Скачать или смотреть What were people's daily lives and experiences like in the Soviet Union?

Welcome to VelvetHist — where calming storytelling, soft-spoken narration, and immersive ambient sounds transport you into the forgotten corners of history.

Here, the past becomes a gentle escape — perfect for drifting into sleep, unwinding after a long day, or simply enjoying a quiet moment of reflection. Each episode takes you through tales of ancient civilizations, legendary figures, lost knowledge, and mysterious events, all told in a warm, tranquil female voice. The subtle background of crackling fires, flowing water, or distant winds creates the perfect atmosphere for deep relaxation.

VelvetHist is perfect for anyone who loves:

ASMR history storytelling

Soft-spoken sleep stories

Calming narratives about ancient mysteries

“Boring history” for sleep (in the best way possible)

Ambient background for relaxation or meditation

Let these gentle whispers of history carry you into peaceful dreams and timeless worlds. #calmhistory #asmrhistory #sovietlife

Sources & Further Reading:

Utekhin, Ilya. A Communal Apartment in Russia (Kommunalka). Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, St. Petersburg, 2000–. Ethnographic archive on shared kitchens, corridors, and everyday rules.

Harris, Steven E. Communism on Tomorrow Street: Mass Housing and Everyday Life after Stalin. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2013. On Khrushchyovka flats, privacy, storage, and domestic routines.

Buchli, Victor. An Archaeology of Socialism. Berg, 1999. Material culture of Soviet homes: oilcloth tables, drying racks, furniture that folds.

Torpey, John. The Invention of the Passport: Surveillance, Citizenship and the State. Cambridge University Press, 2000. Chapters on propiska and internal passports in the USSR.

Siegelbaum, Lewis H. Cars for Comrades: The Life of the Soviet Automobile. Cornell University Press, 2008. Includes propiska-linked mobility, permits, and address as logistics.

Fitzpatrick, Sheila. Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times, 1930s Moscow. Oxford University Press, 1999. Rhythms of workdays, subbotniks, and neighborhood norms.

Kotkin, Stephen. Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization. University of California Press, 1995. Factory clocks, GOST standards, and socialist shop-floor culture.

Hessler, Julie. A Social History of Soviet Trade: Trade Policy, Retail Practices, and Consumption, 1917–1953. Princeton University Press, 2004. Early foundations of queues, rationing, and shop routines.

Chernyshova, Natalya. Soviet Consumer Culture in the Brezhnev Era. Routledge, 2013. Defitsit, talon coupons, rumor networks, and the avoska bag.

Gurova, Olga. Consumer Culture, Branding and Identity in the New Russia. Routledge, 2015. Chapters reflecting late-Soviet scarcity tactics, home storage, and “making do.”

Lovell, Stephen. Summerfolk: A History of the Dacha, 1710–2000. Cornell University Press, 2003. Seedlings on windowsills, garden labor, and weekend migrations.

Caldwell, Melissa L. Dacha Idyll: Living Organically in Russia’s Countryside. University of California Press, 2011. Ethnographic detail on harvests, preserving, and neighborly exchanges.

Omidi, Maryam. Holiday at the Grand Hotel: A Global History of Sanatoriums (incl. “Soviet Sanatoriums”). Fuel Publishing, 2017. Prescribed walks, mineral water cures, and rest regimes.

MacWilliams, Bryon. With Light Steam: A Personal Journey through the Russian Baths. Northern Illinois University Press, 2015. On banya rituals, birch switches, and social etiquette.

Evans, Christine. Between Truth and Time: A History of Soviet Central Television. Yale University Press, 2016. Two-channel evenings, holiday films, and nightly sign-off culture.

Alexievich, Svetlana. Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets. Random House, 2016. Kitchen conversations, glasses in podstakanniki, and the moral geography of tea.

Komaromi, Ann. Uncensored: Samizdat Novels and the Quest for Autonomy in Soviet Dissidence. Northwestern University Press, 2015. Samizdat practices, onion-skin pages, copying chains.

Troitsky, Artemy. Back in the USSR: The True Story of Rock in Russia. Omnibus Press, 1988. Magnitizdat tapes, informal distribution, and kitchen-concert circuits.

Wolmar, Christian. To the Edge of the World: The Story of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Atlantic Books, 2013. Night trains, corridor life, samovars, and station rituals.

Rolf, Malte. Soviet Mass Festivals, 1917–1991. University of Pittsburgh Press, 2013. May Day processions, Victory Day commemorations, and urban parade choreography.

Kelly, Catriona. Children’s World: Growing Up in Russia, 1890–1991. Yale University Press, 2007. Pioneers, Komsomol badges, New Year’s yolka, and family holiday routines.