Rationing in the Soviet Union

Rationing in the Soviet Union was introduced several times, in periods of economical hardships.

1929-1930

During the rationing of 1929-30 a whole category of people known as "lishentsy" was deprived of rations.

Perestroika

The last, 12th Five-Year Plan that fell within the "perestroika" period ended with uncontrolled economical degradation, resulted in part in various ways of rationing in all Union republics.

Rationing of money

Perestroika produced a unique type of rationing: rationing of money. In 1990 in Byelorussian SSR introduced a "Consumer's Card", which was a paper sheet sectioned into tear-off coupons with various designated monetary values: 20, 75, 100, 200, and 300 rubles. These coupons were required in addition to real money when purchasing certain categories of consumer goods. The coupons had next to none protection and could be easily counterfeited on modern color copiers. (Fortunately, copiers were scarce in the Soviet Union and under strict control of KGB, which to an extent limited, but not excluded, forging). The coupons were distributed at workplaces together with salary and had to bear the accountant's department stamp and signatures. This was an attempt to protect from profiteering, especially from profiteering by resales abroad. [Bayura A.N., "Paper Money Circulation in the Territory of Belarus in 18th-20th Centuries" (Баюра А.Н., Бумажно-денежное обращение на территории Беларуси в XVIII - XX веках,) Brest, Brest State Technical University, 2003, ISBN 978-985-6584-69-8 ru icon]

ee also

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References