In Soviet times, there was an ideal of women. She had to work hard at work and at home, ignore personal needs, sacrificing them for the benefit of the family, look good, but at the same time not put appearance in the first place, and much more. Novate.ru tells why Rabotnitsa, Peasant Woman and other magazines shamed their readers for what. Spoiler: modern girls will be shocked.
Mistake 1: Paying a lot of attention to appearance
If now the ability to dress fashionably, take care of yourself, do a beautiful hairstyle and makeup that emphasize the dignity of appearance - this is a big plus for every girl, then before such habits were considered a sign of a bourgeois lifestyle, and even promiscuity. The simpler and more unprepossessing the Soviet woman looked, the better. The same type of floral outfits, short haircut, discreet shades, length below the knee - this was the image of a citizen of the Soviet Union.
In articles that were published in the Rabotnitsa magazine in the 70s of the last century, girls were advised to pay a minimum of attention to clothing. The fair sex had to think not about attractiveness and appearance, but about more important matters. It was important for them to maintain a relaxed manner and self-respect, no matter what they were wearing.
Miss 2: Interested in fashion
If a person is interested in fashion, it means that he wants to stand out, to demonstrate his own vision of what his wardrobe should be like. Alas, such an approach was not welcomed in the USSR. Women were made clear that all their thoughts should be about shock production, household and family, and not about what citizens of other countries wear. Passion for fashion, love for beautiful clothes and attempts to buy or sew a dress, as for a favorite actress, were not welcome. Moreover, such girls were called profursets behind their eyes.
The authors of the Rabotnitsa magazine recommended that readers not demonstrate their craving for fashion, avoid talk about beautiful outfits, dress modestly, ignoring bright colors so that no one doubts their honor and dignity. Pleated skirts and blouses for men were considered ideal for girls.
Miss 3: Wearing long hair aged
In the modern world, it is customary to call a woman aged a lady who has crossed the 50-year mark. In the Soviet Union, this concept was somewhat peculiar. According to society, a woman became mature after 30 years, and by the age of 50 she turned into an elderly lady. However, if we take into account the appearance of Soviet ladies, then we can agree with this statement. Women "aged" wore baggy clothes in dark colors, shoes with minimal heels, and preferred to do without makeup. They were also required to wear short hair. So, in the magazine "Worker" an article was published that said that women over 40 do not have long hair. The author claimed that the bob and hairstyle "under the boy" give a youthful look. We would argue with that.
Blunder 4: Refusal of household chores
The Soviet woman was not only the keeper of the family hearth. She had to work in production, take an active part in public life, and raise children. In order to manage to cope with all the duties, I had to spin like a squirrel in a wheel. This is now the girl may well ask her husband for help with the housework, for example, cook dinner, wash the dishes or vacuum. In the Soviet Union, this approach caused a lot of criticism. An attempt to shift household duties onto the shoulders of a man was considered a shame, and if the spouse agreed to help, he was called henpecked. At the same time, no one even thought of leaving work and doing exclusively household duties - such a decision was also condemned by society.
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Mistake 5: Keeping quiet about family problems
Soviet families were like palms, because it was society that regulated personal life and gave advice on how to behave in a given situation. It was not customary to hide problems - relatives, friends, colleagues and even neighbors knew about conflicts within the family. And if a woman tried to keep everything a secret, sooner or later they found out about it anyway, and then she was subjected to harsh criticism from others.
The press actively promoted the idea that a husband or wife can be "re-educated." Recall at least the popular story in the USSR about Yegor and Matryona. After the husband insulted and swung at his wife, she decided to leave him so as not to endure the beatings anymore. With the help of the village council, Matryona divided the jointly acquired property and moved in with her sister. The girl did not lose heart and completely immersed herself in work, becoming a link, received fame and respect. Yegor realized his mistakes, asked for forgiveness from his wife and they again became a family. Such instructive stories were often printed in The Peasant Woman and The Worker Woman.
Mistake 6: Don't send the child to the nursery
As you already understood, the Soviet woman had a lot of responsibilities, and therefore she could not sit on maternity leave for a long time. After the baby was three or four months old, young mothers enrolled him in the infant group, and they themselves went to work. The state actively promoted such work. Another proof of this is the growing popularity of the "five days", which assumed that the children were in the garden from Monday to Friday.
It cannot be said that the concept of a housewife was completely absent, but it was perceived as a relic of the past. The magazines actively promoted the idea that a woman should both work and take care of children, because the state creates all the conditions for this. Information was constantly published about how many new nursery groups and kindergartens were opened, what is the occupancy rate in them. The child was perceived by society as the "son of the regiment", and the mother had to devote time not to his upbringing, but to the construction of socialism.
As you can see, a woman in the Soviet Union had to perform many duties, but at the same time no one said “thank you”, because daily hard work was taken for granted. The girl had to prove herself well in all spheres of life, from the household to social activities. At least that's how the Soviet magazines saw it. The desire to live up to the unattainable socialist ideal played a cruel joke on many people, preventing them from truly living and enjoying every day.
But 7 Soviet household tricks that a modern housewife will not use
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/230322/62399/