Did the Soviet Union have open borders?

Yes. Russia and from 1922 the USSR at first were very open and actually promoted immigration to the extent that it was a constitutional right of anyone and anywhere provided s/he is from the working class.

Can you travel freely in Soviet Union?

It was virtually impossible for citizens of Soviet Union to move or travel abroad. Only some ethnic minorities (e.g. Jewish) with family members abroad could move out, yet with great difficulty.

What was it like living in the Soviet Union during the Cold War?

Life in the the Soviet Union during the Cold War was very different from life in the US. The obvious difference was communism, which took away freedoms from everyday people. Healthcare was expanded, but housing and famine remained major issues for citizens across the Soviet Union.

What caused the breakup of the USSR?

Gorbachev’s decision to allow elections with a multi-party system and create a presidency for the Soviet Union began a slow process of democratization that eventually destabilized Communist control and contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

How did the Soviet Union make it difficult for its citizens to travel to other countries?

The passport system in the Soviet Union restricted migration of citizens within the country through the “propiska” (residential permit/registration system) and the use of internal passports. For a long period of Soviet history, peasants did not have internal passports, and could not move into towns without permission.

Why did Soviet Union restrict emigration?

After World War II, emigration restrictions were imposed by countries in the Eastern Bloc, which consisted of the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Central and Eastern Europe. Eastern Bloc governments argued that strict limits to emigration were necessary to prevent a brain drain.

How did the Soviet Union affect Russia?

The Soviet Union’s collapse not only threw economic systems and trade relations throughout Eastern Europe into a tailspin, it also produced the upheaval in many Eastern European countries and led to increased crime rates and corruption within the Russian government.