Vacations in the Soviet Union • Hacker News Board

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#11

Post by Aaronstotle » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:40 PM UTC

atemerev wrote: post #3

The Soviet economy was somewhat surreal and it is difficult to explain it well to the Western audience. Including vacations, vacation tickets («путёвки»), summer camps, sanatoriums and the like. I still remember some parts though, so if you are interested in how it worked, I can answer your questions. Most definitely it wasn't all that rosy.

My grandparents and my father grew up in the Soviet Union. I always find it fascinating hearing about my grandparent's childhood and what it was like to grow up there.

One anecdote for not all rosy:

My father is permanently traumatized because he had to get his tonsils removed when he was young and they didn't give him any anesthetics.

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#12

Post by sturza » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:40 PM UTC

The Soviet Union's approach to paid time off (PTO) was unique, as it not only provided workers with time off but also determined how they spent it, often with groups of strangers instead of friends and family. This policy aimed to promote the collective as the most important social unit and provided subsidized vacations to a select number of workers. Although Soviet vacations initially served as team-building exercises, over time, citizens' desire for family vacations increased, challenging the state's policies. The rise of family vacations and personal investment in holidays led to a shift from purposeful production to popular consumption. Soviet vacations played a role in loosening ideological restrictions on freedom, and as travel policies opened the door for political dissent to spread, the government struggled to maintain control over leisure time.

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#13

Post by catiopatio » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:41 PM UTC

ur-whale wrote: post #5

[flagged]

> I'd claim the delta is negligible.

… and you’d be demonstrating profound ignorance if you did.

I spent six months living in post-Soviet Prague in the late 1990s. The stories I heard were nothing like our existence in a wealthy western democracy.

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#14

Post by ahelwer » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:42 PM UTC

uristohkrat wrote: post #9

EarthIsHome wrote: post #2

Happy May Day! Here's a Twitter thread [0] that has excerpts/paraphrases from an old Soviet pamphlet called "How Soviet Workers Spend Their Leisure." (rolled up version [1]) You can find a scanned version of the pamphlet here [2]. There were many of these pamphlets published. One day I will scan them and post them. There was one on Waterways & Transport in the USSR, one about Soviet theater, one about the food indust…

[flagged]

We do have that, it's called the global south under neocolonialism.

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#15

Post by HideousKojima » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:42 PM UTC

EarthIsHome wrote: post #2

Happy May Day! Here's a Twitter thread [0] that has excerpts/paraphrases from an old Soviet pamphlet called "How Soviet Workers Spend Their Leisure." (rolled up version [1]) You can find a scanned version of the pamphlet here [2]. There were many of these pamphlets published. One day I will scan them and post them. There was one on Waterways & Transport in the USSR, one about Soviet theater, one about the food indust…

Sounds similar to how the Chinese constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech.

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#16

Post by onion2k » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:43 PM UTC

uristohkrat wrote: post #9

EarthIsHome wrote: post #2

Happy May Day! Here's a Twitter thread [0] that has excerpts/paraphrases from an old Soviet pamphlet called "How Soviet Workers Spend Their Leisure." (rolled up version [1]) You can find a scanned version of the pamphlet here [2]. There were many of these pamphlets published. One day I will scan them and post them. There was one on Waterways & Transport in the USSR, one about Soviet theater, one about the food indust…

[flagged]

In a very literal sense, most countries and especially the USA, do have that pool of labor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison%E2%80%93industrial_comp...

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#17

Post by unethical_ban » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:44 PM UTC

ur-whale wrote: post #5

[flagged]

Who is telling you where to work? What profession you're in? Where you will eat lunch? Who you are allowed to associate with?

I order for it to be less confusing, perhaps the article could have said "government prescribed behavior in almost every aspect of life" and I claim the delta is not negligible.

Taxation is not theft.

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#18

Post by HideousKojima » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:44 PM UTC

onion2k wrote: post #16

uristohkrat wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

In a very literal sense, most countries and especially the USA, do have that pool of labor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison%E2%80%93industrial_comp...

Prison labor != Political prisoner labor

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#19

Post by zelphirkalt » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:45 PM UTC

PTO = Paid time off, apparently.

Re: Vacations in the Soviet Union

#20

Post by sebringj » Mon, May 01, 2023, 4:45 PM UTC

ur-whale wrote: post #5

[flagged]

I imagine an analogy of summer camp as that is my only way to relate as I'm in a rich country. I'm going to go to a summer camp not of my choosing and participating in activities not of my choosing and being bunked with people not of my choosing for the rest of my vacations for life and then when i'm about 80 years old then claim there is negligible delta from not having to do that. That last bit, I can't imagine.