Aging in the Soviet Union: a west Siberian perspective

A half-year's residence in the Siberian industrial city of Kemerovo permitted a variety of ethnographic observations on the aged and aging. These were supplemented by interactions with medical personnel, as well as a review of the scanty literature (geriatrics is not a recognized medical specialty in the Soviet Union). The integration of the aged in families is noteworthy, as is the respect generally given them. But hard living conditions, difficulties of transportation, dietary inadequacies, and a severe paucity of specialized facilities present problems for the elderly.