[0:00]Soviet refrigerators were something that the Western mind couldn't comprehend. Unlike Western ones, Soviet refrigerators had an opening handle with a lock and key to open them, just like the ones in cars.
[0:11]The reason for such a design was simple. Back in the days, most Soviet people were living in communal apartments, where multiple families shared one kitchen and a bathroom.
[0:20]These refrigerators allowed people to lock their food inside to prevent neighbors from taking it, just like a safe but for fresh foods.
[0:26]The design was simple and good. It had roughly 240 L of internal capacity with a small internal freezer and a thick rubber gasket compression seal around the door, just like in car doors.
[0:38]And since its sealing and lock mechanism were similar to cars, you had to slam the door to close it.
[0:43]Even though today they are sometimes used as retro style icons in cafes, you can still come across ones made in the Stalin era that are perfectly working after 70 years all around the old Soviet countries.
