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I've never been to Kyoto (maybe one day), but I severely doubt it about Chelyabinsk. I haven't been there either, but I have been to many many other Soviet city, and central planned system does not allow too much variety. So the way it works in Soviet cities (I am talking about 20th century of course, post-Soviet period is a bit different - the places are the same but the patterns shifted a bit) is that you have one bigger store (compared to US supermarket like Safeway) per micro-district and a bunch of smaller specialized stores (basically, bread, milk, eggs, basic veggies, you're done). The smaller stores are within ~10 mins walk from your dwelling usually. The bigger one would be about 20 minutes walk (on average, you could happen to live right next to it - or have to walk more, but probably no more than 30 minutes). No public transportation whatsoever within the micro-district whatsoever, if you can't walk for 20 minutes loaded with all the groceries that you need, you are so much screwed. Find someone who can, or subsist on the basic choices available in the mini-stores. The choice in the larger store would be about as good as in a below average US supermarket, with corrections for local conditions of course. The situation is a bit different if you live in the center of the city (majority of people don't since it'd be a) very expensive and b) there's just not that much residential space in the center) or in the places which are not part of the system of the micro-districts for reasons of remoteness or history. In the former, you'd probably have access to closer stores, in the latter you'd have to go farther.
The situation has changed a bit in post-Soviet times due to several factors: 1. people got access to personal transportation (of course nobody planned the parking nearly enough to cover the needs, so the parking situation usually would be not ideal) 2. There's now informal public transportation networks supplementing official transportation and 3. There are private markets and mini-stores popping up everywhere, which are usually hideously ugly, but significantly improve access to goods and groceries.
I don't understand this comment. Today is now, not 30 years ago. But you doubt things have changed while you give the historical background of what it was 30 years ago, then say it changed?!
Yes...?
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