Impressions Of Russia: Before And After
One of the things I most wanted to explore while in Russia, was to learn from its citizens the differences in daily life that they experienced “before and after” the fall of communism (December 25, 1991). Any citizen 25 years old or older, I felt, would likely have some impression of the changes that took place following that momentous conversion. And, indeed, most of those I talked to did have vivid impressions of the changing economy, and many were eager to share their impressions.
One of the most common first responses to “before and after” questioning was that, after the fall of communism, there were no longer any SHORTAGES. Shortages of various commodities were quite common under the Soviet system. One woman told me that she would often have to take a train into Moscow on Saturdays to get BUTTER for her family . The distance was a hundred miles each way! Another person told me (with more than a hint of irony, however): “before Yeltsin, we had money but the stores had no stock. NOW, the stores are well stocked, but we have no money!” Another person told me the following joke: a man was standing in line to buy bread. After many, many hours, he couldn’t take it any more and loudly announced that he was going to the Kremlin to kill Gorbachev. He then left the line, but a short time later he returned. He was then asked if he had succeeded in killing Gorbachev. His response: “No! The line was longer there!”
Another “before and after” that I discussed were social benefits. Most of the people I talked to indicated that retirement and disability benefits were better guaranteed under the communists, whereas now they varied widely depending upon whom you worked for, how long you worked there, etc. (Like our system). However, they did acknowledge that it was not uncommon in the Soviet era for monthly checks to pensioners to be delayed, or sometimes to never be issued at all! Currently the average Russian retiree gets the equivalent of only $250 USD per month. It is commonly acknowledged that a retiree can’t actually live on that meager stipend, so, as a consequence, most retirees must continue to work in one capacity or another, whether they like it or not.
Interestingly, many Russians I talked to expressed feeling greater self worth during communist times. Many felt “more equal” among their peers because wealth and job prestige were less important than they are now. They’ve found that, under capitalism, wealth and prestige are much more unevenly distributed, and, for some, this brings about feelings of inequality and inferiority. This isn’t surprising, however; Russians are learning that a US style meritocracy can be a harsh reality for those with less “merit”.
Another “before and after” issue that I explored is job security. The great virtue of the prelapsarian Soviet economy was that virtually EVERY able bodied individual was employed. They may have had very disagreeable jobs, they may have been paid very little, and working conditions, for many, may have been squalid, but, at least they HAD a job. The system’s great weakness, however, was that it provided little or no incentives for diligence and hard work, and, as a consequence, was extremely inefficient and unproductive, leading, often, to a foundering economy that disappointed everyone.
On the positive side, nearly EVERY one I talked to said that they felt more “free” in post-Communist Russia. And, not only did they “feel more free”, many acknowledged that they now had more mobility and opportunity for travel than they could ever have dreamed of under the Soviets.
Also positive is the Russian economy itself. In Soviet Times yearly GDP increases of 0.8% were not unheard of. After a shaky start in the early 90’s under Yeltsin, from the late 90’s to 2008 the Russian economy achieved yearly GDP growth rates averaging 6.9%, with annual wages growing, sometimes, at an astonishing 10.5%! Though the world wide financial crisis of 2008 significantly slowed Russia’s economic growth (from which it has yet to fully recover), EVERYONE I talked to agreed that the Russian economy dramatically improved in the post-communist era.
So, putting all this together, would most citizens want to go back to communism? In my, admittedly, small sample, the answer was clearly: “NYET”.
Errata: It has been pointed out to me that in my last essay on Russia (6/17/18), I described the Russian tricolor flag as vertically oriented and the French tricolor as horizontally oriented, when the reverse is true. (Thanks JA!).