10 interior items that everyone dreamed of in the Soviet years

“Wall”

A huge storage system – impressive wardrobes that occupy an entire wall, stood in almost every apartment. In them, perhaps, and an elephant would fit. But there was no elephant in Soviet apartments, so housewives kept linen, books, dishes, documents and many other things there. Depending on the model, there was a niche for a TV or a secretaire in the wall.

It was impossible to enter the store and just buy a “wall”. First, it was necessary to save money for a long time – furniture could cost 8-10 average Soviet salaries. Then stand in a queue (and they were also different – for example, a separate queue for large families), sometimes for days, regularly check in the lists. The day when the cherished lockers took place in the apartment was a holiday.

At the same time, the ultimate dream was not domestic products from chipboard, but imported furniture. Yugoslavia, East Germany, Poland sounded like a song for the Soviet ear. It is a pity that high-quality cabinets were rarely sold on sale and they had to be “taken out”. As a rule, at first people signed up for a purchase queue at the trade union committee, and only two years later they received permission to do so.

Madonna Service

If there is a sideboard in the “wall”, then in a conspicuous place there should be a beautiful set of dishes, which is put on the table only on holidays (or not at all: it will suddenly break). At that time, the Madonna porcelain service produced in the GDR became a legend and a dream of all Soviet women.

It is difficult to say why exactly these pastoral pictures in the Baroque style became the personification of good taste in our country. Maybe because they were very different from the dishes that were produced in the Soviet Union. Or maybe also because gilding as an additional decoration made Madonna look expensive and rich.

The Madonna services, by the way, were different – canteens, tea, coffee. Only now they were called differently in Germany itself. But when every self-respecting Soviet business trip or tourist began to consider it his duty to return from the GDR with this set and their production was increased, counting on our customers, the Germans, in principle, did not care what to call the dishes.

Books

Do not be surprised that we have written them into a piece of furniture. You will understand why when we remember how it was.

A well-published book in the Union was a real shortage. No, of course, in the public domain it was always possible to buy the classics of Marxism-Leninism, other literature reflecting the era. But a collection of works by Dumas or Jack London, the Library of World Literature, or the complete collection of the Adventure Library …

And if something is in short supply, it means that something must be obtained by all means. It became a kind of collecting: people literally hunted for quality publications in calico covers. Ideal if it was a collection of works: decorated in the same style, with the spines looking beautiful in the closet behind the glass. It was not even necessary to read them, the main thing is that they looked great in the interior.

Wall carpet

No, of course, those who did not have enough money for such a luxury could get by with a modest tapestry with cute deer or swans. But he still had to dream about a carpet: large, bright on the entire wall. Which cost no less than a full-fledged salary of a Soviet engineer, and if with some special pattern, then two or three salaries.

The most expensive were original carpets – Azerbaijani, Turkmen, Kyrgyz. They served both as soundproofing and as a background for photo shoots (raise your hand, who does not have a photo from childhood against the background of a carpet), and the opportunity a couple of times a year to warm up properly, knocking out this luxury on the street – be sure in front of the whole yard to show their status.

Crystal

A huge, heavy vase with thick walls. The richer the decor, the more expensive. Wine glasses, salad bowls, wine glasses, decanters – the hostess is bad if her sideboard is not filled with chic crystal gizmos (they ideally frame the Madonna in the center of the composition).

Crystal was given for weddings, anniversaries, and other important events. To break even one element of the service was a terrible tragedy.

Imported crystal was especially chic. If you could afford to proudly say that you have Bohemian glass, everyone, you have the stigma of a wealthy person. And if you are also the owner of cupronickel cutlery, you will definitely be envied. And if you suddenly tore off the label “Bohemia” from the master’s glass by accident while visiting, you could be cursed.

Kitchen set

Soviet housewives not only didn’t dream about built-in kitchens, they didn’t even know. The pinnacle of Soviet industry is the identical white glossy cabinets that were in many apartments. Those who did not have even such, were content with scattered, free-standing wardrobes or made a headset on their own – almost every adult man at that time could put together a stool or make a wardrobe.

But then imported kitchens remained a dream – Czech, Polish, they were very bright colors: red, blue. These were in stores, but not everyone had enough money for them. But what really few people could afford was Romanian furniture, including kitchen furniture.

Chandelier “Cascade”

A chandelier with “pendants” imitating crystal was not very expensive (25 rubles), but very scarce. Unable to buy a real crystal lamp, Soviet citizens swept the counterfeit for it off the shelves. However, deliveries of goods rarely reached the stores: they were snapped up at the stage of the warehouse by resellers and “acquaintances of acquaintances”.

At the same time, everyone knew what agony would wash this chandelier, they knew that the pendants would fall and break, that the fastenings were terrible. But even this did not stop our man in pursuit of beauty.

But the real crystal chandeliers were primarily imported, mainly Czechoslovakian. And they cost like a small car.

Trelyage

A low bedside table on legs with a triple mirror must have been in the apartment of every Soviet woman of fashion. It was used as a dressing table – an important ladies’ furniture accessory. And no matter that it was impossible to sit behind him, he was so short. The very fact of its presence already spoke of the good taste of the hostess and her desire to take care of herself.

However, trellis is for those who are richer. In an average apartment there was a dressing glass – almost the same, with only one mirror. Most often, his place was in the corridor: there were slippers in the lockers, and combs on the curbstone itself. And always an openwork napkin.

Home phone

Was not in every house. You could have stood in line for decades to connect to the PBX, unless, of course, you were a privileged family and did not receive it for some reason.

So at some point “for prestige” people who just got in line were already buying the device itself. They put it in a prominent place at home or fixed it on the wall. At the same time, push-button devices were considered special chic, which were much more difficult to buy than the usual disk ones.  

Sideboard

Where is the hostess to keep the crystal dear to her heart? Of course, in a sideboard – such a massive polished sideboard with legs. It is imperative that there are sliding glass doors and ordinary cabinets below.

It was not difficult to buy one. But the sideboard-slide from the GDR was the object of special desire. It consisted of two parts – a removable top glass and a blind bottom. Putting the dishes in such a sideboard was a double indicator of the wealth in the family.