The Soviet Union was the largest country in the world, stretching from Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean. It included 15 republics — each with its own language, traditions, and culture — yet all were united under one central ideology. Moscow and Leningrad (St. Petersburg) were centers of political power and culture. Citizens there often enjoyed better housing, education, and access to imported goods. Central Asian republics such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan remained more traditional and rural. Many people lived on collective farms, growing cotton or grain for the state.
The Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Ukraine had strong European influences and more developed economies. Siberia and the Far East were vast, cold, and sparsely populated — home to workers in mining, forestry, and heavy industry. Despite official claims of equality, people understood that location mattered. Those living in major cities often had privileges unavailable in distant regions.
