LIVING AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN SVERDLOVSK

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01030R000100270006-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 12, 2013
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: November 4, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
This Document contains Information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ins 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.
SECURITY INFORMATIONINFORMATION 50X1
COUNTRY USSR ( Sverdlovsk Oblast): REPORT
SUBJECT Living and Social Conditions in Sverdlovsk() ATE DISTR.
14 November 1953
NO. OF PAGES
11
50X1
DATE OF INFO.
REQUIREMENT
PLACE ACQUIRED
REFERENCES
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THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
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1
? 2. Following are corrected spellings for some Russian names and words appearing
in the report,:
Page 2, Paragraph 6: For Proelctstroi read Proyelctstroy
For Sverpromstroi read Sverpromstroy
Page 7, Paragraph 33r For Kazalmi read Kazalchi
Page 8, Paragraph hO For Elektro-Tekhnischeski Institut read Faektro
Telchnic hes kiy Institut.
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STATE
ARMY
NAVY
AIR
fix
FBI
AEC
(Note: Washington Distribution Indicated By "X"; Field Distribution By "a".)
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SECURITY- tilt-FORMATION
? COUNTRY e USSR
SUBJECT. t Living and Social Conditions in Sverdlovsk
, ?
? PLACE
?ACQUIRED?
- DATE
, ACQUIRED
DATE OF Ifs
THIS1S UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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DATE DISTR./4k
NO. OF PAGES la
NO. OF ENCLI5ox1 -HUM
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
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.. ROUSING AND COMMUNAL FACILITIES
the entire city of Sverdlovsk was .provided with:electri-
cal facilities, no more than 10 - 15_
per cent of the the dwellings in Sverdlovsk were furnished with running
water. Only newly-built sections of the city were ?completely provas4.-
with sewerage and running water. Most houses and apartment buildings
in the center of the city (the older part of the city) had outdoor
toilets. Drinking water was obtained from large hydrants located on
the streets... There was ? no shorta:ge of water, and it was prow' A"
without charge. ? 50X1-H UM
2. ?The streets within the city of Sverdlovsk were in terrible condition
in 1946 But a large number of the main
streets were paved with 'asphalt during the following six years. Many.
prisoners of war were employed in this work as
were Soviet citizens sentenced to forced labor. By June 1952, the
Main street (Ulitaa Lenina) and the larger orose-streets had been
paved. It was planned to pave a?certain number of streets each year.
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6.
7.
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The condition of streets on the outskirts of the city was some-
what better. A regulation of some Years' standing required that
all streets located in newly constructed housing developments be
paved with asphalt. 50X1-HUM
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The public transportation facilities of Sverdlovsk included a
streetdar network consisting of 12 lines, two trolley-bus lines,
and one bus? network which primarily Serviced outlying suburbs.'
and villages. There was also an electric railway, extending from
80 to 100 kilometers outside of the City, which conneoted'the city
with more remote villages and workers' settlements.
the transportation facilitie50X1 -HUM
were entirely inadequate in the morning and evening rush hours.
The streetcars, the primary means of transportation, were filled
far beyond capacity. One generally waited a long time before a
streetcar came along which had standing room. Streetcar facilities
were expandea in recent years with the addition of new and modern
streetcars. They generally met the needs of the population,
AvAn
during rush hours. 50X1-HUM
Most inhabitants of Sverdlovsk lived in apartment buildings c50X1.-HUM
by the enterprise employing them. And almost all housing con-
struction in the postwar period was undertaken by industrial enter-
prise for their own workers and not by communal authorities.
no more than 25 buildings were constructed by munici-
pal authorities in Sverdlovsk. As a result, housing
not owned by industrial enterprises was at a premium. In short,
considerable progress was made in alleviating the housing situation
in plant-owned housing settlements, but very little improvemei5oxi -HUM
was observed in the city itself.
