Thread: Russia: old system - new system

Originally Posted by Eric C.

OK, when it was "national property", did your parents really own at least a small part of it? Did they draw any dividends from the state enterprises, and so on?

At least they enjoyed free (and pretty good) medical care and education and no d*mn boss at their work could force them to work at weekends or fire them because he simply doesn't like them.

Originally Posted by Basil77

At least they enjoyed free (and pretty good) medical care ...

Yeah, it was good if they were not very sick.

Originally Posted by Lampada

Yeah, it was good if they were not very sick.

Absolutely right. If they needed some kind of difficult surgery which would cost over $100,000 or even more, they could only get the money and get transferred to one of the countries of Western Europe or the US... Honestly, I don't understand why there're so many people who are dissatisfied with medical insurance system. You work, you carry insurance, you're protected from almost every disease that can be cured. That seems to be the best system ever...

Originally Posted by Eric C.

If they needed some kind of difficult surgery which would cost over $100,000 or even more, they could only get the money and get transferred to one of the countries of Western Europe or the US...

I think you confuse things with post-Soviet period.

Originally Posted by Eric C.

Honestly, I don't understand why there're so many people who are dissatisfied with medical insurance system. You work, you carry insurance, you're protected from almost every disease that can be cured. That seems to be the best system ever...

problem is you work and you're not covered by your employer and private coverage is too expensive. Millions in the US face that problem.

Originally Posted by sperk

problem is you work and you're not covered by your employer and private coverage is too expensive. Millions in the US face that problem.

Tens of millions.

For those that lived in the USSR, how is your daily life different now versus when you lived in the USSR?

Thank you,

Scott

Originally Posted by fortheether

For those that lived in the USSR, how is your daily life different now versus when you lived in the USSR?

It's very different. But don't forget that 20 years have passed, and it's not only old oder vs. new order, but past vs present (technology changed a lot).

First things that come to mind: there were MUCH less cars on the streets, only a few channels on TV, the assortment of products in stores was smaller and imported goods were very hard to get. And there were almost no ads.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

It's very different. But don't forget that 20 years have passed, and it's not only old oder vs. new order, but past vs present (technology changed a lot).

First things that come to mind: there were MUCH less cars on the streets, only a few channels on TV, the assortment of products in stores was smaller and imported goods were very hard to get. And there were almost no ads.

True 20 years is a long time. As an American I really have no concept of equal pay and the other goals of communism/socialism. I don't get how for example a doctor and a janitor make basically the same pay. Don't get that at all. If you asked me about daily life under capitalism I would say I have no answer as that's all I've ever known.

Scott

Originally Posted by fortheether

As an American I really have no concept of equal pay... I don't get how for example a doctor and a janitor make basically the same pay.

=) There was no equal pay. =)

Размеры зарплаты зависели от занимаемой должности и варьировались в брежневские времена от минимальной зарплаты 60 руб. в месяц до, как утверждали, 2500 руб. в месяц у Генерального секретаря ЦК КПСС.

Инженеры получали, начиная где-то со 105 руб. в месяц до 250 руб. При этом на предприятиях существовали премиальные фонды, которые могли повысить зарплату на 40-50%. Рабочие могли получать и 200 рублей, и 300, и 500 рублей в зависимости от квалификации.

Зарплаты учителей колебались в пределах от тех же 105 до 200-250 рублей. То же самое было у врачей. Вузовский доцент получал 320 руб., а профессор 500 руб. в месяц. Зарплата военных была выше всех: начинающий лейтенант получал 250-280 руб. в месяц.

Originally Posted by BappaBa

=) There was no equal pay. =)

Yep. ) People of different occupations had different salaries. The trick was that people of the same occupation had basically the same payment throughout the country (with some exceptions).

Based on my family experience: an engineer got 190 roubles per month, a nurse got around 90 roubles. Student's scholarship was 40-50 roubles.
People who worked in the Nothern regions had bigger salaries due to bad weather conditions, and men could easily have 600-800 roubles per month and more (it was common to move there for a few years to earn some quick/big money).

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

And there were almost no ads.

Amen!