Holidays in the USSR: Where did Soviet families go on vacation and how much did it cost?

Let’s imagine we go back 40 years to 1984. Summer is just around the corner, which means that Soviet people urgently need to make sure that they can go on vacation with their families this season.

The first step when trying to reach domestic resorts will be a medical examination at a local clinic. This is necessary to get a referral for sanatorium treatment – you will suddenly be “lucky” to find ailments and go to the seaside completely free of charge to improve your health. If everything turns out to be normal with your health, the second step will be to contact the union committee. We line up there and get a family discount of up to 50%. Without it, an average trip costs 80 to 120 rubles per family. The maximum price is indicated for 21 days of stay in the sanatorium, the minimum for 12 days of rest in the hostel.

For comparison, the average salary in the country during the same period was about 120 rubles. It turns out that working for a month and then resting for almost a month is enough. But the real challenge wasn’t saving money for the holiday, but having the time to travel. The distribution system for sanatorium-resort treatment was developed to the smallest detail in the Soviet Union. And they lined up early for them.

So where can we go under these conditions? We are talking about the five most popular resorts in the USSR.

Yalta

It was Yalta that was considered an elite resort throughout the country. And since holidays in the Soviet Union were mostly medical, the most desirable places to visit here were sanatoriums with health programs.

One of the most popular resorts was the Kurpaty holiday home (also known as Druzhba). From afar, the building of the futuristic complex resembles a flying saucer with panoramic windows, the view of which goes directly to the Black Sea coast. The organization specializes in treating people with respiratory and musculoskeletal diseases. It was these patients who came to the peninsula from all over the Union.

Yalta had many cinemas, theaters and clubs where cultural events and concerts were held. One of the most famous theaters in the city is the Yalta Theatre. AP Chekhov, where productions and tours of artists from all over the country regularly take place. But at the same time, the main hobby of Soviet citizens was relaxing on the banks of Yalta. For example, one of the most popular beaches in the city was Massandrovsky. It still exists, but now there are many cafes and restaurants.

Anapa

There were many children’s sanatoriums and camps in Anapa. One of the first to appear at the resort was the Sokol pioneer camp. And, by the way, it was possible to enter absolutely free – coupons were distributed to parents from work. At the same time, adults did not stand aside. The best sanatorium in Anapa was considered the diagnostic and medical institution “DiLuch”. It opened in 1923 and is still in operation today. And if nothing surprises modern tourists now, then Soviet citizens can be attracted here by a multitude of medical services – a mud bath, a special section of sea baths, an x-ray room and even a healing beach with a bath.

Sochi

We are sure that not a single Soviet person could have imagined that the Winter Olympic Games could be held in the southern resort of the country. However, during the USSR period, this direction was chosen in the name of the Central Sanatorium named after him. Voroshilov. On an area of ​​30 hectares overgrown with coniferous and deciduous forests, organically merging with the dendrological park, there was one of the most beautiful corners of the resort. By the way, its main feature was the presence of a funicular right on the territory of the boarding house. So you can go down to the Black Sea coast right there.

Now this place has been renamed Sochinsky sanatorium. It is a multifunctional medical institution affiliated with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Here, treatment, preventive care and medical rehabilitation services are provided not only to military personnel and their families, but also to civilians.

Evpatoria

In Soviet times, Evpatoria was called the health resort of the entire Union and the solar city, and this is no coincidence. In general, the history of the medical facility in the USSR began precisely in 1921, when Lenin signed the resolution of the Council of People’s Commissars “On the use of Crimea for the treatment of workers”. Instead of the old huts and mansions of landowners, sanatoriums, health resorts and other recreational facilities for workers began to appear. From this moment Evpatoria began to actively develop as a medical resort.

The city was considered ideal for families with children, so Soviet families more often chose the Tavria sanatorium. By the way, it was his building that was depicted on Soviet postal envelopes. Even then, the sanatorium organized many events: discos, excursions, master classes. This was complemented by its own beach and swimming pool, a rarity in medical resorts of those times.

Jurmala

During the Soviet period, the Baltic countries were almost seen as a foreign country. Despite the not very hot climate, Jurmala hosted guests from all over the Soviet Union. Mostly the Soviet elite were vacationing here, so on the weekend a Soviet citizen could easily find himself at a concert by Vladimir Vysotsky.

There were several concert halls throughout the city, more than a dozen sanatoriums and numerous hotels for visitors. One of the most popular resorts of that time was the Jurmala Hotel. This place can easily be called Las Vegas in the Soviet style: there is a casino and billiards here. And nearby is the best restaurant on the beach, Juras Perle. By the way, the most famous bartender in the entire Soviet Union, Karlis Bilders, worked there, who prepared cocktails before they became more common.