Misleading Flight

 

This is a Soviet Advertisement to fly to/from New York and Moscow on Aeroflot (the only Soviet Airline) in the 1960s.

This is very misleading.

It is made for Americans (since using English was not allowed in the USSR unless geared towards Non-Soviets.)

$384 US Dollars in 1960 is worth $4,025 US Dollars today.

This is what an average Soviet Worker would make in 10 years.

Using US Dollars (or any Foreign Currency) was illegal in the USSR.

Soviet Citizens could not travel freely around the Soviet Union.

Every Soviet over 16 years old had to carry their Internal Passport (ID) with them at all times which stated their Home Address, their Ethnicity (Russian, Jewish, Ukrainian, etc.) whether they did their Mandatory Military Service (for Males) and their Propiska.

Propiska was an Official Stamp that stated where that person was allowed to live within the USSR.

Soviets had to have Official Government Permission to change Apartments within their own City.

They had to Register themselves in every Soviet Town and City they visited more than 3 Days.

Moving to another Soviet City (unless under Official Government Assignment) was next to impossible unless through Marriage and Birth.

To Travel to Other Communist Countries like China, Cuba and the Eastern Bloc (East Germany, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria) required a Soviet Citizen to be in good-standing within the Soviet Communist Party, get countless of Reference and Character Witness Statements from Friends, Co-Workers and Employees and then wait months for approval or denial.

If they were approved they would get a Soviet International Passport (which had to be returned to the Government at the end of their Trip.)

Limited Tourist Trips to Communist Countries for Ordinary Soviets were allowed.

To travel to the United States or any non-Communist Country required the same procedures as above, but usually also required the person to provide a “Hostage” a Wife, Husband, Child, Close Family Member to stay behind in the USSR in case the person traveling defected to the West – their Relative would be arrested.

No Tourist Trips to Non-Communis Countries for Ordinary Soviets were allowed. Only Official Government Trips (Groups with ties to Culture, Government, etc.) were allowed.

Note: Putin’s Russia still has tight control over the movement of Russians.

While Propiska has officially been done away with Russians have to get a Registration Stamp in their Internal Passport when they travel to another Russian Town or City for 30 days or more.

Military age Men (18-75) can’t receive an International Passport to travel outside Russia unless they prove they haven’t been Drafted or Mobilized to fight.

Russians coming back from outside of Russia can be stopped and forced to show their Cell Phones, Laptops, Social Media Posts and Contacts (for any mention of the Ukraine War or anti-Putin Statements.) They are then arrested as “Foreign Agents” and sent to a Forced Labor Penal Colony.

Even Russians who have never left Russia can be arrested as “Foreign Agents” for the same reasons. Even just using the word “War” with regards to Russia’s attacks in Ukraine gets you 15 years in a Forced Labor Penal Colony.