ABSTRACT
Quality of life is very difficult to translate into measurable terms. One can, however, discuss it on the basis of essential components: living space, cleanliness, pollution and noise control, access to necessary amenities, green space, even the aesthetic value of architecture and of the urban landscape in general, including what the Germans call Gemutlichkeit, or pleasantness. Measured by these criteria, the Soviet way of life fares poorly on most accounts. The western borderlands and the more prosperous parts of the southern belt are in better shape, while the old industrial areas of Russia proper and the poorer parts of the south remain in substandard condition. Pollution levels are high in all the cities and industrial areas. The worst problem is access to goods and services. There is a shortage of goods in stores, of seats in restaurants and theaters, of spare parts in service stations and repair outlets.
