Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Still, it's hard for me to believe that 2 mln Soviet tourists travelled abroad in 1975.
Well, that's a cold fact.
Quote:
And even this large number is in fact very small given that the population of the USSR was about 250 mln. people.
A century ago travel was extremely expensive, and was getting cheaper and cheaper each decade, with some dramatic cost (relative to income) decreases beginning in 1980's. It's the same for all countries.
Domestic tourism in a huge USSR was so extensive, because it was subsidized A LOT. A week in some resort could have costed 150 roubles (a monthly income), but unions often paid most or all of the expense.
Quote:
But for your average Soviet citizen it was virtually impossible to make an excursion trip, say, to Paris or Rome.
Hard currencies were in short supply, so the government couldn't subsidize too many tours. And the cost was prohibitive for an average Ivan - a week in Paris costed three median monthly salaries (less in Russia, more in poor republics). Plus misc expenses.
A century ago travel was extremely expensive, and was getting cheaper and cheaper each decade, with some dramatic cost (relative to income) decreases beginning in 1980's. It's the same for all countries.
Domestic tourism in a huge USSR was so extensive, because it was subsidized A LOT. A week in some resort could have costed 150 roubles (a monthly income), but unions often paid most or all of the expense.
Hard currencies were in short supply, so the government couldn't subsidize too many tours. And the cost was prohibitive for an average Ivan - a week in Paris costed three median monthly salaries (less in Russia, more in poor republics). Plus misc expenses.
There are no "cold facts" when it's coming to the Soviet Union and Soviet propaganda machine. I repeat again; Soviet citizens were not allowed to leave the country and come back at will, as it was in the capitalists countries at that time. Indeed the "shortage of hard currency" was a part of it, ( that's why the government was catering to foreign tourists as well, in order to get that "foreign currency" to buy foreign machinery, since their own equipment was becoming increasingly outdated.)
As for the rest of your drivel - I can go point by point of those rosy fairy-tales that you are telling here, however start your own thread.
It was a policy of Soviet government -- not allow people to travel to rich countries, so that they didn't know that living standards in the West were considerably better...
It was a policy of Soviet government -- not allow people to travel to rich countries, so that they didn't know that living standards in the West were considerably better...
At the same time trying hard to lure as many rich Western tourists to USSR, as possible...
There was no such policy in effect, and millions did travel to capitalist countries, often at State's expense.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
