4.3 Life in the USSR

Question 1

When were internal passports issued?

Answer 1

In 1932, which identified people by their class, job and ethnic and social background

Question 2

Why were these passports significant?

Answer 2

Because ‘desirable’ people could get better jobs and housing

Question 3

Why were these passports disliked?

Answer 3

Because those from a less ‘desirable’ background found life much harder

Question 4

How were living and working standards for many?

Answer 4

They were low. However, life was better for workers than for peasants

Question 5

How was life better for workers than for peasants?

Answer 5

Urban workers received higher pay and had access to more food and goods

Question 6

How was housing conditions for workers in the town?

Answer 6

Housing was low quality.

Question 7

Where did most workers live?

Answer 7

Most workers lived in barracks, with little comfort

Question 8

Where did the better-off workers live?

Answer 8

Some workers lived in small flats with communal kitchens and toilets

Question 9

How was the food supply for the workers?

Answer 9

Food supply was low.

Question 10

Between 1928 and 1933, how much did food supplies decrease?

Answer 10

Food supplies (meat, fruit and milk) decreased in Leningrad by 66 percent

Question 11

When did food rationining end?

Answer 11

It officially ended in 1935, but there still wasn’t enough for the people

Question 12

How did people try to get food?

Answer 12

They stood in line and queued to get food

Question 13

What did the Five Year Plan focus on?

Answer 13

Mainly on heavy industry and transportation

Question 14

What was a disadvantage of the Five Year Plan?

Answer 14

Basic necessities such as shoes and clothing were in short supply

Question 15

How were working conditions for the workers?

Answer 15

Working conditions were hard, and in 1932 if a worker missed a day of work, they lost their job.

Question 16

What rule was implemented in 1940?

Answer 16

If a worker was 20 minutes late they had a 25 percent cut in pay for 6 months!

Question 17

How was health and safety for these workers?

Answer 17

Health and safety was limited and accidents were quite frequent

Question 18

What major difference to working did Stalin reintroduce?

Answer 18

Workers had to compete with each other for better pay and conditions.

Question 19

Why was this significant?

Answer 19

Because it had gone against early communist ideas about equality of wages

Question 20

How was personal freedom limited for the workers?

Answer 20

Since the government prevented people from moving freely around the country looking for jobs

Question 21

By the end of 1934 how many internal passports were issued?

Answer 21

27 million!

Question 22

What happened if one failed to show their internal passport?

Answer 22

If someone failed to show their passport, the police had the ‘right’ to arrest and imprison them

Question 23

How were housing conditions for peasants in the countryside?

Answer 23

They had very basic housing, with outside toilets and water drawn from wells

Question 24

How was the food supply for the peasants?

Answer 24

Although the peasants made the food, they didn’t get as much as town workers

Question 25

How were working conditions for the peasants?

Answer 25

Work was hard, there were few tractors or other agricultural machinery

Question 26

How was personal freedom limited for the peasants?

Answer 26

They did not want to lose control of their land so they followed orders taking away their freedom

Question 27

How did this affect their productivity?

Answer 27

The peasants worked slowly and had no incentive to work

Question 28

How did the governmemt respomd to the lack of productivity?

Answer 28

They allowed the peasants to keep the money they earnt to oncrease productivity

Question 29

What happened in the first 6 months of 1933?

Answer 29

400,000 people were arrested as ‘undesireables’ since they didn’t have their internal passports

Question 30

Who were these 400,000 people?

Answer 30

Prostitutes, beggars, ex-aristicrats, but mainly ex-kulaks and peasants

Question 31

What happened to these 400,000 people?

Answer 31

Many were dumped in the Urals and western Sibeira and others drifted back to thier home areas

Question 32

How did those who drifted to their home areas get there?

Answer 32

They used forged papers and were often helped by factory managers who needed workers

Question 33

How were living conditions for party officials and members of government?

Answer 33

They enjoyed a relatively luxurious lifesstyle,

Question 34

What advantages did they have normal people did not?

Answer 34

They had access to shops, where they buy clothes,food, and even goods

Question 35

Why were they given this privellege?

Answer 35

It was a way of rewarding them for their loyalty and encouraging others to be like them

Question 36

What was the new ruling class set up?

Answer 36

It was set up so its members owed everything to the communist system

Question 37

What risk did the people in high positions have?

Answer 37

If they failed to deliver their targets, it could cost them their lives amd destroy their families

Question 38

How was there a lack of gender-equality in towns and the countryside?

Answer 38

The male authority viewed the women as a question to access paid employnment in industries.

Question 39

Why were there more female workers in 1941?

Answer 39

Because equality in pay and promotion for woman was not a priority.

Question 40

Why was life harder for female workers?

Answer 40

Because they had lower pay then men, were rarely promoted and were expected to work at home