Housing constructed by Plant No. 659 was financed by .funds provided
by the Ministry of the Electrical Industry. The plant had its .
own construction office which drew up plans for these apartment
buildings. The actual construction of the buildings was carried
out by local construction agencies on a contract basis. These agen-
cies were reimbursed by the plant for this work. The two largest
construction agencies in Sverdlovsk were Proektstroi and Sver-
promstroi. 50X1-HUM
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The amount and quality of housing available was related to the
three industrial categories mentioned above. Plants in the fi50)(1-HUM
category had considerably more funds at their disposal for '61e
construction of housin than plants in the second or third category.
for example, a neighboring plant, a first-class enter-
prise, was able to build far more housing As
a result,.workers at the other plant enjoyed much better housing.
It was possible for a person to build his own house. These houses,......
were one-story bungalows with two to four rooms. Construction
costs amounted to about 209000 rubles. Loans, running for about
15 years, could be obtained to finance these private undertakings.
But relatively few people took advantage of this opportunity. Only
a very small percentage of dwellings was privately owned. 50X1-HUM
a two-room apartment located in a building
owned by Plant No. 659. Total living. space amounted to about 55
square meters. Facilities included electricity, running water,
sewerage, and our own bath, toilet and kitchen. Normally, su50X1-HUM
an a artment would have been occu ied by six to eight people.
a foreign.special was entitled to this relative
uxury. For this apartment aid a monthly rent of 54 rubles,
three rubles per month for wa er, and from 70 to 80 rubles for
electricity.
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Each inhabitant was
supposedly entitled to a given number of square meters of living
Space. The monthly rent for this minimum amount was somewhat more
than one ruble per square meter. the
monthly rent for living space above this minimum amount was 1.75
rubles per square meter per month. 50X1 -HUM
1.1. At first, most of the furniture in apartment buildings belonging
to Plant No. 659 was plant property. The situation changed in
1948. Families using this furniture were given the choice of
either returning it or buying it from the plant at a moderate
price. .Since that time, the plant has rented no furniture to its .
employees. Platt authorities apparently believed in 1948 that the
supply of furniture available to purchasers in state stores was
sufficientely adequate to warrant such a step.
12. The intelligentsia occupied better housing than did the working
class families. This distinction was made ?because of the positions
held by the former group, and not because they could afford to pay
higher rents. Indeed, there was no great difference between the
income of the average worker and that of the 'average employee. .
13. At the bottom of the housing ladder were the barracks, the so-called
obshchezhitiye, which housed unmarried workers. Four to six
individuals were quartered in a room approximately. 16 square meters
in size. Each person had hie own bed, a small night table, and
that was about all. On the average, one person occupied four to
five square meters of living space in these dwellings.
14. At the next level were rooms in one-story wooden buildings owned
by Plant No. 659; These rooms were allotted to married workers
with little seniority.
15. Married workers who had demonstrated their intention to stay at
the plant received in due time (several years or more) a one-room
apartment in one of the newly-constructed apartment buildings.
Unlike the other dwellings just described, they were equipped with
running water, indoor toilets .and central heating. A typical
working-class family of four was normally aibtted one room, 20
square meters in size. However, a room this size would also be
given to a married couple with no children who were both members
of the intelligentsia; that is, ten square meters per person
instead of five. Furthermore, s larger percentage of employees
than workers was allowed to occupy new housing space.
16. Apartment buildings constructed before 1951 normally contained
two-or:three-room apartments which were occupied by an equal
number of families. Thus, two or three families shared a kitchen
and bathroom facilities. It was the trend after 1951 to construct
one-room-apartments in Sverdlovsk; that is, an apartmert consist-
ing of a single livihg-bedroom, small kitchen and toilet.
17.
continual source
the housing situation in Sverdlovsk was a
of complaints. It caused much dissatisfaction
among the Soviet population.
CONSUMER GOODS
18. A decided improvement in the consumer goods market set in
.immediately following the currency reform of 1947. The standard
of living oontinued to rise until about the beginning of the
Korean war. From that point on, the standard of living remained
at about the same level or even decreased somewhat.
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19. This slow-down or deterioration was manifested in two ways.
First, the price reduction laws of 1951 and 1952 affected food
products almost exclusively. The prices of clothing, shoes,
radios, furniture, bicycles, etc., were not lowered. And these
were articles which were in increasing demand by Soviet consumers
as a result of the post-currency-reform improvement.
