Gas Station in the USSR. How Expensive Was Gasoline in the Soviet Union?

[@UshankaShow]

Soviet Garage Video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKTNoXd6aax_rKM Soviet Cars Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLNq3y0OU1_BaHuNpVgwUbY-BKHZyqLc77 Thank you for watching the Ushanka Show! My name is Sergei Sputnikoff. I was born in the USSR in 1971. Since 1999 I have lived in the USA. The Ushanka Show was created to share stories as well as my own memories of everyday life in the USSR. My books about arriving in America are available at www.sputnikoff.com/shop (Russian or English versions) or on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNQR1FBC?binding=paperback&searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tpbk&qid=1688731325&sr=8-1 Please contact me at [e-mail] if you would like to purchase a signed copy of “American Diaries” Fan Mail: Ushanka Show P.O. Box 96 Berrien Springs MI 49103, USA You can support this project with SuperThanks tips, or: Via Patreon here: www.patreon.com/sputnikoff Viia PAYPAL: paypal.me/ushankashow Ushanka Show merchandise: teespring.com/stores/ushanka-show-shop Instagram: instagram.com/ushanka_show

[@jonthinks6238]

It is actually a lot more because of all the buraccracy and that payroll. Like the crazy hot water.

[@FlintIronstag23]

I did some research on gasoline in 1977. The median household income in the USA that year was $13,572 or $1,131 a month. The average cost of gasoline was $0.62 a gallon or $0.164 a liter. Therefore, the average Amercian household could purchase 6,896 liters of gas a month. This compares to 2,142 liters an average Soviet worker could purchase with a 150 ruble salary. If both members of a Soviet household made 150 rubles, then they could afford 4,284 liters.

[@UshankaShow]

It's even worse than my math when applying 1977 US pricing. Thanks!

[@eoinoconnell185]

But the difference is, the American could buy 6,896 liters without issue. Whereas in the USSR, buying 2,142 liters would have would have been impossible because of the coupon rationing system.

[@eoinoconnell185]

How much was the American's after-tax income ? Did the Russian pay any tax ?

[@davidlium9338]

How about disposable income?!

[@Blackadder75]

​@@davidlium9338 Americans were easily 10-20 times wealthier than soviets , no matter what statistics you use. Watch the video on this channel about Boris Jeltsin visiting a random US supermarket. but basically every video on this channel leads to this conclusion. either the the soviets didn't get something at all, or they got it 'for free' but it was poor quality, outdated, or not enough, or rationed, or behind loooooong waiting lists. (and usually all of the above) Capitalism has many other problems, but creating wealth is not one of them.

[@zachaliles]

I gotta be honest with ya, I have never thought about gas stations or the price of gas in the Soviet Union. Never even thought it would be interesting when I clicked on the video. But I watched every second and I subscribed afterwards. The way you presented everything was fantastic, keep up the good work.

[@jamesb.9155]

These are delightful and entertaining stories and so many nice photos too!

[@andreim841]

Very different from the situation in Romania at that period...we had plenty of car owners at that time, the problem was that gas was rationalized at 20 liters/month for every privately owned car. We also had restrictions during weekend so roads would not get congested; license plates at that time had the format 1-XX- 1234. One weekend the odd plates were allowed on the roads and the next weekend the even number plates. Also at the first snow all privately owned vehicles where banned from the roads until spring.

[@mollymollie6048]

Wow! That’s less than 5 gallons of gas a month! (US and we have to be weird in how we measure everything 🙄 metric system, please!!!) Idk if in a town or city in Romania that mass transportation (buses, subways, trams) were easily available, making it easy to not use the car often, but if using it to travel in the US to work? Well, most people would be at work about 5 days a month (cause it’s not like you were driving a hybrid!) I do remember ‘gas stations’ where it was just a little hut building with gas pumps (and they pumped the gas for you) and “service stations” which had an indoors and garages where they fixed your car, or you bought oil, snow tires, belts, etc cause they wore out much more quickly. Those would usually have a soda machine (for cans or bottles) a small open fridge with milk and juice (if you were lucky), a cigarette machine, and you had to ask the counter person for the key to the bathroom outside the building, which was always dirty, and freezing or sauna like depending on the weather! Now, you rarely see a “service station” and they’re all “mini-marts” in town, that are turning into little grocery stores with a fresh cooked food center. Large truck stops are now very nice and clean, and usually have a McDonalds or Subway or similar attached to them, and every kind of beverage, snack, and a zillion other things…like a small Wal-Mart, lol. Oh, unlike when I was a small kid (this stopped pretty quickly, like when I was around 4 the changeover to more mini-mart started…I’m same age as Sergei) the “gas station” and “service station” would have a worker come out, pump your gas, check your oil, and clean your windshield, and it was normal to give them a tip in our area. I do remember gas shortages and depending on if your plate ended “odd or even” was what day of the week you could buy gas. Thanks for the video, Sergei, and @andreim841 for talking about Romania…I was thinking when you said you’d never seen a gas station growing up in Kyiv, and that made me think…I’ve never seen a gas station in your videos (unless it’s from a trip you took within the past 10 years!)

