It wasn't restricted per se. Just it didn't exist or produced as a civil appliance, so you won't be able to buy it. But civil defense kits usually had the counter, so if you really wanted one you probably could get it. My dad got one right after Chernobyl disaster.

pretty sure this explains it:

> the government plan was to mix the meat from Chernobyl-area cattle with the uncontaminated meat from the rest of the country

I wonder if this was posted now as a result of a report of radioactive shrimp being sold at Wal-Mart:

https://www.fda.gov/food/alerts-advisories-safety-informatio...

This was news to me too. I did some surface level research and couldn't find any mention of that.

That said, my parents are from the former USSR and just because there isn't a law on the books doesn't mean it wasn't de facto banned.

I do not know if this was the rationale, but presumably the powers that be could not see any upside to civilians possessing such equipment - after all, it could be used for purposes like calling the bluff on the official narrative

('During the recent fire at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, only trace amounts of radioactivity has been detected outside the immediate vicinity...')

or espionage ('Hmmm... I wonder why many of the freight cars coming down the track from the alleged paint factory in East Podunkskij are 100x more radioactive than those from other areas?')

We are, after all, talking about a system which restricted access to photocopiers.

It was not. Moreover, decommissioned Geiger counters from bomb shelters were available. It's more fair to say that Geiger counters were not sold on the open market because they were considered to be specialized equipment.

The USSR was strictly controlling radio transmitters and survey equipment but not regular measurement devices.

I mean, the post itself kinda answers it.

there is no problem if nobody knows about it. explain many government decisions both inside and outside the USSR.