EDUCATIONAL STRATIFICATION IN RUSSIA DURING THE SOVIET PERIOD

A national survey of educational stratification in Russia reveals subs tantial inequality of educational attainments throughout the Soviet pe riod. Parents' education, main earner's occupation, and geographical o rigin contributed to these inequalities. Gender preferences for men we re removed, and for some transitions reversed. Although secondary educ ation grew rapidly, higher education failed to keep pace. This dispari ty led to a university-level enrollment squeeze, and the resulting bot tleneck hurt disadvantaged classes more than advantaged ones. In turn the effect of social origins on entering university increased after 19 65. The upshot was no net change in the origin-based differences in th e likelihood of attaining a VUZ degree across three postwar cohorts.