Encyclopedia of the Soviet era · 1922–1991
Born in the USSR
The history, culture and daily life of the Soviet Union — verified facts gathered in one place. In Russian and English.
First way in · by time
Timeline of the era
From revolution to dissolution — nine turning points.
Second way in · by topic
Topics
Six broad areas of Soviet life.
Power & Politics
The Party, the state, its leaders, repression and foreign policy.
02Economy
Five-year plans, industrialization, shortages and the planned system.
03Society & Daily Life
Housing, education, medicine, work, fashion and leisure.
04Culture & Arts
Cinema, music, literature, architecture and censorship.
05Science & Space
The space programme, the atomic project and big science.
06Military & Defense
The Great Patriotic War, the Cold War and the defence industry.
07People
Cosmonauts, scientists, leaders, engineers and artists — the lives of the people who shaped the era.
Latest materials
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The GAZ-M1 Emka: Design Changes Behind the 1936 Car
Where the Emka came from, how its running gear differed from Ford and what 1940 technical consultations reveal about maintaining the GAZ-M1.
The Narkomfin Building: Apartment Cells and Transitional Housing
How Ginzburg, Milinis and Prokhorov combined separate apartments with shared services, and why Narkomfin was conceived as transitional housing.
Luna 1: A Missed Moon and the First Orbit Around the Sun
How Luna 1 missed its intended lunar impact and entered solar orbit, why it released a sodium cloud and what its scientific instruments measured.
Science & Space
First into space
The space race defined the era — events that reshaped the 20th century.
About
Facts you can trust
Every entry rests on verifiable sources. Where historians disagree, we show the different positions rather than a single verdict.