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20. Secondly, many articles became scarce or unavailable in state
Stores.' This deterioration in the food products market was first
noticeable in the middle of 1950. (Sugar had been the only food
product in short supply in the period from the end of 1948 to the
middle of 1950 -- the, best period in terms of availability of food.)
21. A particularly sharp slump developed in January 1952. Meat,
sausage, milk, butter and cheese almost completely disappeared from
the shelves of state stores. It was a stroke of luck when they
were found. Oil and fats derived from plants were the only fat
products available.
22. The availability of bread remained unchanged during this period of
deterioration; sufficient quantities of black bread and first-grade
white bread were available, but cheap white bread was hard to find.
237 The high point in respect to availability of clothing and "hard"
consumer goods was also reached in 1949. In contrast to the food
market, the decline in the availability of clothing and other
articles set in at the end of 1949. This downward trend continued
until my departure in 1952. The availability of imported clothing
and other articles from the "peoples-democracies" also reached. its
maximum in 1949 and steadily declined thereafter.
24. Cheap cotton cloth (cotton prints sold to the rural population)
and cheap shoes made of fabric and rubber soles were an exception
to this4eneral rule.. They were available in undiminished Quantities
during thii period. . 50X1-HUM
25.
26.
27.
the shortage of certain consumer goods which set
in about the time of the Korean War was not due to increased consumer
demand but was the result of a policy directing more goods and
productive capacity to the army. It is noteworthy that woolen and
leather goods were suddenly in very short supply. Radios were also
difficult to obtain, probably because part of the radio industry
had been converted to military production. And among those food
products which became difficult to obtain were items which could
be canned or preserved.
The Soviet population generally attributed these shortages as well
as the general leveling off of the prevailing living standards to
the hostilities in the Far East. The average Soviet was dis-
satisfied with this development; dissatisfied because the steady
improvement which followed the currency reform suddenly ceased.
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prices in rubles
February 1952
Comments
of certain food products on sale in Sverdlovsk
(before the 1952 price reduction)g
Article State Price Free Price
in
1 kilo dark rye bread
1.00
Always
available
after 19480
1 kilo white bread
poor grade
1.80
Always short.
I.
1. kilo white bread
expensive grade
2.20
11?1
Cookies (Kks)
9.00-11.00
Always short.
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Article ' . State Price
1 kilo cake ? 23.00-28.00
1 kilo wheat flour 6.50
1 kilo rye flour - 4.20
1 kilo butter-. 32.00-36.00
1 liter-Milk 2.20
1 'kilo cheeie
(40 fat)
1 kilo sour cream
(Smetana)
.e36.00
18.00
.kilo margarine 18.00-22.00
1 kilo mixed fat
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Price
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Free
Comments
Sufficient quanti4y
9.00
-10.00
Seldom available in state
stores. . Always avail-
able in free.market.
6.00
Seldom avaable in state
stores. Always avail.
able in free market.
Less available after 1950.
Almost disappeared after
January 1952.
3.00
.5.00
Short in state'stores.
Sufficient in market.
Sufficient until Jan.1952.
Then almost disappeared.
20.00
-25.00
Sufficient untillJan. 1952.
Then almost disappeared.
Poorer grade in free
market.
(kombizhir)
18.00
28.00-31.00
oil,
1 kilo lard
Sunflower seed
other vegetable
oils
20.00
10 eggs
12.00.13.00
18.00-24.00
1 kilo beef
17.00
24.00.35.00
1 kilo pork
23.00
26.00.35.00
1 kilo veal
24.00-28.00
1 kilo mutton
15.00
24.00-28.00
1 kilo goose
25.00
1 kilo duck 28.00
1 kilo chicken 19.00'423.00
Sufficient since 1949
when it appeared in stores.
aufficient since 1949
when it appeared in stores.
Adequate supplies.
Always available. .
Seasonal fluctuations in
availability. Usually on
hand in free market. Sold
in state stores as meat
substitute.
