Commercial Trade in the System of Public Catering of the Stalingrad Region in 1944–1947

Introduction. The article deals with the creation and development of a commercial trade system in public catering in the city of Stalingrad and the Stalingrad region at the end of the Great Patriotic War and in the first post-war years. Methods. In this study, historical-descriptive (idiographic), historical-genetic, and historical comparative methods, as well as quantitative methods, were used in the examination of newspaper sources. Analysis and results. In order to replenish the budget and meet the demand of the population, already in the spring of 1944, free trade in alcoholic beverages began in the canteens of Stalingrad. In the spring and summer of 1945, the first restaurants and commercial halls at canteens opened in the city. The opening of commercial tea houses in the system of state and cooperative trade became widespread in early 1946 after the decrees of the USSR government were issued. This process took place in the face of an acute shortage of inventory, kitchen equipment, and utensils. A feature of Stalingrad was the complete lack of premises for new catering establishments. As a rule, commercial tea houses were opened at or instead of existing canteens. Since a significant part of the products for commercial tea houses were purchased from collective farms and the population at market prices, the cost of even the simplest dishes was 8–10 times higher than in ration canteens. Procurement of products occurred with difficulty due to the priority of mandatory supplies of agricultural products to the state. After the drought in 1946, even commercial tea houses and restaurants limited the sale of bread. At the same time, there was a second wave of the establishment of commercial restaurants and cafes. In 1947, commercial canteens with a small selection of dishes appeared, occupying a middle position between restaurants and tea houses. Having completed the task of attracting funds from the population, commercial catering enterprises, at the same time, did not become centers for cultural leisure. Most of the teahouses were located in adapted premises that needed repair and were poorly maintained. The assortment of dishes was not maintained, and violations of technology and theft by workers flourished. Most of the profits came from the sale of purchased goods, primarily alcoholic beverages.