Фbout a thousand different sanatoriums existed in the USSR during the 1970s, with people visiting them mostly in the summertime. Most people lived in state-provided apartments, known as kommunalkas (communal apartments) or later khrushchyovkas — small, uniform buildings constructed under Nikita Khrushchev’s rule. Privacy was minimal, and several families often shared the same kitchen and bathroom. Everyone was guaranteed a job. Workers were assigned to factories, collective farms, or offices according to government needs. While this system eliminated unemployment, it also discouraged innovation and personal ambition.
Stores were often understocked. Citizens waited in long lines for basic goods like meat, sugar, and butter. Many relied on home gardens or trading with friends to supplement their needs. Despite shortages, people took pride in self-sufficiency and community support. Education was one of the USSR’s strongest achievements. Literacy rates rose dramatically, and scientific and technical education became a source of national pride. Students were members of youth organizations such as the Young Pioneers and Komsomol, where they learned discipline, patriotism, and socialist values from an early age.
