“People determine their well-being not by statistics, but by the amount of money in their pocket”

60 years ago, the USSR began to implement the Program for building communism. And they expected to complete the creation of the material and technical base of a bright future in 1980.

Yes, it was. I remember well. Clearly visible in the literal sense. We, the boys, returning from a ski trip in the city park, came to my house, and there the postman brought Pioneer Truth. On the entire first page – a bright color drawing. Snow mountain. Below, at the foot, the coming New Year – Santa Claus with the inscription on his chest: “1962 Socialism.” And above, on the mountain, the New Year of a bright future – a laughing boy with the inscription “1980 Communism.”

Indeed, in October 1961, the Prime Minister of the USSR, the first secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Nikita Khrushchev announced from the rostrum of the XXII Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union:
“The Party solemnly proclaims: the present generation of Soviet people will live under communism!” The program stated: “The main economic task of the Party and the Soviet people is to create the material and technical basis of communism within two decades.”

Three years later, Khrushchev was removed from his post as a result of a conspiracy. And in the future, they tried to mention the Program for building communism as rarely as possible, and then they completely fell silent. But the people knew and remembered. Not only because six months before the congress the Program was printed in all the newspapers and submitted for public discussion, and then studied in all collectives, schools, and institutes. And also because they believed. Even if there was a slight or even slight doubt that “under communism everything will be free” – it seemed too unbelievable. But there was a basis for faith. The economy and the national economy of the country were restored in the shortest possible time after the devastating war. 12 years after the war, the world’s first artificial Earth satellite flew into space. Soviet. And it was a scientific and technological breakthrough of world significance. And 3 years later, 15 years after the war, the first flight around the planet Earth was made by the first spacecraft with a man on board. And this man was a citizen of the USSR Yuri Gagarin.

Changes in social life were also striking. Starting from the same 1957, when they launched conveyor in-line production and installation of panel five-story houses. The country was coming out of cellars and barracks.

Yes, with the approach of the 80s, they began to talk about the coming communism with irony, numerous anecdotes appeared. But for all that, there was a certain confidence, if not in a dazzling communist future, then in a modest tomorrow. They knew that children could get a free education. They knew that they would move into a well-maintained state-owned apartment, albeit not immediately, “when the turn came up.” Yes, for many it stretched out for many years, but they knew. Confidence was reinforced, albeit relative, but by equality. So, the salary of a high-ranking machine operator was slightly lower, or even equal to the salary of a factory director or secretary of the city committee of the CPSU. It’s even ridiculous to imagine now.

Because in the history of Russia for the last 30 (!) years, the population did not have not only an “image of the future”, but also elementary confidence in the future. There are state plans, federal national projects, but they are on their own, and the life of ordinary Russians flows by itself. Few people know and remember about these global plans. They probably don’t care about them. That is, there is no faith in them. No reason. It would seem that the Strategy-2020 should have become the foundation of the future and the present.

Governmental “Rossiyskaya Gazeta” March 18, 2008 solemnly informed the citizens:

“By 2020, Russians will receive an average of $2,700 per month, have at least 100 square meters for a family of three… Such forecasts are contained in the Concept of Russia’s socio-economic development until 2020. Yesterday, this document appeared on the website of the Ministry of Economic Development… The transformations will take place in three stages: 2008-2012 – preparation for a breakthrough, 2013-2017 – a breakthrough, from 2018 it is planned to begin consolidating what has been achieved … At the third stage, from 2017 to 2020, it is planned ” consolidation of the leading positions of Russia in the world economy”.

Yes, on the website of the Ministry of Economic Development on March 17, 2008, in the text “Concepts …” it was written: “The average monthly wage in the economy will increase in 2020 to 2,700 US dollars (2007 – 526 US dollars)”.

But when the Strategy-2020 was approved, the clause on 2,700 dollars of salary was nevertheless removed.

It was also promised that by 2020 Russia would increase the volume of gross domestic product by 64-66% from the level of 2012 and enter the “five” countries in terms of GDP, ahead of Germany. However, by 2022 we are in 11th place, behind South Korea.

As for the real incomes of the population, from 2013 to 2018 they decreased by 8.3%.

Just yesterday, December 13, Olga Batalina, First Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, announced that real incomes of the population are declining and to this day.

In 2008, according to Rosstat, the number of citizens living below the poverty line was 19 million – 13.4% of the total population.

As of April 2022, their number has increased to 20.9 million.

True, by September it dropped sharply – 17.2 million. Perhaps, new methods of calculation have affected. Statistics is a tricky business. This is what President Putin also spoke about half a month ago at a meeting with members of the government: “Of course, we must be guided by the figures given by statistics. But, firstly, statistical records themselves need to be improved, and secondly, frankly, I beg your pardon, but still people think they determine their well-being not by statistics, but by quantity money in your pocket“.

That’s for sure. Apart from the fact that it is time to define the term “poverty line” or, in a new way, “poverty line”. If people live “below the poverty line” or “beyond the poverty line”, does it mean that they live in poverty? And how many then are simply “in poverty”?

According to a September opinion poll, half of Russians expect their family life to improve in five years.

Sergei Baimukhametov.