Welfare and social security in the USSR in the late 1950s - early 1980s (on the material of the Lower Volga region)

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the main directions of the social support for workers in the Lower Volga region in the late 1950s - early 1980s. The special attention is paid to creating the universal system of pension insurance for the Soviet people. The novelty of the study consists in the use of historical and anthropological approach allowing to trace the influence of the change in insurance bodies functioning on the life quality of pensioners and disabled people. The first part of the article is devoted to the period of 1953-1964, and it explores the ways of improving the quality of care of the disabled. The particular attention is paid to the study of the positive and negative results of social bodies' work at the regional level. The ways of improving the quality of state social support for disabled people in 1965-1985 (the new stage of Soviet reforms) is also investigated. The material in the article is organized according to the following scheme: firstly, the author analyzes the basic legislative acts of the State party in the field of social security, and, secondly, he describes the ways and the results of their implementation in the provinces. The author concludes that by Spring of 1985 the total social pension system was established in the country. The evidence proves that this system lacked the individual approach and the interests of some people were often not taken into account. This study is based on the vast set of factual materials from the archives, published sources and periodical press. The various aspects of this problem can be used in educational practice.