[@andreim841]

@@mollymollie6048 The public transportation that we had even 40 years ago was top notch compared to everything I have seen in the US (I have spent 2 years there , 09-10) and the only reason I used public transportation in the US was that for some odd reason it was the only place where you would get the change back in $2 limited edition coins. Even then the pupils, students and retirees would get 50% off and the war veterans and dependent would ride for free on all terrestrial means of public transportation. Ohhh...in communism we had a 6 day working week and it was expected of you to "offer" a few of your free Sundays to the motherland by doing "patriotic work" each year. Gas stations were nothing to write home about here, pretty much a metal kiosk with a register and nothing more. Outside there where a few shelves with engine oil. In order to be able to purchase engine oil you had to give back the exact purchased quantity of used engine oil and that was a PITA if your car was burning oil :) Gas was always short and in high demand at the gas stations and most of the times there where 3 days long lines, and if you had to go to work you would leave your spot and return later hoping that that this time the gas will not get sold out and you could get you measly 4.5 gallons. Let me know if you are interested in anything else :)

[@gagamba9198]

Seoul at times had the alternate odd-even day driving everyday during big international events like the Olympics and the Gulf War. Other times it no-drive every 10 days; when the last digit of the number plate matched the date you couldn't drive (number 4, so no drive on the 4th, 14th, 24th). It your number plate was 1 you were really unlucky. What did people do? Bought a second car to get a different number plate. When I lived in Singapore cars were subject to a vehicle quota system. Every month there would be an auction for 1/12th of the vehicles allowed per annum - 3% growth allowed. Six categories of vehicles and one open category - a wild card. If your bid was one of the winners, you were allowed to buy a vehicle. If not, better luck next month. For a while this licence was transferable. Of course a secondary market arose where licences were sold at hefty premiums. The gov't put a stop to that. The result? Today cars in Singapore are some of the most expensive in the world - about 6x more than the US. It didn't end there. If you wanted to drive into a restricted zone (RZ) you had to buy another permit - two different types based on time of day allowed. But there were exemptions. If you had 4 people in the car you could drive in the restricted zone w/o a permit. What happened? Cars would wait a bus stops just outside the zone and offer pedestrians rides into the zone. So the congestion merely moved. Police monitored the entry of cars into the zone but not cars driving in the zone or exiting. For every cunning plan, the people come up with a counter cunning plan.

[@mollymollie6048]

@@andreim841 That’s so interesting!!! Yes, there are very few places in the US where you can live and rely on public transportation to reliably get you where you need to go in a decent amount of time, and it’s a shame, because all the time I spent in Europe (several long vacations and was an exchange student to France) it was so easy to get to so many things with public transportation that was fast, safe and wasn’t breaking the bank, either. Six days a week? And where I worked, we called it “volun-told” to work on Sunday? Did the kids and college students in Romania also have to go out to the farming fields during vacations and help with planting and harvesting? Here, a lot of people work the standard 8-5, M-F, 2 weeks of vacation a year (not including national holidays), some companies (and government agencies) have better hours/benefits/vacation…but it really depends on what your job/career is if it is just assumed that you stay 2 hours late every day because that’s how long it takes to get something done…and you’re on salary, so you don’t get “overtime”…or you are “volun-told” overtime. A lot of people have to work 2 jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. In Romania, did most people see in the country see themselves as “separate” from the USSR, or more as being a part of it, but a little different? Was life in the city vs the country extremely different? Were the farms collective farms or independent? Could you travel to any other countries (or cities within Romania?) It looks like such a beautiful country, and I would love to visit someday. I’ve always loved gymnastics and remember seeing Nadia on TV for the Olympics and the US were all rooting for Romania to beat Russia (cause our team wasn’t very good then, and prior, the Russians always won.) I would ask how different it is today than under Communism/Chowchescu (sorry, I know I butchered the spelling) but that would probably be a novel in itself…but if you know of any good books that have been translated to English about it, or even living there during Communism, let me know! I believe Andrea Raducan wrote a book, and so did another Romanian involved with gymnastics that isn’t published in English (I wish they were!) but, books by average citizens would be fascinating also!

[@belstar1128]

I saw some old photos of Romanians fighting over fuel at a gas station a lot of cars in one place looked the the us

[@MrJayrock620]

My uncle was from Ukraine, and he had a Lada as as his first car here in Canada. He said he wrote all his friends back home and sent them a picture of him with his new car.

[@A_Haunted_Pancake]

Why the heck did he buy a Lada ? Survivor guilt ?

[@MrJayrock620]

@@A_Haunted_Pancake it was the 70’s, and not knowing anything about cars but knowing Lada was the best car in yours home country, it was a big deal.

[@eoinoconnell185]

@@MrJayrock620 Probably just as good as any American-made car of that era.

[@Blackadder75]

@@eoinoconnell185 true, but the american car would have electric windows, air conditioning, power steering, a proper stereo, automatic gears etc etc. but lada's for the export were pretty reliable in cold weather like in Canada. not a bad choice if you don;t care about luxuries

[@paulohagan3309]

@@Blackadder75 Sometimes the luxury of a steering wheel. My father drove a Lada in Northern Ireland for a whilein the 80s. One day he went around a corner and the steering wheel came off in his hands. He managed to avoid a crash but as far as I recall, that was the last Lada he bought ...

