kg. 10
(Flour is obtainable in the shops only for a day or two before
the Pay and October Revolution holidays, when enormous queues form,
and the price per kg is 6 rubles.)
Broad, black, :)Or kg
1,65
(White bread, "Bulks", is not ordinarily on sale)
Sugar (not always available), per kg,
10 -
12
Potatoes, per kg
1 ?
1,20
(When there is a scazeltye the cost at the market is sometimes
up to 3 rubles per kg)
Meat, beef, per kg 14
Beer, per bottle 3
Schnapps (vodka) 401x, per liter 22
Wine, per bottle 15 - 20
Cigarettes' Avrora, pez? 20 1.60
C igarsttes, Parasiutas, per 20 1.20
(These are the ordinary cigarettes, nude in Kaunas, which everybody
smokes. The best quality Papiroay (Rua: ian type with mouthpiece)
are rarely smoked and.cost 6 - 8 rubles per pack).
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any
CENTRAL INT LIGF NCI AGENCY
Ruble
A meal in a restaurant consisting of soup and 4 7
two meat balls (kotlety)
23. The following are a fev prices of clothing prevailing in Lithuania up to
June 1951:
Rum
Cloth for mango suit, medium quality,,
per meter 200 .3o0
Cloth for overcoat (good quality is rare) 250 300
Silk (scarce and very difficult to get)
per meter 200 300
Calico per meter 6 -*18
Mango suit., ready made 1500
Shirt 40 ? 100
Gloves, leather with warm lining., pair 40
Shoes., thick crepe rubber soled., f
Czechoslovakia 467
Shoes, ordinary 250 - 300
Shoes, canvas fabric (tent) 60 .. 100
(They last only 2.3 months)
Mango hat, good quality 100
Socks., mere, cotton, per pair 6 - 8
Socks, mend, silk and cotton mixture per pair 15
Wombs stockings, kanron, per pair 39 45
(They are made of "parachute silk")
24o The .following are a few prices of general items t)reveiling in Lithuania up
to June 1951:
Ruble
Bicycle 600 - 800
Sewing machine (hand) 900
Wireless seta Moskvieh, 3-tube 190 200
Wireless set,Ifral9 made in Kiev, very good
quality, since the special re(-.action of
prices in 1951 800
(The former cost was 19000 - 1,200 Re)
Camera, very simple 100 ? 150
Camera, good quality, up to 1000
Watch, poor quality (guarantee only for
1 year) 200 600
Car, Moskvich 8000
Car,) Poboda 18,000
(Cars are not obtainable in any shop, but only by
some special order)
25? The following are a fnv prices for household goods pr oiling in Lithuania
up to June 1951:
Rum
Ordinary chair (with upholstered seat)
40- 50
Couch or divan
600 - 1500
Buffet or sideboard, good quality
2~~ 3000
Ordinary iron cooking not
50
Aluminium cooking pot
50 ? 60
26o The following are a few transportation fares Arsvailing in Lithuania
to June 1951:
Rubles
Taxi fare in Kaunas (Pobeda car) per km approx.,
2
Bus fare in Kaunas, per fare stage
0,.60
Railroad ticket from Vilnius to Moscow, approx.
100
Railroad ticket from Kaunas to Mazeikiai
30=35
Ticket from Kaunas to Vilnius by air, approx.
70
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