After 1951 little on hand
in state stores. Almost
completely disappeared
in Jan. 1952. This was
also true of pork, veal,
and mutton.
Always available until
1951. Very little on
hand after Jan.1952.
Little sold in free
market. Also true of
ducks and chickens.
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1 kilo cheap
haddock
1
1
1
1
1
kilo
kilo
kilo
kilo
kilo
kilo
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7.00, 9:0a
pike
salted herring.
marinated herring
smoked fish 7
smoked salmon
smoked herring
1 kilo sausage
12.00
8.00
21.00
.00-10.00
42.00
20.00
-8:00 _10.00
(average grade) 18.00.23.00
1 kilo best sausage
(salami) 36.00
1 kilo crystallized beet
sugar
11.50
a
1 kilo potatoes
0.80
1.00-2.00
1 kilo cabbage
2.50
3.00
1 kilo sauerkraut
3.00. 4.50
4.00.5.00
1 kilo onions
2.00
2.00
i kilo tomatoes
18.00-30.00
1 kilo cucumbers
18.00-30.00
1 kilo apples
9.00-18.00
25.00-30.00
1 kilo dried fruit
12.00
20.00
Some type of fish
was always avail-
able in sufficient
amounts.
Sufficient until
Jan. 19529 then?
seldom available.
Sufficient until
Jan. 1952, then
seldom available.
Insufficient
until 1949, than
became available.
Insufficient
quantities in state
stores,always on
hand in free market.
Always available.
Usually available.
Only available in
free market.
It
Available in state
stores only in
-autumn. Always on
hand in free market.
Always available.
28. The following is a list of clothing prices in rubles as of July
1952 (following the 1952 price reduction). The items refer only to
state store prices in Sverdlovsk.
u
Article Ments Clothinc- Price
Linen shirt 40.60
Artificial silk shirt 112
Silk shirt , ., 245
Undershirt 16
Pair of long underpants, dotton tricot Aa
Pair of plain gooks 8-10
s
Pair of kaoroncnylonr reinforoed soOks 15.17
Pair Of rubbers 35
Pair of-overshoes 70
Pair of cloth shoes, rubber soles 75
Pair of leather work shoes, rubber soles 150
Pair of oxford shoes, genuine leather, imported 220-320
Ready-made cotton suit 220-400
Ready-made wool sui,t.. . 600-1200
Most expensive iairor-rmade wool suit about-- 1800
Suit material (1 meter long, 1.40 wide) 150-450
Raincoat, rubber material 128
Winter overcoat, padded with fur collar 500-1500
Cap 25.38
Felt hat. 125
Pair of felt boots (valonki), gray . . 40-60
Pair of felt boots, white, with leather trimming 160
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Article Women's Clothing
Price
Pair of tricot underpants
12
Tricot Undershirt
12.
Linen nightgown
45
Silk nightgown
210'
Pair' of ,kapron stockings
35-42
Pair of all-leather shoes.
180.420
Pair of leather shoes with rubber soles
.13o
Pair of cloth shoes, rubber soles
25-75
Pair of rubbers ,
52'
Pair of.overshoes
76
Cotton dress
70-120
Wool dress
260-600
Tailored suit made of good woolen material
800-900
Winter overcoat, padded and with fur collar
500-800
Hamster fur coat
700
Rabbit fur coat
1200
Persian .lamb fur coat
6000-10000
29.
Tivinn
conditions in the USSR were far worse than in the West
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The Volga Germans were in fairly close contact with
Germany before the war and were aware of living conditions there.
30. -Furthermore, those Soviets who had previously lived in Leningrad and
Moscow certainly were probably familiar with conditions in the West.
And even the difference in the standard of living in Moscow and
Leningrad on the one hand and the provinces on the other was very
great. People who had been evacuated from Leningrad to Sverdlovsk
during the war had lived on a far higher plane in the metropolis.
They had had larger apartments, better furniture and lower prices.
In fact, food prices in 1952 were still almost three times as high
as they were before the war.
31: The lOw itandard of living in the USSR was a primary sourO4 of dis-
satisfaction among the Soviet population. Open and public complaints
about living conditions were very common. Shoppers expressed their'
dissatisfaction that prices were so high and goods so hard to find.