[@michaeltrabtree7718]

Great video! I really enjoy how you detail the intricacies of the reality of these systems, and I especially like the cost breakdowns in present terms. I can't tell you enough how much I like what you're doing.

[@bloqk16]

[in a tone of puzzlement] Gee! What work did it take to get a replacement tire for a car in the USSR? As going back many years ago in the US, full service gas stations did carry replacement tires.

[@yawnandjokeoh]

One of the most interesting aspects of your show is explaining the underground culture and worker run underground economy.

[@A_Haunted_Pancake]

1:24 - Black Volga ! Run brown Jacket guy, RUN !!!

[@shatnermohanty6678]

I watched the 1962 Soviet comedy film Koroleva Benzokolonki / Queen of the Gas station in English What a Charming and Delightful Film 🥰

[@mokeimusic]

Those Japanese gas stations in Japan were for full service gas stations. They fill up your car and you pay while sitting in your car. Usually there is a place where you can see the prices and how many gallons they are pumping. Jomo gas stations still have this type but not the same design. Especially in the city where space in a premium you see these.

[@tluzanov]

I am very confused, How the hell is this propaganda? If we are just talking about this video only, he has many times pointed out the inefficient and wasteful soviet system regarding the gas stations. And in the dozen or so videos I from this dude I have seen, he merely talks about his experience and his memories regarding growing up in Ukraine under Soviet occupation. I do not remember him glorifying modern Russia or the Soviet Union and praising their methods and their policies, in fact the opposite. Although 4 years old when I left Russia, I really like and appreciate these videos because they give me a glimpse into the life my parents led in the USSR, and what their day to day might have been like. Cпасибо Серге́й !!

[@zappababe8577]

Those gas coupons look like they'd be easy to counterfeit - did people ever try to fake them? Or were they too afraid of the consequences of getting caught?

[@UshankaShow]

Too much trouble, would be my guess. Easier to buy off some state company driver

[@petermuller608]

​​@@UshankaShowthank you, was wondering the same. But didn't the gas station employees take notice if you fill up a private vehicle instead of a lorry?

[@UshankaShow]

@@petermuller608 No, you would buy gasoline, not coupons ))

[@petermuller608]

@@UshankaShow thank you. Of cause that makes sense

[@UshankaShow]

@@petermuller608 I was told stolen gas was normally 25% or so off regular retail

[@anthonyruby2668]

GAS STATIONS!!! Thank you Comrade Sergei!!! The answer to a question i never thought about asking but likes to know

[@Commentator541]

I am also from a former communist country, and we also had these talons, but you could also pay with money. Later when private gas stations appeared, you could steal use your talon, but only at the government owned gas stations. You would get your talon from an employer together with your salary. It was usually a choice, either a monthly public transport ticket, or these coupons for the fuel. People who drove for a living got like a little book of these coupons to use.

[@robertknapp7612]

Superb video. Thanks for posting and explaining the system of gasoline sales in such great detail.

[@wilfamos7314]

Wow, what an interesting video with great info and excellent photos. Simply fascinating. You've a new subscriber 🙂

[@wallyst1]

In 1989, I remember filling up the van we were driving for two Marlboro cigarettes and a package of Gummy Bears. No Soviet gas coupons needed!

[@zachd505]

I love that you included the negative comment in the very beginning of the video. So many people are missing out learning about the world due to their extreme political views. Thanks for your videos 😊

[@paulohagan3309]

Agreed. Dammit, other people are curious about other times and places if they aren't. It has nothing to do with which place is better or worse.

[@Stealth86651]

Thank you for documenting and talking about the more mundane details of Soviet life. Stuff like this is important as well, especially if we're to remember what actual life was like, and not just specs on T-34's or something. I'd also imagine the design was mainly for looks at least in Russia. In Japan they probably lined these up and were able to squeeze quite a few more cars per station than at least American ones I'm used to. Since in the Soviet Union they don't seem to line them up (or really be fixed for space either), I imagine they were just a cool new style to wow people with more than function. Or they got them cheap.

[@andrefiset3569]

I had a friend who in the early 80's ran out of gas with his moped, emptied his pockets and went to a gas station to put 7 cents of gas to race back to his home.

[@waverider227]

Great topic I have always wondered how gas was purchased and pumped in the USSR Here in the USA my earliest memory was the late 70s during the so called "oil crisis" There were some gas stations that allowed owners to fill up their car only on even or odd days and usually you were limited to 2 gallons per customer this combined with most average cars getting 10 12 miles per gallon could cause agony. My dad often used siphon tubes to drain his unused gas from his van into our car whenever there were shortages. Despite the price increase at the time gas was way cheaper then than now! At that time there were a mix of full service and self service gas stations. Full service ones meant that a mechanic would rush out to your car when you ran over a tube that rang an air bell and the mechanic would ask how much gallons you wanted also to ask permission to check your tires and windshield wipers and if he could check under your hood ( to check oil and fan belts and radiator coolant and or battery ) The attendant would then pump your gas and look at the gas meter (before digital it resembled the odometer on your speedometer numbers on plastic rollers would click off the number of gallons vs price per gallon). Then he would figure up the cost and you could pay usually by cash or check there were credit card options but no electronic scanning at the time. The full service types I remember up till 1984 or 85 then they began to slowly disappear and only self service stations where left. Interestingly I think the state of Oregon still requires full service stations to guarantee employment . In addition to getting gas going to the station as a kid was always a treat there were great selections of snacks ,sodas and candy and cheap toys!

