When I was growing up© , the original political and ideological reasons for organizing preschools in the USSR were long gone and kindergartens became what they are in the rest of the world – places to drop off children while adults work. Soviet kindergartens had various quality levels – some were owned by money-rich companies with new buildings, nice personnel and good food; others were for everyone else – with cramped quarters, frustrated overworked teachers and always-present smell of burnt milk (the milk was always boiled and if you smelled burnt milk once you’ll never forget it). I was lucky to spend a few years in the former kind of kindergarten, it was very nice and not easy to get into, especially since my parents didn’t work for the company which owned it. I don’t remember much from that time, so this set of photos was a nice reminder what the kindergartens of my childhood looked like, they are taken in 1960 but little has changed when I was attending one in 1975.
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/becb7a848c2e882012d0d07c0ccb37d7.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/82051c34ecff521897831004dd72fe5b.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/8f32cc8990d8a7fa32d4b8501c077cfe.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/c4f650f9e93f72ef5f7e2dcb0985b188.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/cf88320edb0db646305e448d5cadb978.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/f4ef0bb34b118bb991fc03c3f7b7dcb9.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/e9f024014bcfc00ed08a14b87201fb89.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/75af5e7666766ee0d8a55f117f17da0a.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/e901506b0f4f14382e9d43c862d1a4ff.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/478a460910b0b6b21b44b4d66ab84e5c.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/2839a72e42fd9886269c11db32bb0c81.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/bd4d44ba7ebb6f90e7e22b4d7d1e25e0.jpg)
![](https://www.kcmeesha.com/wp-content/uploads/HLIC/8ef65c14724dad14c7706e3a5ca30dbd.jpg)