Color Photos of Stalin-Era Soviet Union Taken by a US diplomat
Some of the buildings look quite decrepit but if you look  at photos of Britain or France or Germany from the 50’s you will see many similar buildings that need painted and cleaned.[0] People don’t look like they are dressed in rags.  If anything I was surprised by the number of cars in some of the photos.I didn’t think they illustrated what it felt like to have secret police looking over your shoulder. If you weren’t in trouble with the state or an upper class westerner I don’t think there was a huge difference in lifestyle between East and West Europe for most people until the late 60’s / early 70’sRemember state housing was common in Britain as well. E.g 80% of the population of Glasgow lived in state owned housing until the 1980’s.[O] E.g. look at 1960’s London in the film ‘The Ipcress File’.