Or while standing in line to buy a certain product, they griped that
queueing up was still necessary. It seemed that the Soviet popula-
tion was allowed complete freedom in complaining about living
conditions and other such concrete matters, as long as such criti-
cism was not directed against the state itself. The people had to
have at least one outlet.
32. The Soviet population seemed to blame the Western powers for this
state of affairs. They evidently believed that the aggressive
policies and threats of the Western powers prevented the 'USSR from
producing more consumer goods; that it was necessary to maintain a
large army and to divert a large part of industrial capacity to
military purposes. This clever propaganda strategy on the part of
the Soviet Government was apparently accepted by the poPulation.
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ETHNIC RELATIONS
33. There were many minority group.members, so-called natsmony, in
Sverdlovsk. they constituted 20 per cent of the
Sverdlovsk population.. There were Uzbeki, Kazakni and qUite.a few
members of the smaller nationality groups along. the Volga. Most of
them were workers. ,It was my impression that many of these .workers
had been recruited,'almOst compelled to take up employment in
Sverdlovsk.
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34. The Russian population lived on a higher economic level on the
average than-the ethnic minority groUps. Higher positions calling
for some degree of responsibility were filled almost exclusively
by Russians. And the .cultural life was predominantly Russian.
All schools, without exception, were conducted in Russian. How.
ever, a few attempts were made to present stage plays in the
languages of the minority groups. An attempt was made to establish
a Tatar theater, and a touring Yiddish stage company froart'-
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Ukraine appeared in the fall of 1951 in Sverdlovsk.
35-
36.
37.
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Relations between the various nationalities were remarkably good.
The only prejudice was directed against Sallie*
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Jews, but this was very common.
no aggressive anti-Semitism on the part of the Great 50X1-HUM
RusGians. But this antagonism found expression in conversations
WhiWbould be heard every day. For example, a Russian was always
quick to point out that a fellow worker was Jewish whenever the
latter did something wrong.
,In my opinion, anti-Semitism has remained alive in the USSR *hile
other ethnic tension has died out because Soviet Jews occupy so
many leading positions in' Soviet life in proportion to their
number. The fact that Soviet Jews were, on the whole, better
educated than the Russians is one explanation of this dominance.
Furthermore, Soviet Jews played an important role in the Communist
Party during the early .years of its power and thus were able to
occupy a disproportionately large number of top posts. At any
rate, the above situation has created envy among the Russians And
has kept anti-Semitism alive.
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38. About one-third of the technical intellistentsie at Plant No. 659
was Jewish However, plant
authorities made an obvious effort to reduce the number af Jews
in leading positions by demoting some of them and replacing them
with Gro,Pt PuRsiong As this action first became apparent in
1950 it was launched in the middle or end of.1949.
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39. "A re-examination of professional qualifications" was the official
explanation of these personnel actions. . It was claimed that the
individuals affected did not have the necessary education or
experience for the poets they held.
40.
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However, such a policy undolibtedly'existed.
Its results could not be hidden. It became apparent by 1950 that
these demotions of Jews were not isolated cases, but part of a
general policy. Many of my Soviet, colleagues at the plant were
also of' the opinion that there was a systematic drive to demote
or reduce the authority of Jewish employees.
Jews employed at higher educational institutions were being
demoted if they lacked. the full requirements for their Jobe.
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Relatively few Jews at Plant No. 659 were affected by this drive.
no Jews being arrest in Sverdlovsk as.a result of
the_so-called "cosmopolite" purge. It should be kept in mind 50X1-HUM
that the Urals region is the first zone of exile in the USSR.
All people living in this area were already classified as second- 50X1-HUM
class citizens for one reason or another. That is to sai----1
Jews in the Urals region were less affected by these 50X1-HUM
measures than Jews in the western part of the USSR because they
were already living a life of fortis,' exile
the Urals ..52X1-H UM
the first zone of exile in the USSR. Although this statement un-";
doubtedly contains an element of truth, it seems unlikely that "all
people living in this area" were living a life of partial eXiles7 .
