With not much other public spaces, where else will you go? There were a few counter-culture places in Moscow and Leningrad for the select, and kitchens for everyone else.
Still, it is impressive how viral some culture was. With nothing more than tape recorders and word-of-mouth, some soviet rock bands still had millions of listeners and could easily fill a stadium for a gig (and indeed did a bit later, when it became possible). Same for books and poetry.
This internet-level virability is no longer seen. Today you can't do much on the word-of-mouth - cultural space is too crowded.
Still, it is impressive how viral some culture was. With nothing more than tape recorders and word-of-mouth, some soviet rock bands still had millions of listeners and could easily fill a stadium for a gig (and indeed did a bit later, when it became possible). Same for books and poetry.
This internet-level virability is no longer seen. Today you can't do much on the word-of-mouth - cultural space is too crowded.