[@MrDdaland]

Indeed , it made the news that Oregon now allows self service gas

[@Phiyedough]

In UK in the 1930s very few people owned cars but during world war 2 most of those people were not allowed to buy fuel for their cars. Certain people like doctors could get fuel but they were issued with coupons, as the fuel was rationed. They still had to pay money in addition to the coupon but the coupons would be free of charge. Also no cars for private use were manufactured in UK for the duration of the war.

[@gingernutpreacher]

I got rid of it I know stupid but my dad was issued with rationing coupons for petrol but never used them at it ended just as he got the car

[@Ostsol]

13:25 That little trailer is kinda interesting, especially with that normal car door on the side. Is it meant for passengers? Or just cargo?

[@Joshie2256]

The B-17 above the gas pumps was known as "The Bomber" and was in Milwaukie, Oregon just a few miles from where I grew up. The plane was removed for restoration some years ago.

[@geofox9484]

I found your channel again! Been wanting to watch your vids but couldn’t remember your name I’m subbed now friend, thank you

[@UshankaShow]

Welcome back!

[@MikeAngel06]

Thanks for this fascinating information. I bought your book, it resonates with me as an immigrant myself; I have to admit that my experience was not as colorful as yours coming from the Soviet Union. Lol

[@sergeygalayda2931]

Back in 1960's gasoline in USSR was cheaper then soda. 0.07 for liter gasoline and 0.12 for liter of soda drink or 0.03 for glass 250 milliliters. Coupons were used to eliminate cash payments and control gasoline usage.

[@mattmopar440]

Keep posting I love these videos is so cool so see how life was behind the Iron Curtain !!!!

[@MrEkg98]

You just blew my mind. That's so radical. So different from the normal I grew up with. Not sure I would even want to bother with all the fuss.

[@TheCaptainSlappy]

Excellent pump designs in Ushankagrad, fellow Ushankans. The Japonkee gas stations are partially gravity feed. My guess is the station attendant would pump however many gallons from the ground level tank into the above-ground tanks every few hours. Very interesting, since there are still places here, especially with farmers, fellow Sergie's, that use the above ground tanks to fuel tractors, and right down the road, the county (road crews) use above grounder tanks (like 1000 gallon tanks on legs) for their road graders, front end loaders, dump trucks, etc. Those tanks are used because they are cheap, efficient, easy to maintain, and tend to not draw as much water as underground tanks (which leak as they age). So my guess is that a engineer decided to do the above ground fillers to cut down on maintenance and power usage, and you can control the output to each filler hose fairly easily without a lot of parts (electric, etc.). I could be wrong though...there might be like a 40 barrel pump truck (or bigger) that came thru once a day or so and he filled up those tanks up top, or a tank under ground there, and the attendant kicked on the lift pump every few hours to fill the above ground one up. i don't really known on that, the Japanese ones are designed to save space, the Soviet ones look like they are designed to be bare bones refueling. I only say that, fellow Ushankans, because I knew a guy that owned a convenience store down the road here, and he was looking to add in some fuel pumps, but the cost of permitting and doing an underground tank (just a small one like a 1,000 gallon one) was in the $100,000 range (safety stuff, very expensive). So he started looking at an above ground one (permitted and still safe using berming along with auto-shutoff stuff). Still in the $50k range, but the profit on gasoline/diesel is so low he never did it. He was going to start with gasoline, then add in a diesel tank if it brought more business in (it would have). In that case, the plan was once every few days, a 40 barrel (or so) tanker would come thru, and would have topped the tank off. It would have run from fuel tank, to fuel meter pump, with lots of stuff attached to regulate pressure and safety cutoffs. All of it gravity feed, pretty much like all the counties around here do for their road crews and equipment at the county or state yards. There's a propane place down the road the other way from me that uses that old gravity feed system for their gas and diesel pumps. One above ground for gas, one for diesel, feeding a central island of pumps (one gas pump, one diesel pump, with four filler lines total). Just think, I have seen them, but never seen one work (though my dad says they worked great when he was a kid)...the old filling pumps had a giant handle on them, and a giant glass jar on top of the pump. You pumped the handle and it filled up the glass container to however many gallons you needed/wanted (it had a big red or orange rubber ball that floated in the glass jar to show you). Then you stopped pumping, and put the filler handle in your vehicle, and it gravity fed. Those are long gone now. Only ever saw two of them, neither of them worked.

[@legbert123]

1988 Astro OMFG they made sooo many of those!

[@UshankaShow]

Paid $1,500 for that thing back in 1999

[@marcusott2973]

Back during the war in ex-Yugodlavia, the broadcasting cooperation I worked for had one of them. As satellite data transfer was complicated and expensive, I used to drive the 4x4 Astro van every 2 days from Zagreb to Vienna, bringing video footage of the war to the different news cooperations. Bad times great car.

