On a free day, people would get out of the house and enjoy winter sports, including sledding, skiing and skating. If they wanted peace and tranquillity, then they remained snuggled indoors, often with their favourite pets and a cup of tea from a traditional Russian samovar kettle, and read books.
Aside from the thrill of seasonal sports activities, people enjoyed their winter leisure time walking the streets of the Soviet capital, taking in the snow-covered sights.
Plunge into the past with our Sputnik photo gallery.
Sledging
Kids and adults take to the ice at the skating rink in Moscow's Gorky Park
On Red Square in the evening
What could be more iconic than the Moscow Kremlin in the winter?
A young girl braves the frosty day.
A snowy walk on Gogolevsky Boulevard in central Moscow
Nordic skiing in Izmailovsky Park in eastern Moscow
A 60-meter ski jump is set up in Sparrow Hills near Moscow State University, originally known as Lenin Hills
Girls eat ice cream
A view of the main building on the campus of Moscow State University
A walk along the promenade
A small family enjoys a leisurely winter stroll through Gorky Park in central Moscow
Monument to Kozma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky on Red Square in Moscow
Residents of the Moscow district Yasenevo during a winter walk through the park. The planned urban community dates back to the late 1970s.
Moscow's streets are cleaned after a snowfall
