How did Soviet youth entertain themselves then, and how does it differ from modern

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Young people have always strived for entertainment, at all times. Today the Internet has burst into our lives, changing a lot. People are more likely to stay at home, chatting online, not trying to meet in person. Everything was different under the USSR. And although many of the interests and hobbies of young people have not changed, they began to be expressed in a different form. Why go to the movies when you can watch a movie online? Read how the Soviet youth was having fun and compare it with the current situation. You will be surprised how much everything has changed.

Dance! School discos and dances in clubs under the control of vigilantes

Dance floors where you could have a rest appeared a long time ago. People willingly visited them in 40-50-60 years, trying to listen to live music and dance. In those days, each dance had its own name, an entertainer worked instead of a DJ. The girls tried to wear the best dress, the men - the dress suit. The so-called discos appeared in the early 80s and quickly gained popularity among young people.

Instead of live music, they began to use audio recordings, and a "disc jockey" directed the action. It was unusual and interesting, the quality of the disco was determined by the tracks that were used in the entertainment process. Everyone wanted to listen to the recordings of popular Western bands. First they used reel-to-reel, and then cassette tape recorders, and this seemed to be an achievement of musical technique.

In the USSR, almost every university had its own vocal and instrumental ensembles, and their members were real stars. Discos were also held in schools, it depended on the progressiveness of the leadership. Young people also went to clubs where "dances" were arranged. True, there were often clashes between jealous boyfriends, but the riots were quickly suppressed by the vigilantes. Such people with red armbands on their sleeves were an invariable attribute of any youth public get-together of those times. Discos have become a way to get to know each other, relax, show oneself. Boys and girls tried to dress as extravagant as possible, to learn popular movements. For many, going to the dance was a real test of communication skills.

Let's go to the cinema? Traditional and favorite entertainment

Soviet youth loved going to the movies. It was considered good form to invite a girl to the premiere of a new film. Almost everyone visited the cinemas, they went there as if on a date or just as a friendly company.

Fortunately, cinema tickets were very cheap in those days. The cost depended on the row in which the seats were bought. The cheapest were the so-called "kissing spots", that is, the last row. Traditionally, people came to the cinema in advance to take a walk in the lobby, see posters hanging on the walls with advertisements for new films and photographs of actors, chat, and, of course, buy ice cream and lemonade at the buffet. It was a tradition. Since the beginning of the 80s, modern cinemas began to appear, with comfortable seating, large screens and full-fledged cafes. Sometimes boys and girls bought the cheapest tickets for a movie not to watch it, but to have a good time in a cozy cafe.

Restaurants: it turns out that then students could afford them too

There were many restaurants in the USSR. Oddly enough, not only wealthy people attended them. Very often at the tables one could see a youth company, for example, students who received a scholarship and came to rest. The fact is that restaurant prices were very democratic. There was a standard set of dishes that could be ordered without much damage to the wallet. For example, Stolichny salad and Kiev cutlets cost the same throughout the country and were prepared in strict accordance with GOST.

Young people visited restaurants not only for the purpose of delicious food. Many people came there to socialize and dance. An orchestra often played in the halls, and there was enough room for dancing.

Such establishments created the illusion of a "beautiful life", since in Soviet times they strictly followed the interiors, and it would never have occurred to anyone to come to a restaurant in jeans or a stretched sweater. Of course, young people did not visit cafes and restaurants very often, but such a vacation was still in great demand. We were preparing for publication, trying to look beautiful, saving money.

By train and out of town

Country trips have always been popular. Only today, many people, having reached the age of 18, receive a car from their parents (it does not matter, new or used), and in the days of the USSR, such lucky people could be counted on one hand.

Nevertheless, going out into the fresh air with a guitar, a tent, potatoes, which were then baked on a fire, with songs and fun - such weekends were very common.

The company gathered at the station, most often on Saturday, got on the train and rushed out of town. Of course, it would be untrue to say that young men and women drank only tea in nature and modestly dispersed in the evening to the women's and men's tents. Alcohol was present, and solitude with a loved one - since then, nothing has changed. But no one was sitting, buried in a cell phone and not reacting to others.

Cultural activities: poetry evenings and informal get-togethers

Poetry evenings were a favorite leisure time for creative youth. They could be held anywhere, both outdoors (in a park, near monuments to writers and poets), and in a cafe or club. It was “cool” to read a poem by Akhmatova or Pasternak, or to please the audience with your own composition.

At the end of the 80s, so-called informal parties began to appear, at which bikers, rockers, punks, and metalheads gathered. Youth culture has undergone significant changes. The older generation probably remembers how noisy companies gathered in the courtyards who listened to the tape recorder, rode motorcycles, sang to the guitar, made noise and disturbed the sleep of the residents of high-rise buildings. Yes, the police came and dispersed the violators, but this could not change anything at all.

Themed cafes began to appear, where like-minded people met. For example, you can remember the famous Leningrad "Saigon". True, it arose in the 60s, but youth flourished in the 80s of the twentieth century.

Not all modern things are from the 21st century. Some appeared more than 100 years ago, but are still popular.