Leisure of Teenage Workers During the Great Patriotic War

The author examines the leisure practices of underage workers employed in the industry of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War, and compares different points of view of the historians regarding leisure practices of the youth and adolescents during the war period. She distinguishes two types of unorganized leisure: cinema and football. The analysis of teenagers’ perception of these leisure practices and their impact on the emotional state of adolescents is carried out on the basis of a range of archival materials, documentaries and sources of personal origin. The author notes that the ways of spending free time were complicated by a number of factors, such as a busy work schedule, fatigue, lack of clothing, footwear and hygiene products, but nevertheless served as a kind of outlet, allowing one to escape from the harsh military routine.