In the future we'll live better than any other country. By 1961, Yuri Gagarin is the first man to orbit the Earth. The Cold War's pressure to rearm keeps heavy industry a priority. Those who join the military are rewarded with higher wages and other benefits. To solve the housing shortage, the Soviet Union turns to prefabricated housing.
Apartment blocks shoot up around every Soviet city.
Living conditions improve but there is still a severe and persistent shortage of goods in the shops. To address the food shortage, Khrushchev proposes agricultural reforms. The Virgin Lands Campaign ploughs up the natural grasslands of Central Asia and plants them with wheat. Khrushchev boasts that he will overtake America in meat, milk and grain. Describe the housing problem in the Soviet Union.