Two of the greatest challenges faced by Soviet citizens were finding a place to live and getting enough food to eat. Throughout its existence, the Soviet government struggled to address these basic problems of living without ever being able to solve them.

The rapid industrialization of the Soviet economy during the Stalin years required that whole new cities be constructed in the middle of nowhere, close to mineral resources and hydroelectric power. Priority was always given to building factories and other industrial complexes before housing, so many workers and their families were forced to live for months in tents and makeshift shanties. Once the construction crews got around to building apartments, the shortage of building materials resulted in living quarters that were small and shabbily built. The influx of factory workers into established cities such as Moscow and Leningrad put unbearable strains on local...