Buying a car in Moscow, the USSR (the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics = the Soviet Union = The Country of Matured Socialism = The Country of almost built Communism)
In 1966 we decided to buy a car. This statement does not tell much to people, living in a Western country. But Russians, who remember that time, know it was an extreme luxury in Russia to have any car. In the government Research Center (let me remind the reader that the USSR, which at that time was a country of mature socialism, had the single employer, Government), where I worked from 1960 to almost the day of emigration, there were about 10,000 employees with and without various science degrees. About 30 people, including Academicians, had “Doctor of Science” Degree (that kind of degree does not exist in the USA), about 300 people had “Candidate of Science” Degrees (similar to PhD degree in the USA); other people were junior scientists, junior and senior engineers, high qualification workers of various professions, etc. All those people received relatively high by soviet standards salaries. And in such place there was not more than 10 people, who owned a car, when we bought our car. It may be also interesting to mention, that in last few months, before he was deposed in 1964, Premier Khrushchev decried private car ownership as a “capitalist attitude”, not appropriate to citizens of a socialist country. I believe that the first car was sold from the special government store to more or less ordinary people in 1965-66.
So, I started looking for information about how to buy a car. I found out there was a line to buy a car, but nobody could tell me for sure what kind of car it maybe or if there will be any cars to buy at all. The only well-known information was that the process may take about 10 years or at least 5 years. The line of people, wishing to buy a car, has been organized by group of volunteers (I thought so), who created the list and invited everybody to come on an outskirt of Moscow every three months at the late evening and produce their number and name and verify it against the list. Anyone, who did not come one time to verify their identity, has been crossed out of the list. After staying in line for 4 or 5 years we were informed that they will sold us "Zhiguli". VAZ-2101, commonly nicknamed "Zhiguli" and "Kopeyka" (for the smallest coin in the USSR, similar to 1 cent in the USA ); a compact sedan car (small class, model 1 in Soviet classification of passenger cars), produced by AvtoVAZ and introduced in 1970, the factory’s first product. It was a re-engineered version of the Fiat 124 tailored for the nations of the Socialist Eastern Bloc. There was also rumors about approximate price for the car we may be able to buy. I believe it was about 10,000 rubles, which was equivalent of about 100 months of an engineer’s salary in the USSR.
The only kind of payment, existed in Soviet Union, was cash – no checks, no credit cards, etc. The closer to the finish line the more often we were called to come and prove our existence. Last two weeks we had to come every evening to be checked in the list. Day, previous to the day, when we should bring and pay money for the car (which was few days before we get the car), following night and the day of payment each buyer should be in line all the time. In other words, each buyer should be in line at least 36 hours. I stayed 12 hours in line, then my father-in-law stayed 12 hours, then I stayed 12 hours and after that my father-in-law came and brought cash in aluminum milk can, which was tied to his arm by the piece of wire. At the end of the second day in line, when it became dark, I have paid for a car and they included me in the group with about twenty other people.
They told us when we should come to get a car. It was an evening in few days. An employee of the store led whole group to the gate in very tall fence surrounding a lot with about twenty five cars. The employee of store told us that after he opens gate we can run and choose a car. He added that we do not have much time and opened the gate. Pushing each other everybody ran through gates to choose a car. Who was faster than others could choose a car at least by color. Others had no choice and gotten cars that left on the lot even if they did not like color of a car or something else. Nobody had time and opportunity to check anything in the car they have gotten.
When, in several years, I was selling that car on black market it had about 15,000 km on odometer and I never had an accident. The buyer was an experienced mechanic from Caucasus. In few minutes he found out and proved to me that the car was in a serious accident and big painting job has been done on left side. He also found that the car was on road for at least 35,000 km and odometer was turned back. Nevertheless he agreed to pay for the car more cash, than I paid for the “new” car. Reason for it was, that there was no official market for selling used cars and people with money, especially from Caucasus, paid “any” money for the car. He also took all documents to militia (police) and they processed them in less than three hours. If it would not be him I doubt that I ever could do it myself. After deal was done, I contacted three or four people, with whom I stood more than four years in line for that car. I never had time to talk to them after I bought the car. I told them that, instead of new car, the government sold me a used car, which was in an accident. Two of them told me, that they have the same problems with their cars.
