Television once held a special place in Soviet society, becoming a symbol of status and technological progress.
Photographs from the post-World War II era through Perestroika capture people proudly posing with their first TV sets, reflecting the excitement and significance of this once-coveted possession. These images offer a glimpse into a time when bringing a television home was a milestone for many families.
While television technology first emerged in the United States in the late 1920s, the Soviet Union introduced its own version in 1932, a mechanical model that required connection to a radio for sound.
Widespread adoption began after World War II, as mass production made televisions more accessible.
By 1970, 61% of urban households owned a television, despite the high cost of 900 to 1,200 rubles, at a time when the average monthly salary ranged between 600 and 800 rubles.
Early Soviet televisions were unreliable, with screens no larger than a postcard and frequent technical issues.
Programming was also scarce, by the late 1950s, Moscow TV, the country’s most active station, broadcast just four hours a day. Yet, as early as 1954, a New York Times reporter noted that Muscovites were “frankly wild about television.”
While television did not become a fixture in most Soviet households until 1970, many families acquired sets much earlier, regardless of their financial status.
In 1955, an American visitor was surprised to see homes in disrepair, sinking into the mud, yet still equipped with television antennas.
The rapid rise of television sparked concerns among some cultural critics, who feared its influence might erode Soviet ideals.
Initially, there were debates over its impact on viewers, but by the mid-1960s, as the novelty wore off, the cultural elite largely accepted television’s presence. Meanwhile, political leaders embraced its potential as a powerful propaganda tool.
By the mid-1970s, television had reached nearly every household in the Soviet Union. Communist officials saw it as an essential instrument for shaping public opinion, a reality that alarmed dissident intellectuals.
Many of them mockingly referred to Moscow’s towering Ostankino TV center as “the needle,” believing it injected propaganda directly into the minds of the masses.
Soviet mass media operated under strict oversight to ensure alignment with the Party’s ideological directives.
Content was subject to multiple layers of legal and professional scrutiny, from laws regulating freedom of expression and prohibiting “anti-Soviet agitation” to the rigorous review process overseen by Glavlit, the primary censorship authority.
Although many television programs were initially broadcast live, the tense political climate following 1968 led to increased government control over both content creation and editing. The growing use of pre-recorded programming provided an additional safeguard against ideological missteps.
Before reaching the airwaves, productions underwent multiple rounds of verification, with strict consequences for those deemed to have failed in their responsibilities. People found negligent could face reprimands, demotion, or even dismissal.
Soviet television offered a diverse range of programming, resembling the content of American PBS. Broadcasts included news, educational programs, documentaries, children’s shows, and occasional films.
Major sporting events, such as football and ice hockey matches, were often shown live. Most programming was produced domestically or sourced from other Warsaw Pact countries.
Strict self-censorship shaped Soviet television, with certain topics deemed off-limits. Criticism of Soviet ideology, discussions of erotica, nudity, excessive violence, coarse language, and drug use were strictly prohibited.
News programs featured presenters with impeccable diction and a refined command of the Russian language.
Sergey Georgyevich Lapin, chairman of the USSR State Committee for Television and Radio from 1970 to 1985, imposed strict guidelines on presenters’ appearances.
Men were required to wear ties and jackets, while beards were forbidden. Women were not allowed to wear pants. Lapin banned a broadcast of a close-up of Alla Pugacheva singing into the microphone, as he considered it reminiscent of oral sex.
Despite these restrictions, television rapidly gained popularity. Daily broadcasting hours expanded from 1,673 in 1971 to 3,700 by 1985.
A state-of-the-art television and radio complex, PTRC, was constructed for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, and the Ostankino Technical Center in Moscow became one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world.
By the late 1980s, Soviet television began to evolve. Western programming, primarily from the United Kingdom and Latin America, started appearing.
Talk shows and game shows, often modeled after Western formats, were introduced. Until then, Soviet television had been entirely free of advertising.
Even when commercials were eventually allowed, they remained rare due to the limited number of companies capable of producing them.
(Photo credit: TASS / VK / Enhanced and upscaled by RHP).