[@gerdlunau8411]

I grew up in East-Germany, the GDR. Every two years my parents with me and my brother drove far into the USSR for vacation with our extremely reliable Lada WAZ2101. My Mom was a school teacher and summer school break was 8 weeks. My Dad combined his vacation of two years into one and there we went, usually for like 7 weeks for one trip. We drove from Dresden in Eastern Germany all the way to Tbilisi (Tiflis) the capitol of the Soviet Republic Georgia at the time, and all the way back, crossing the Caucasus mountain range. Those were very long road trips (2x 3000 km or 2x 1900 miles). Very adventurous, but still fills me with the great memories of the hospitality of the Soviet people regardless of their nationality we met along the way. Starting with the police men, museum guides, total strangers all the way to public kitchen servants - it was incredible (Do not forget, we were GERMANS; my grandfathers ruined their country just 30 years ago)! It certainly helped that me and my brother spoke a quite well "tourist" Russian, while my Dad was fluent. I still remember the talon system. The talons came for us when my Dad planned the trip and applied for all these crazy paperwork allowing us to drive into the USSR within a fixed route. So we actually purchased most of the talons in East-Germany paying in our currency (Mark of the GDR), which was incredible cheap for us, since East-German wages were much higher and my parents had actually well-paid jobs. The gasoline grade mentioned at the talon type indicates the octan index. Therefore "72" is quite a low grade but all the Soviet engines were designed for it without any early engine nocking. Soviet engines had low compressions to ensure longevity and reliability under all the harsh and even extreme climate conditions. However, we were never sure about the grade since it was obvious that the quality varied wildly. It is correct, it was important to have canisters (Jerry cans) because the gas station stuff pre-set the filling amount to the purchased amount and if the car's tank was not having enough empty capacity left, it would simply overflow at the filler. So to have an open canister ready while refuelling was essential. The space in front of the back seats in our Lada carried up to three 20l-canisters (so 60l in total), covered with a thick blanket while me and my brother were sitting or sleeping on top of them and the back seats. So were the times! Interestingly is the photo in 13:45 of the self-made trailer using the rear of an accident-smashed car. This was a very typical conversion for making your own trailer all over the Eastern bloc since until the 1970s even in the GDR there were no trailers available (except for camping trailers), so people built their own. My Dad built his own simple cargo trailer too. Usually a few guys came together, built a small batch, often according to standard drawings - making like two or three more than the "team" needed, which they sold off to have the necessary materials for the whole batch being paid off. However, the alternative was to use the rear end of an accident car which's front end was beyond any repair (meaning very hefty damage because in the Eastern bloc people repaired almost any wreck or made one car out of three wrecks). A station or standard sedan, a trailer was always made from it. PS: Benzin is the German term for gasoline, so this word is in both languages identical. Peace! from Dresden / Germany

[@Form44208]

On the coupons you saw "AI-93". That was the gasoline grade. Equal to around 89 octane gas (89 AKI) in the United States. There were also the unleaded lower grades, A-76 (MON 76) and A-72 (MON 72). To tell leaded from unleaded gas easily, they were tinted differently: reddish for leaded, bluish for unleaded. In East-block countries, the gas was rated in MON (motor octane number). The newer (mid-1970s and up) passenger cars were designed mostly for AI-93, although there were exceptions, like ZAZ-968 that still used A-76, and Moskvitch that had a reduced-compression version that ran on A-76, for the people who didn’t have AI-93 available. The trucks ran mostly on A-76, except for the military trucks. The older cars and trucks were designed for A-72. A-72 pretty much disappeared somewhere in the very late 1980s, In the US, our gas is rated by AKI (anti-knock index) which is (RON+MON)/2. In much of Europe, the gas octane rating is only rated by RON (research octane number), which is why Europe appears to have higher octane gas, though the gas available in the US and Europe are actually about the same RON number. In Germany premium is 98 RON which would be 93 AKI in the United States.

[@nickadams2451]

I’m sure Brezhnev had suitcases full of fuel coupons for his automobile collection. I worked at an auto consignment auction in the early 2000s when diesel was almost 6 dollars a gallon. It was so bad that many of the repossessed cars and trucks had gas tanks punched or filler necks to tanks damaged due to syphoning fuel. Many times auto transporters would syphon furl using a fuel pump they had out of a car rigged up to a jumper box. I sold premium fuel to dealers when they would pick up a Benz or BMW etc that had no fuel. To cushion the cost I would collect the recycling cash it in then fill a 10 gallon gas can I’d keep in the trunk of my car. This went on for almost a year. Along with the high fuel costs came making more money with pulling cars for transporters / dealers. Meaning they would call me to verify the car/truck was there then pay me to find them and get them ready for pick up. The job barely paid 10 dollars an hour but with what I made in the side before/ after hours or on the clock was probably double what I made in 8 hours. Crazy to think the high fuel prices worked to my advantage.

[@nickadams2451]

Btw I often wonder if those Japanese gas pumps you showed us in the video helped inspire the Texaco gas pumps we saw in Back To The Future 2?

[@SwedishEmpire1700]

"Bensin" means petrol in alot of languages, German, Swedish, Danish etc etf

[@UshankaShow]

BENZIN. Yes, it's obviously not the original Russian word. Just like KEROSIN or DIZEL

[@vaninec]

I remember in USSR gas and diesel was free, grandparents was getting coupons for a gas station.

