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5 Trends of Soviet Life That Are Still Popular in Europe
It is customary to scold the Soviet Union, contemptuously calling it a scoop. Or, conversely, to feel nostalgic for the time passed, mourning the sausage for 3 rubles. And in Europe they just took the best from that era.
Soviet life – what associations does this phrase evoke in you? Queues, washing on the board with laundry soap, cooking on the stove and bread on the radiator, string bags (by the way, those that came back to life). But were there only disadvantages then? We have collected five examples of how the Soviet reality blended into the life of modern Europe using the example of today’s Germany.
Unions
Yes, they are still in Russia today, but as a rule, they join them very rarely. And even then only in order to get some kind of benefits. In the Soviet Union, however, trade unions were a real force. With the help of trade union dues, they organized a variety of events, bought New Year’s gifts for the children of those who worked in production, from this money they allocated material assistance to those in need. However, the first and most important goal of organizing trade unions was to protect the rights and interests of workers.
So in today’s Germany, these voluntary associations of workers are a powerful mechanism in the struggle for justice in labor relations between individual enterprises and the whole country. With their strikes, trade unions can literally everything, even stop the movement of trains and airplanes. And thus – to achieve an increase in salaries or an increase in the number of vacation days.
Recycling points
In the Soviet Union, various waste – paper, cardboard, metal, rags and glass – were disposed of in an organized manner. All this could be handed over for a fee to special collection points for recyclable materials. The same kind of organized waste disposal is admired by many in Germany today. Old household appliances, dishes, furniture, plastic, metal and much more, respectable citizens do not put in the trash heap, but bring them to collection points for recyclable materials. In this way, unauthorized landfills are prevented and environmental awareness is increased. In Russia, this can also be done, but traffic has not yet been put on stream: many simply have no idea where they can take unnecessary things.
Points of acceptance of glass containers
The idea of throwing away a bottle of beer or milk rarely occurred to a Soviet person, because for this glass container one could get money by handing it over to the reception points that existed for this. In Germany today, according to the same principle, they get rid of not only glass, but also plastic bottles or jars of yogurt. In addition to glass containers, there are always vending machines for plastic or glass bottles in every living area in Germany’s supermarkets.
The price of drinks or dairy products includes a security deposit for a package (from 15 to 25 cents) in advance. The buyer receives this money back upon delivery of empty containers.
This is not done in all European countries, but in Germany this principle works perfectly and is a good source of income for the unemployed. So, a couple of years ago, a story about one homeless person thundered all over Germany, who for ten years collected bottles at rock festivals and thus saved himself for a house-car.
Stores with goods by weight
What was the norm in Soviet stores in the last century is very fashionable and progressive in Europe today. Not only in villages, but also in big cities, more and more shops appear where pasta, cereals and even cosmetics can be bought by weight. You just need to bring suitable reusable glass or plastic jars with you. Trips to such stores are very environmentally friendly, since both the store and the customer save on packaging and reduce waste production.
Childlessness tax
In the Soviet Union, it was unprofitable not to have children, since in order to stimulate the birth rate, the income of childless citizens was taxed not only with income, but also with a childlessness tax (6% of wages). So in modern Germany, those who have children pay significantly less taxes to the country’s treasury than those who live alone and have not acquired offspring.