B.V., September 2015
In 1966 we decided to buy a car. This statement does not tell much to people, living in a Western country. But Russians, who remember that time, know it was an extreme luxury in Russia to have any car. In the government Research Center (let me remind the reader that the USSR, which at that time was a country of mature socialism, had the single employer, Government), where I worked from 1960 to almost the day of emigration, there were about 10,000 employees with and without various science degrees. About 30 people, including Academicians, had “Doctor of Science” Degree (that kind of degree does not exist in the USA), about 300 people had “Candidate of Science” Degrees (similar to PhD degree in the USA); other people were junior scientists, junior and senior engineers, high qualification workers of various professions, etc. All those people received relatively high by soviet standards salaries. And in such place there was not more than 10 people, who owned a car, when we bought our car. It may be also interesting to mention, that in last few months, before he was deposed in 1964, Premier Khrushchev decried private car ownership as a “capitalist attitude”, not appropriate to citizens of a socialist country. I believe that the first car was sold from the special government store to more or less ordinary people in 1965-66.
So, I started looking for information about how to buy a car. I found out there was a line to buy a car, but nobody could tell me for sure what kind of car it maybe or if there will be any cars to buy at all. The only well-known information was that the process may take about 10 years or at least 5 years. The line of people, wishing to buy a car, has been organized by group of volunteers (I thought so), who created the list and invited everybody to come on an outskirt of Moscow every three months at the late evening and produce their number and name and verify it against the list. Anyone, who did not come one time to verify their identity, has been crossed out of the list. After staying in line for 4 or 5 years we were informed that they will sold us "Zhiguli". VAZ-2101, commonly nicknamed "Zhiguli" and "Kopeyka" (for the smallest coin in the USSR, similar to 1 cent in the USA ); a compact sedan car (small class, model 1 in Soviet classification of passenger cars), produced by AvtoVAZ and introduced in 1970, the factory’s first product. It was a re-engineered version of the Fiat 124 tailored for the nations of the Socialist Eastern Bloc. There was also rumors about approximate price for the car we may be able to buy. I believe it was about 10,000 rubles, which was equivalent of about 100 months of an engineer’s salary in the USSR.
The only kind of payment, existed in Soviet Union, was cash – no checks, no credit cards, etc. The closer to the finish line the more often we were called to come and prove our existence. Last two weeks we had to come every evening to be checked in the list. Day, previous to the day, when we should bring and pay money for the car (which was few days before we get the car), following night and the day of payment each buyer should be in line all the time. In other words, each buyer should be in line at least 36 hours. I stayed 12 hours in line, then my father-in-law stayed 12 hours, then I stayed 12 hours and after that my father-in-law came and brought cash in aluminum milk can, which was tied to his arm by the piece of wire. At the end of the second day in line, when it became dark, I have paid for a car and they included me in the group with about twenty other people.
They told us when we should come to get a car. It was an evening in few days. An employee of the store led whole group to the gate in very tall fence surrounding a lot with about twenty five cars. The employee of store told us that after he opens gate we can run and choose a car. He added that we do not have much time and opened the gate. Pushing each other everybody ran through gates to choose a car. Who was faster than others could choose a car at least by color. Others had no choice and gotten cars that left on the lot even if they did not like color of a car or something else. Nobody had time and opportunity to check anything in the car they have gotten.
When, in several years, I was selling that car on black market it had about 15,000 km on odometer and I never had an accident. The buyer was an experienced mechanic from Caucasus. In few minutes he found out and proved to me that the car was in a serious accident and big painting job has been done on left side. He also found that the car was on road for at least 35,000 km and odometer was turned back. Nevertheless he agreed to pay for the car more cash, than I paid for the “new” car. Reason for it was, that there was no official market for selling used cars and people with money, especially from Caucasus, paid “any” money for the car. He also took all documents to militia (police) and they processed them in less than three hours. If it would not be him I doubt that I ever could do it myself. After deal was done, I contacted three or four people, with whom I stood more than four years in line for that car. I never had time to talk to them after I bought the car. I told them that, instead of new car, the government sold me a used car, which was in an accident. Two of them told me, that they have the same problems with their cars.
B.V., September 2015