[@SonOfTheDawn515]

Nothing is ever free.

[@vaninec]

@@SonOfTheDawn515 Read book Endless Holocausts How 300 million + Genocide to get FREE slaves lands and natural resources.

[@olgajoachimosmundsen4647]

How much did a Soviet garage cost, and how long was the waiting time?

[@chouseification]

he has another video talking about those - check it out in the Videos history. They're really interesting, as they were prefab shacks built in very odd semi-industrial spaces normally.

[@UshankaShow]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKTNoXd6aax_rKMsi=9OISZm4zMGeSjmHk

[@alvarohernani6645]

I didn't knew i needed this info, but thank you

[@ridhobaihaqi144]

Saturday night with Sergei. THANK YOU!!!

[@mrdouglasbaker]

Thanks for the video. Interesting

[@wilfredgully5286]

Thanks!

[@UshankaShow]

Appreciate your support!

[@aegisofhonor]

11:46 you said it right there on why this system of coupons makes no sense, they had a ton of oil and gas available, it was incredibly inefficient to make people go through this extra trouble and limiting gas consumption. Who knows how much this extra layer of bureaucracy hurt the Soviet economy throughout the 1970s and 80s.

[@Frommerman]

Cars are extremely bad for the economy in a variety of ways, so probably not much. The USSR fell due to good ol' fashioned gerontocratic mismanagement, not a lack of cars.

[@denpobedy7881]

love the lunakhod painting!

[@brad3042]

A very interesting system of distributing gasoline.

[@shaggybreeks]

Soviet movie "Gas Station Queen" is on KZbin. Good movie, about a struggling skater who gets a job at a gas station. She skates around on *INLINE* skates, in a movie made in the early 60s, decades before inline skates became popular in America. She's also a great actress, who reminds a lot of people, including myself, of the "Soviet Gidget".

[@vaninec]

In 1977 in USSR gas was free people pay with coupons/talons There no options even to pay for it😂 May be only in Moscow for foreign agents. Find a picture or video of USSR paid gas station. I personally never saw one.

[@jacuzzibusguy]

“And the driver is checking her out”

[@oliverscookingexperience5745]

I see in these old picture a lot those window gaurd things. In Latvija, they still have them sovet times on soviet Era stores, not in modern times. Was there a lot of theft in the magazines?

[@bigpantsbobnuggets5051]

Eye Opener! State control to the max. Scary

[@rameshbhattacharjee4374]

The Russians Were Just Being Russians, Total Control Like Czars, That Is Why Some People In Malaysia Referred To The Russians As Bear Brained Russians, For The Communist Command Economy Mucked Up Everything And Made The Russians Look Stupid, Poor Guys Never Stood A Chance Against The Capitalist West

[@ryanreedgibson]

Your best bet would be to use ethanol instead of buying gas.

[@thetruthseeker5448]

This is amazing information

[@paulslajchert937]

@UshankaShow you may have covered this, but was there insurance for home and automobile? So if your garage with 60L of gas burned with the car. The insurance would replace or repair the damage. Or were the people on there own?

[@UshankaShow]

Insurance was available but optional

[@JOMaMa..]

Them Astro vans are good machinery

[@IshinoRed]

Greetings Sergei. I totally forgot if you did a video on this specific topic but "farming equipment during the Soviet union" or " lumber workers during the Soviet union" I live in the country side in Texas and always see like harvesters and other crop vehicles. I've always been interested in farming life or lumber workers during that time.

[@mzrzfxr]

Good video as always! I wonder if their was a black market or shenanigans with fake coupons at gas stations? On the topic of the overhead gas pumps, I did see those a couple of times when I was in Japan in 2004. I was told there it was for space conservation, eg can fit more cars side by side to fill them up. Now where I get confused is why in the Soviet Union? In that one photo in Kiev it looks like their was adequate space? I guess it looks pretty cool? Those might be a good idea for that Costco gas station thing, fill both sides, fit more cars in?

[@visionofwellboyofficial]

Mongolia still dependent on Russian and Chinese fuel

[@unbindingfloyd]

I don't understand the hate comments in the beginning. You aren't glorifying the USSR in any way. You are if anything showing why the Soviet system was doomed to fail while showing the human story behind the outcome of the Soviet system. Its just showing the reality of central planning and in just about every case it has huge negatives that underperform an open market. I don't see how that is supporting the USSR at all. I guess if they didn't watch the video it could seem that way. Essentially if you are an idiot.

[@mrkiplingreallywasanexceed8311]

Absolutely charming as always😂❤

[@TotalRookie_LV]

Fuel got siphoned on every stage - from refineries, from storage, on their way to gas stations, from gas stations themselves and then by drivers of state owned companies - shortage of supply spawned a large black market. Besides, why pay, if you can just steal?

[@grahamariss2111]

One thing that I noticed when I was in the Crimea after the fall of the Soviet Union was that fuel pumps were contained in steel box with doors on that protected what looked to me like a 1970s electro mechanical fuel pump. Not sure if this was done for security to stop people stealing fuel when it was closed or to protect the pump from the heat in the summer sun in southern Soviet Union.

