ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Radio in the Soviet Union

Radio in the Soviet Union was like a big magical box that could transmit voices and music through the airwaves to people's homes.

The government controlled radio in the Soviet Union, which means they were the only ones who could decide what was going to be broadcasted. They used radio as a way to communicate with the people and spread their propaganda (propaganda is like using words and information to try and persuade people to think a certain way).

There were different types of radio programs on in the Soviet Union like news, music, and even shows for kids. People loved listening to the radio and it became a big part of their daily lives.

But because the government controlled everything, they could also censor information that they didn't want people to hear. That means they could stop certain news stories from being on the radio or even punish people for saying things they weren't supposed to.

So while the radio was fun to listen to, it was also a tool for the government to control what people thought and heard.