▁down ▁at ▁an ▁alarm ingly ▁rapid ▁rate , ▁and ▁short ages ▁made ▁it ▁difficult ▁for ▁an ▁individual ▁to ▁sust ain ▁ones elf . ▁These ▁short ages ▁were ▁a ▁problem ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁capital , ▁St . ▁Petersburg , ▁where ▁distance ▁from ▁supplies ▁and ▁poor ▁transport ation ▁networks ▁made ▁matters ▁particularly ▁worse . ▁Sh ops ▁closed ▁early ▁or ▁entirely ▁for ▁lack ▁of ▁bread , ▁sugar , ▁meat , ▁and ▁other ▁prov isions , ▁and ▁lines ▁length ened ▁mass ively ▁for ▁what ▁remained . ▁Cond itions ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁difficult ▁to ▁afford ▁food ▁and ▁phys ically ▁obtain ▁it . ▁ ▁St rik es ▁increased ▁stead ily ▁from ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁and ▁so ▁did ▁crime , ▁but , ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁part , ▁people ▁suffered ▁and ▁end ured , ▁sc our ing ▁the ▁city ▁for ▁food . ▁Working - class ▁women ▁in ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁reported ly ▁spent ▁about ▁forty ▁hours ▁a ▁week ▁in ▁food ▁lines , ▁begg ing , ▁turning ▁to ▁prost itution ▁or ▁crime , ▁te aring ▁down ▁wooden ▁f ences ▁to ▁keep ▁st ov es ▁he ated ▁for ▁warm th , ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁res ent ▁the ▁rich . ▁ ▁Government ▁officials ▁responsible ▁for ▁public ▁order ▁wor ried ▁about ▁how ▁long ▁people ' s ▁p atience ▁would ▁last . ▁A ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁security ▁police , ▁the ▁Ok h ran a , ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁war ned ▁bl unt ly ▁of ▁" the ▁possibility ▁in ▁the