[@maximilienrobespierre7927]

Hey, I remember one of those Japonka peteol stations in Kyiv, in the mid 2000's. I was still a kid, but my dad would refuel there. I think at the time that station had the cheapest petrol that was good enough for the BMW he had at the time.

[@Commentator541]

I know I was just a kid, but this was a simpler happier time. I am satisfied with all the nice things I have now, but somehow it was nice to know that things around you are to be appreciated and not just thrown out. My grandparents would probably beat me up over the way I drive my daily car. I use it like it means nothing, while they carefully washed their car every week, kept it in the garage etc.

[@eoinoconnell185]

When people are poor they are forced to rely on each other more. Sharing is a necessity. This created a far closer community. Neighbours knew each other. They had to. People are social animals. Such communities create a sense of well-being that the West has lost.

[@Blackadder75]

@@eoinoconnell185 I am living in one of the wealthiest countries on earth (in the west) We still have that community feeling in the countryside here. If one farmer gets ill, his neighbours will immediately take care of his animals as long as is needed without any compensation, while doing their own jobs as well , except for the expectation that that person will do the same for them when they need help. It has really NOTHING to do with West or East or any other part of the world, but with small communities vs LARGE megacities. People in Moscow or a random megacity in Africa can be just as ego centric as people in big western cities where you don;t know your neighbour.

[@denpobedy7881]

wife who lived 30 years in Soviet Union found your product accurate and on point and very interesting. PS she picked and fed me mushrooms and I'm still here. I guess that I didn't mess up too badly or cause significant offense. To your detractor Fu, ...her and the horse she rode in on. Charlie mike!

[@petermuller608]

I still don't get the coupon stuff. How are the coupons given out? Because if it's a first come first serve principle, then they could just give out gas at the station on a first come first serve basis

[@gagamba9198]

Sergei, I just rewatched your video about your childhood bus trips to your grandparents' home. One thing that was unclear to me. From the last village bus station to your grandparents' how did you get there? IIRC correctly, it was about 3km away. Was this by another bus, foot, taxi, someone pick you up, or hitch a ride? Thanks in advance.

[@UshankaShow]

We walked )) Grandma would bring a push kart for our luggage to the bus stop

[@gagamba9198]

@@UshankaShow Cheers.

[@obelixpfeifenreiniger2863]

great stuff

[@82dorrin]

I adore all the latte Communists among your commentors. lol It's easy to be a good Communist when you live in a wealthy Capitalist country.

[@chouseification]

you're pulling that out of your butt - there isn't a single bootlicking comment here besides yours. Go start trouble where there actually IS some.

[@bolsa3136]

He gets quite a lot of tankie hate, actually.

[@davidjernigan7576]

So what kind of racket did the taxi drivers run with gasoline?

[@VanquishMediaDE]

Soviet taxi drivers were well paid, in some cases they make more money than doctors or engineers.

[@SH-ly1uy]

13:00 I can imagine all the corruption around gas.

[@alexclement7221]

I assume those A-## parts on the coupon refer to the gasoline octane rating? 93 RON is sufficient for most modern car engines, and 72 RON was probably OK for older farm tractors and agricultural machinery, small motorcycles, and maybe older trucks?

[@armron94]

I live in Michigan

[@LouisianaJesse]

Where motorcycles as hard to obtain as cars? Seems like they’d be a lower cost alternative and much more fuel efficient.

[@UshankaShow]

Motorcycles were also pretty expensive but most bikes were readily available. Except Czech-made Jawa and Cezet bikes.

[@LouisianaJesse]

I see. And please excuse the typo. Obviously I meant “were”, not “where” lol

[@12123188]

4 kopeks per kwh then is as much as some people in the EU pay now if you take a salary of €1500😮

[@UshankaShow]

That's the first thing my parents taught me: "Turn the lights OFF!" )))

[@TotalRookie_LV]

Huh, "Ford" cars very similar to this one were also assembled in Riga, Latvia between 1937 to 1940, branded as "Ford-Vairogs", as it was "Vairogs" factory/ Wonder if the particular car was then nicked, as Soviets occupied Baltic states or maybe it's just a "Ford" from the same era.

[@randomlad8753]

Those Japanese petrol pumps are a really good idea regardless of what side the petrol cap is you don't have to pick the side your petrol cap

[@Spurdospaerde692]

Good point. Then again, did different Soviet cars even have their petrol filling caps on different sides?

[@TrevorBrass]

Chevy Astro for the win!

[@maczetaockhama6308]

Van in 2:11 looks like Nysa 522, produced since 1969

[@chouseification]

happy weekend John Wayne Cheeseburger :D

[@robfromcanada5075]

Given the centralized economy of the U.S.S.R., were there other goods distributed by this coupon system? Or was it just gasoline?

[@UshankaShow]

Some groceries, shoes, etc. But in specific cities and regions, not everywhere like gas coupons

[@mikerotchburns5198]

That was a beautiful Astro

[@weaponized_saltiness]

Any chance to share about soviet lighters, matchsticks and other means of starting a fire?

