Soviet industry produced huge volumes of goods. However, design diversity was not observed. So, in one model of a raincoat, half of the population of the city (and sometimes the whole region) walked around. The front doors were no better. However, Soviet citizens wanted variety and comfort in their homes. Without waiting for beautiful doors from the factories, people began to “dress” the doors in dermantine. In fairness, it should be said that there were many reasons for this interior trend.
1. For beauty
The standard wooden door, which all apartments in the USSR were equipped with, was, to put it mildly, not very attractive. To be more precise, aesthetics were completely absent in these products. But the folk idea - a model upholstered in leather or dermantin - looked simply luxurious compared to factory products. Even today, some firms specializing in the manufacture of doors offer upholstered options. And in the USSR, having such an entrance door meant following the latest fashion. Soviet citizens really liked evenly distributed carnations around the perimeter of the door leaf, constriction in the form of straps, as well as covered washers at intersections. In the entrances of apartment buildings one could see a variety of variations of such decoration. Every year more and more Soviet families "dressed" the front door in such "clothes".
2. To demonstrate wealth
The easiest way in the USSR was to get leatherette in blue and burgundy colors. However, wealthier families wanted to emphasize their social status and for this purpose upholstered the front doors in other colors: black, beige, red. At the same time, they chose leatherette of higher quality. Accordingly, such material cost more. Used high-quality and voluminous insulation. The most inventive craftsmen drew original patterns on the upholstery.
Thus, wealthy citizens in the USSR tried to stand out to the envy of everyone else. The richest people had the financial opportunity to use not leatherette, but genuine leather for door upholstery. So in the entrances of the Soviet era, it was possible to accurately identify wealthy neighbors. Their door doors had scarlet, green, or even lacquered upholstery, which made them stand out from other doors. However, sometimes the desire to show one's high status in this way led to unpleasant consequences, because the luxurious design of the door was seen not only by more mediocre neighbors, but also by apartment thieves. It was by the entrance canvases that they determined in which apartment wealthy people lived.
3. To keep the door
If some citizens liked the beautiful look of the upholstered door, others used leatherette in order to increase the life of the door. In other words, the material was perceived as a cover for the door leaf. In principle, it was a fairly rational decision. Leatherette was cheap and did not belong to the category of scarce goods. There was no need to stand in lines to get the coveted piece of this material. On the contrary, even those citizens who had an average income had the opportunity to buy artificial leather with a margin.
Soviet people quickly realized that it was more profitable to change the upholstery of the door leaf than to buy a new door or restore a damaged one. When leatherette was used to protect the door, it was simply fixed around the perimeter. Such upholstery did not imply any pattern. Entrance doors were upholstered both outside and on both sides. So they were protected from local hooligans who could scratch or paint wooden canvases.
4. For soundproofing
The upper part and the substrate partially absorbed the noise coming from the entrance. Standard entrance doors in the USSR were quite thin. Therefore, they were upholstered with materials that could provide sound insulation. Foam rubber and even an old blanket were used as a filler.
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5. For thermal insulation.
The substrate had not only soundproof properties. It also effectively retained heat. In order for the apartment to remain warm, up to several layers of foam rubber or other insulation were laid under leatherette. At the same time, they tried to give preference to inexpensive and lightweight materials. Thus, Soviet people protected housing from drafts and cold.
6. To protect against bad odors
In the apartments of those tenants who had not yet had time to complete the upholstery of the front door, cigarette smoke from the entrance penetrated through its cracks. Added to this pungent odor was an equally nasty smell from the garbage chute. Meanwhile, leatherette in combination with a heater was an excellent solution to this problem. He closed the cracks, thereby protecting the owners of the apartment from unpleasant and harmful odors.
It should be noted that modern designers see trends in the gradual revival of the Soviet style in the interior. And doors with artificial leather upholstery can be bought not only in used condition, but also brand new, with a factory warranty. As they say, everything new is a well-forgotten old.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/201021/60933/