Part-time jobs in the USSR

In the USSR, as now, the work of night watchmen was most often performed by pensioners, but at times an interesting young woman, eager for additional earnings, could make such an unusual choice.

“Around 1976, I set myself a goal: make money for a trip to the south! Therefore, in addition to my work in the workshop at the factory, I found a place for a night watchman. In the end, I guarded the premises of the ZHKO, and since I immediately took 2 rates, I had to spend the night at the post every day. It turned out well – 130 rubles per month (one rate was – 65 rubles.). I came, lay down on the cot, and began to dream how I would go south and what clothes I would buy with my earned money. No adventures not done. Once I slept so well in my post that I did not hear a horse die in the next room, on which they carried various cargoes in the ZHKO. And then one of the laborers, zabuldyg, who came to work early in the morning, managed to pull off my Japanese umbrella. But I achieved my goal: for half a year I earned myself work both in the south and in outfits, ”recalls Galina, 65 years.

To earn some money as a janitor or janitor – it was a “classic of the genre”. Moreover, they did not yet know the words “fitness”, and therefore washing floors and sweeping the streets was regarded not only as a way to make money on beautiful clothes, but also as a type of physical activity, so that the outfits would sit better.

“I was already married, my daughter was growing up, there was not enough money. According to the ad, I found a part-time job to sweep and wash the entrances in high-rise buildings for 60 rubles a month. I worked for a whole year: I’ll wrap a broom better so that the neighbors don’t understand where I go in the evenings and go. With a part of the earned capital, I went to the capital and bought myself a bag in the Moscow department store, a beautiful autumn coat in a cage and Czechoslovak boots in a shop on Leninsky Prospekt. After that I tried to work as a janitor, but I could not stand it for a long time: there were too many trees on my plot, and I had to roll real mountains of foliage, ”says Tamara, 59 years.

The products of domestic garment factories in the USSR did not satisfy everyone with styles and quality, therefore, in pursuit of individuality, Soviet women turned to private dressmakers. And for those, sewing to order was an unofficial part-time job.

“The best fabrics and accessories were, of course, in the capital, and they drove there from the province. My ability to sew helped me a lot in my life: I sewed all my friends — dresses, skirts, robes, jackets, coats — yes, everything! At the same time she sheathed herself and her daughters. She sewed on people in the evenings and on weekends, the main place of work was at the enterprise, in the planning department. Shela I am very good, customers said that my things are with a quality mark, better than foreign ones! With this, I sometimes earned 50 rubles a month, ”shares Nina, 60 for years.

A tangle of mohair and knitting needles — so boring working days of some offices in the era of stagnation were sobering, you can even see it in some Soviet films.

But if you have good hands and get down to business seriously, it was quite possible to earn some money on bright mohair sets “scarf + cap”. An experienced craftsman could tie a headdress and a muffler from a mohair in one day and get ten rubles for a set of rubles.

Bonds of a three percent government loan issued to 1982 for the year have become an interesting financial attraction for many Soviet people. People bought securities in denominations of 25, 50 and 100 rubles, and then waited draws, which were held periodically. Non-winning bonds were printed in central Soviet newspapers.

“I remember how I found the number of my bond that won 1000 rubles in the column of numbers. I squealed with happiness so that the neighbors came running. Huge amount! Then I bought the bonds again and I was lucky several times, won several times on 500 rubles, and on 40 rubles – and very often! I remember going as a millionaire incognito to shopping in regional centers and villages: they “threw” scarce cosmetics “Lankom” and French lace underwear into the market ”, recalls Natalya, 64 of the year.

“At the end of 70, the beginning of 80, my mother worked as a dressmaker at a sewing factory and once decided to earn some money, together with a team of familiar painters, to make repairs in a private apartment. It turned out that for the paint business she had a talent – and plastering, and the wallpaper turned out to be very clean from her. So she began to work as a painter after work. And then she quit the factory and officially got into the painters brigade. They had time to do the main work, and to “tame” apartment repairs, ”says Ekaterina, 58 years.

And so it was: while repairing the apartments of Soviet citizens, women who were not afraid of hard physical work could live well.

“When my Russian grandmother, in the middle of 50, married my Armenian grandfather, they came to live in his suburb of Sukhumi. And she simply struck all the residents of the village with the fact that she herself put down two stoves – a summer one, on the street, and in the house. Previously, in these places in the houses the stoves were not heated. And she showered orders! She became the first female stove-setter in the village and worked very well on this, ”says Karina, 35 years.

How strong was the province? How could she surprise rich Moscow? Of course, harvests. The blessing of trading in the market the fruits of their labor to the citizens of the USSR no one forbade. From all over the Union, villagers brought meat, vegetables, fruits, greens, berries, mushrooms, homemade pickles, nuts of different varieties and other food to the Moscow and St. Petersburg markets.

Raisa, 67 years:

“In our village, cucumber is a“ city-forming ”vegetable. People on cucumbers earned their houses and cars, raised their children and gave education! In the “Brezhnev” times, too, brought the harvest to Moscow and traded on the market. Kilo of cucumbers – 25 − 30 kopecks. What is not sold on the first day – at night in a pickle with herbs and garlic. And in the morning of the next day we are trading salted! Then with the proceeds we go to Moscow shops, we dress ourselves up and dress the children. I remember, for example, one of my purchases – a set of Czechoslovakian jewelery by the Yablonex company from the Belgrade store. Cost set a lot – 50 rubles! Shone all the lights, I then wore these decorations for a long, long time! ”

By the way, if some Soviet women “heated up” on the sale of the harvest, others, often city-dwellers, rather than villagers, were hired in the summer to collective farms to harvest vegetables and fruits. For this work, they either gave a few kilograms of the crop, or a small amount of money.

The famous anecdote about an actor who refuses to shoot at a famous director in Hollywood, referring to the fact that he had “Christmas trees” during this period, was invented in the Soviet era.

Representatives of the creative professions under Leonid Ilyich were not particularly gorgeous, but the active and enterprising could afford fashionable suede jackets, imported smoky sunglasses, and trendy safari dresses, and dazzling beauty of a sabot with rivets. The main thing – do not yawn!

Catherine, 58 years:

“At the beginning of 80’s, my husband and I worked in the Almaty TYUZ, our salary was 110 rubles – it was very little. And the whole year we waited for the New Year holidays, because we had the main income once a year – on the Christmas trees! Usually the actors themselves went to organizations and offered their services. We were lucky with clients, for example, we did New Year programs in such “closed” offices as the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Performed brigade – Santa Claus, Snow Maiden and the accordion player. My husband Sergey was always Grandfather Frost, and I – both the Snow Maiden, Zimushka-Winter, and Baba-Yaga, and some harmful evil force that strives to spoil the New Year … I wrote the scenarios of our programs myself. For one performance, we received as much as 200 rubles for the brigade! Sometimes my husband managed to step on the stage in a performance, say his text and quickly leave on the car provided by the customer, play the “Christmas tree” and go back to his final exit! After this “chesa”, we could afford a trip to the south during the holidays, and dress up, for example, buy me imported boots for 150 rubles in the store.

In addition, theatrical actors sometimes worked on radio, television and film. Once I had a completely enchanting part-time job: I starred in the studio “Kazakhfilm” in a small role in the film “Man-deer”. For one shooting day I was paid a half thousand rubles! Proud of what I’m getting, I bought a furniture wall for this money. ”