[@UshankaShow]

Sure, I will add this topic to my list

[@MartinUSMC1968]

3:20 1939 Ford Standart 2 door sedan

[@sergesutulo1301]

Были заправки, где надо было заказать определенное количество литров, но на большинстве оплата наличными проводилась по фактическому расходу, точно как в Мичигане, но только наличными. Был ещё бензин А-95, в одной цене с АИ-93, но значительно лучше. Но он был довольно редок. Существовал черный рынок бензина по половинной цене и ниже, но он касался только А-76. Поэтому многие разжимали свои двигатели при помощи замены головки цилиндров или путем установки дополнительной прокладки...

[@UshankaShow]

Я полазил по форумам и народ пишет, что за деньги стали продавать только с начала 80-х. К Олимпиаде в Москве.

[@sergesutulo1301]

@@UshankaShow Возможно. Я в 1982 начал заправляться.

[@jacuzzibusguy]

I went down the rabbit hole and google leads me to believe that ussr commonly sold gasoline that was only 76 octane.

[@jacuzzibusguy]

And according to the article, that this is still a common grade of gasoline sold in Russia…but only to be used in Soviet era vehicles. They also sell modern fuel suitable for modern vehicles.

[@UshankaShow]

А-66 6 копеек 6 рублей А-72 + тракторное масло 8 копеек 8 рублей А-72 7 копеек 7 рублей А-76 7,5 копеек 7,5 рублей АИ-93 9,5 копеек 9,5 рублей Экстра 10 копеек 10 рублей Авиационного назначения 12 копеек 12 рублей Сланец 6 копеек 6 рублей Дизельное топливо 3,3 копейки 3,3 рубля

[@olmostgudinaf8100]

I would like to see the average American worker making $4000 per month. Perhaps they averaged Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk with the rest of the country.

[@UshankaShow]

Yes, they average everyone's income as long as one works. As we used to say: some can afford only cabbage while some eat plenty of meat but on average we all eat cabbage meat rolls 😳

[@SonOfTheDawn515]

Even a wounded combat veteran with 100% VA disability rating isn't getting $4,000k a month lol. I mean, it's "only" $300 less than that but still. However, depending on where you live makes a huge difference. I'm sure that "average" is because of Commifornia and corrupt York. High wages but high taxes and high prices. $4k in Kansas could have you living almost like a king but in Florida you couldn't get a decent apartment much less a house.

[@Gracecat1]

Hey, I’ve been watching for years! I just need to know if your parents and brother are alright?

[@UshankaShow]

Yes, they fine, thank you. Just talked to my brother this morning

[@tolgaguven3025]

❤❤❤❤

[@dbblues.9168]

3.9 liters per gallon. You couldn't buy a lot of gas at 1 time.

[@shanematthews9220]

You never set foot in a Soviet gas station? Thought you may have gone there to fill up your bicycle tires! Soviet gas stations must not have had any air compressors. To fill up vehicle tires. You must use a hand or foot pump. Primitive by US standards. But you made up for it with gas stations that looked like flying saucers! Soviet gasoline coupons were worst than WW2 US rationing cards.🤔

[@shannonross1569]

were they ever Counterfeited? or gas stolen?

[@davidharrison4881]

You didn't own a Car and you liked it.

[@UshankaShow]

I had almost an orgasmic experience every time I had a chance to ride in a car, yes. Which happens once or twice a year

[@captaincrazyhat]

The reason for the hanging gas pumps is so that it does not matter which side of the car the fuel filler cap is on you can reach it either way without having to watch people turn around because they don't know what side of the car their gas cap is on and it happens a lot in america around me so i wish we had pumps like that..

[@herbertcourtesie2459]

The opening slur by a chauvanistic person who accepts the same type of filth from somewhere else. No need to rerun this. Comparisons between prices of goods and services between these two nations is somewhat misleading because economic setting rules were very different. But the narrative is truly interesting for many dream it can be repeated.

[@TesttestTest-i4k]

Its to save space. We have one in thane city india .tip mounted

[@Rom3_29]

Those gas coupons look easy to copy and make fake ones and sell them for few kopeks. Probably I would end up in golag for ten years.

[@HVACSoldier]

What is kopec to dollar ratio.

[@UshankaShow]

The official ratio was 6 soviet rubles = 10 US dollars. The black market rate was 15 years of Soviet prison

[@johnorlitta]

​@UshankaShow what was the exchange rate in prison?

[@noname-uf4je]

Sergei has a rather amusing "sense of humor," so I want to be clear. ordinary people who lived in that -prison- "undoubtedly beautiful country" were forbidden to own any currency. of course, in that -prison- "beautiful country" those who somehow still managed to get the currency - they were imprisoned - the -prison- country was "beautiful" - so why do "people" need currency? because it was impossible to leave the "beautiful" country without the permission of the Chekists ... you can read up on wikipedia about "Article 88 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR"

[@noname-uf4je]

@@johnorlitta you johnorlitta can google "заключеный в ссср" and you, johnorlitta, can tell by the look - precise "exchange rate".🙃

[@UshankaShow]

It depends if exchange is done with or without Vaseline

[@akkudakkupl]

russian jokes are just like russian soldiers - they never get old :-)

[@invictus2578]

You don’t glorify anything about the Soviet Union all your videos of just showing what life was like