The Economic Thaw of 1953

The paper analyzes changes in structural policy in the USSR after Stalin’s death. They were intended to ease the material situation of the population of the USSR after the hardships on the eve and during the Great Patriotic War, which were only partially compensated for in the first postwar period. These changes are called ‘the economic thaw of 1953’ by the author as an analogy with Ilja Ehrenburg story “The Thaw” and are barely covered in Russian economic literature. The motives for implementing the structural maneouver of 1953 were the desire of the new soviet leadership to win the sympathy of soviet people. The reform of 1953 is analyzed on the basis of the report of A.I. Mikoyan at the congress of trade workers of the USSR in October 1953 and a number of other sources. The additional targets established for the production of consumer goods by industry for 1953 are compared with the targets of the five-year plan. They appear to be significantly higher than these targets for all types of products, especially for durable goods. These five-year plan tasks were fulfilled for the first time in the history of five-year plans. At the same time, additional tasks for 1955 were not fulfilled because they were not realistic. Great efforts were made to improve the living condition of the population by producing goods that make life easier, expanding the network of trade and public catering enterprises and improving the quality of their work. In 1955, as a result of Мalenkov removal from the post of Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, there was a partial rejection of the structural maneuver of 1953. The Analysis shows that additional targets for the production of consumer goods for 1955 overestimated the real capabilities of the economy at that time. By diverting resources from heavy industry, those plans slowed down technical progress and the renewal of fixed assets.