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RELIGION
A42.
Ofily?One Orthodox church was open and functioning in Sverdlovsk.
It was a medium-81;p church. Weekly services were held on Sunday,
children were baptized and other religious ceremonies performed.
There was also a small chapel at a local cemetery where religions
funeral services took place.
43. All other church buildings had long since been put to use for other-:"-
purposes. However, a group of Jews in Sverdlovsk regularly met- ? 50X1-HUM
in a small house in the city where they conducted religio
This worship was not forbidden by Soviet authorities, but
was not officially encouraged. This synagogue orirayer:,
house was attended primarily by elderly Jews.
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? .?
44. The Orthodox church was very well attended. Young and olds workers'
and intellectuals alike attended services there. Even some army
officers went to church clad in their uniforms. Naturally there
were more women than men in attendance, but that is true through-
out the world. .
45.
The overwhelming majority of weddings were simply civil ceremonies
and were not sanctified in the church. But church weddings were
far less frequent than baptisms. An extraordinarily large number
of baptisms took place, at least 30 per cent of all children.
On days when chiltren were baptized, parents awaited their turn .
for hours on end in long lines in front of the church.
46:
Undoubtedly some of the parents no longer believed in religion; `
but felt that "it does no
harm" or "you can never tell." How-
ever, there
were very many religiously devout 50X1-HUM
among the Soviet citizenry,
despite the constant propaganda
conducted by the state against rebgion. elle average Russian is
by nature religiously inclined.
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47.
Indicative of this is the
icons in
Russian homes. This was
particularly true of natives
of Sverd-
lovsk who had a private house or of other families who had apart-
ments to themselves. A Russian family usually put up an icon
whenever it had an apartment large enough to call it hoMe.
48.
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1
discussions
among the
younger Soviet engineers as to whether religion was really ".50X1-HUM
opiate of the masses" or whether religious traditions had
really been eradicated from the minds of the Soviet people.
they doubted the validity of the50X1-HUM
Party line that all of religion is nonsense? On the other hand, '
r----
not believe that Western propagandists could utilize the
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ire
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theme "religion" - that is, the suppression of religion in the
Soviet Union - with any great effect -in arousing anti-communist
tdndencies among the Soviet population. Despite their doubts
concerning the validity of the Party line on this question,
the Soviet younger generation has been schooled too thoroughly
in anti-religious thinking to be swayed by oounterpropaganda
on the part of the West. The younger generation is neither for
nor against religion but simply passive in this matter.
GRIME AND VAGRANCY
50X1
49. Pickpocketing, the most common form of crime in Sverdlovsk, dropped
off somewhat in recent years. This development was probably due
to the better living conditions following the currency reform. The
lower prices of goods sold in state stores depreciated the resale
value of stolen articles. The business of pickpocketing becaie
less profitable.
50.
Crime in general and thievery in particular were well organized in
the USSR. Pickpockets generally worked together in gangs. Almost
all of them were relatively young boys, ranging from ten years of -
age on up. A gang "worked", one city for a certain period and
50X1-H UM
then moved on to another city when things got too "hot."+
grand larceny and other major crimes were also carried
out by gangs of criminals. T50X1-H UM
? ?
51. Pickpocketing was far more common in Sverdlovsk than it is In -
western Europe. The incidence of grand larcency, murder and other
major crimes was not particularly high
50X1-H UM
52. The number of beggars to be seen on the streets at Sverdlovsk did
not diminish during the course of my six years there. There always
were a large number of beggars to be seen in certain areas of the
city, particularly in the area of the kolkhoz markets. 'Other
beggars made their rounds from house to house.
53. Most beggars to be seen on the street were either cripples or
elderly people. The former were presumably war veterans who
could not subsist on their pensions. The latter apparently
received no pensions. There were also many women beggars who
went from house to house asking for a few koPtics. Most of
them were mothers of many children who thus were unable to work.'
They had to help support their family in this manner.
54. There were certainly far more beggars in Sverdlovsk than would
be found in a German city of similar size.
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/09/30: CIA-RDP81-01030R000100270006-5