Social security under Khrushchev Flashcards
In what way did the post-Stalin leadership have different objectives to Stalin regarding social security?
Whereas Stalin prioritised giant factories and the mass production of raw materials, Khrushchev and Brezhnev wanted the Soviet economy to produce a better standard of living for Soviet citizens
Khrushchev summarised his approach to socialist economics and politics with the phrase…
“What sort of Communism is it that cannot produce sausage?”
What does this quote by Khrushchev suggest: “What sort of Communism is it that cannot produce sausage?”
For Khrushchev, Communism meant better living standards and increased production of consumer goods
For Khrushchev, Communism meant better living standards and increased production of consumer goods - which policies reflect this?
This focus on plenty was evident in his Virgin Lands Scheme and his policy of increasing the production of consumer goods. His welfare and housing policies also reflected this commitment
What is Khrushchev’s attitude to health and welfare?
Khrushchev believed that a socialist society should look after the welfare of all, not just Party officials. Therefore he increased investment in healthcare
How much did the Soviet healthcare budget grow under Khrushchev?
The Soviet healthcare budget more than doubled in Khrushchev’s first years, from 21.4 billion roubles in 1950 to 44.0 billion roubles in 1959
How did the death rate improve under Khrushchev?
In 1950, the death rate (per thousand population) was 9.7
By 1965, this had decreased to 7.3
How did the infant mortality rate improve under Khrushchev?
In 1950, the infant mortality rate (per thousand population) was 81
By 1965, this had decreased to 27
The pensions budget ____ from 1950 to ___
quadrupled
1965
Why did the budget for pensions increase under Khrushchev?
The budget for pensions increased under Khrushchev because more people were living longer due to the increased investments to healthcare
How much did the number of pensioners increase by under Khrushchev?
The number of pensioners increased from 1 million in 1950 to 4.4 million in 1965
Major reforms introduced in ___ improved social benefits significantly
1961
What were the major social benefit reforms introduced in 1961?
Free lunches in schools, offices and factories
Free public transport
Full pensions and healthcare rights for farmers
The 1961 social benefit reforms marked a…
significant improvement in the standard of living of the Soviet people
How much did urban housing numbers increase by under Khrushchev?
Between 1950 and 1965 the amount of urban housing more than doubled
How did Khrushchev initiate improvements to urban housing?
He halted the building of new government and communal buildings
He invested in new materials and techniques to solve the housing problem
What is the definition of Khrushchyovka?
A new kind of low-cost housing block
Although they were originally intended to be temporary accommodation for Soviet citizens, they eventually became the standardised model for all homes
When did construction of Khrushchyovka take place?
Construction of Khrushchyovka continued throughout the 1970s and 1980s
What were Khrushchev’s thoughts on Stalinist architecture?
Khrushchev believed Stalinist architecture was expensive and wasted resources
Khrushchev ordered architects to abandon grand and extravagant Stalinist architecture and to focus on low-cost functional buildings - what did this lead to?
The result was the K-7 apartment block
What was the K-7 apartment block?
Model for apartments established by Khrushchev that could be constructed quickly and easily from large prefabricated concrete panels and standardised windows and doors, rather than being built slowly from brick
What did the Khrushchyovka allow for?
The new blocks allowed families to have an entire apartment, rather than being forced to live in a single room, or to share a dormitory
What is the main difference between Stalin’s Kommunalka and Khrushchev’s Khrushchyovka
Khrushchyovka apartments were over ten times bigger than the Kommunalka of the Stalin period
Why did the establishment of the Khrushchyovka worry the authorities?
The Khrushchyovka effectively recreated privacy - Soviet authorities were no longer able to keep a check on the population through informants in dormitories or in Kommunalka blocks
How did the authorities tackle their concerns over the Khrushchyovka?
The new type of accommodation led to a propaganda campaign encouraging citizens to live good socialist lives
