Life for Russians in the 1930's was difficult. Housing was not easy to find and it nearly always involved living with a number of other families. Finding everyday goods was also very difficult. A great deal of attention was paid to heavy industry, but very little attention was paid to producing household goods or food. The result was a widespread shortage of goods and a system of ration cards. Despite these hardships, life conditions did improve for many. Before the revolution, over 90% of the population was illiterate. By the mid-1930's, nearly everyone could read at a very basic level. There was a high level of social mobility and even a barrack was an upgrade from what many people had previously lived in. Stalin mounted a massive propaganda campaign in order to convince the people that life was in fact getting better and that people were sacrificing now, but this sacrifice would pay huge dividends in the future. Heroes were created to give the population examples for them to follow. Alexei Stakhanov became a hero because of his ability to mine huge amounts of coal. Pavlik Morozov became a martyr for turning in his parents who were engaged in illegal activities. Border guards, pilots, and explorers were among the other heroes used to pass on the messages of the party. Cults of personality were created surrounding Lenin and Stalin, raising them to a god like status in the Soviet Union.
