My Russian Apartment Tour: GREY SOVIET BUILDINGS EXPLAINED!

Hi! Welcome to my Russian apartment tour. For the last year when I didn't travel I stayed in   Moscow and today I will take you inside  my humble housing named "khrushchevka". I will explain to you the story behind  grey Soviet blocks and why Russia is   full of them and I will show you how  most of the Russians really live. But before we step inside let's  take a walk around my neighborhood! Not all parts of Moscow are impressive  like the Red Square. In fact there are   many neighborhoods like mine characterized  by typical Soviet era residential buildings. By the way, all these buildings  have their own story from when   they were built to their unique features. Almost every Soviet leader tried  to solve the housing issue. That's why these buildings are named  after the leaders that built them.   "Stalinka", "Khruschevka",  "Brezhnevka" and "Putinka". Wait, "Putinka" is actually a vodka brand. This is our courtyard and around it you  can see all types of these buildings. So for example, this buit... "Film me" Let's start with this one. These buildings are known for their monumentality,  luxury architectural elements design. They were primarily intended  for the Soviet elites. Have you already guessed what  Soviet leader built this one. Of course this is "Stalinka". "Stakinkas" were constructed from  the late 1930s to the late 1950s. Under Stalin's rule the country  began to rapidly industrialize   and it was necessary to provide  everyone moving to cities with housing. So mass construction of "stalinkas" began. Inside the building there are spacious entrances   and halls 3 to 4 meters high  ceilings and spacious rooms. "Stalinkas" buildings are still  considered to be elite houses. "Khruschevkas" is   on the other hand where the answer to the housing   crisis following the World War II when  it was necessary to rebuild the country. The grey blocks were rapidly constructed  mainly from the late 1950s up to 1980s   offering a fast and economical  solution to the shortage of housing. So unlike "stalinkas" they were very  compact and cheap and simple to build. All right let's go inside my "khruschevka"! Wait are you subscribed to my channel?? It's a very private space so only  people who are subscribed can come in. Now we are in "padyezd". "Padyezd" is a Russian term that refers  to the entrance of the house or the lobby. I live on the fourth floor there is no elevator  here and that's why most of the "khruschevkas"   have five floors because according to the Soviet  standards if the building has more than five   floors they have to build an elevator and that  would increase the cost of construction too much. Extra security. "Welcome!" This is my apartment that I rent from one  Moscow "babushka" with my roommate Dasha. Hello! Long time no see! Dasha is a typical person from Siberia that came   to Moscow to make some money and to  find success. How is it going so far? It's going well I'm really making money  because difference of salary in Moscow   and in Siberia is huge I'm I'm building  a career and I even found love here. Where do you like lifestyle more  in Irkutsk (Siberia) or Moscow? That's a hard question for me because like in  Moscow you can find everything you want but in   Siberia there is my family, there are my friends,  there is a nature that I love so much Baikal   lake and still like Moscow for me sounds like  city for money but Siberia is for for my soul. Now let me show you around this  is a one room apartment where in   the living room typical sounds of the  Soviet apartment of course there is a   cupboard showcasing the best of the table  wear it's a must have in a Soviet apartment   and a small library consisting of very big  books of the Russian classical literature. And this is a balcony. In Soviet "khruschevkas" like this people  usually put lots of stuff that they don't   need on the balcony in the hope that they will  use it someday in the future and it's sometimes   full of old furniture and lots of stuff so it's  not like for example somewhere in Italy when   it's a nice balcony and people are drinking  coffee also it's quite chill here for coffee. And welcome to the kitchen, kitchens in  Soviet "khruschevkas" are very small. Here is the space for cooking,   here's the space for eating and don't pay  attention to this we are trying to recycle. "Khruschevkas" are very compact. They had to be built very fast and initially  they were meant as temporary housing solutions.   Authorities plan to replace them with more  comfortable houses in the future after the   rise of the Soviet Union and communism  that's why they were small and built with   minimal costs for building materials due  to shortages in the postwar Soviet Union. And in all "khruschevkas" there is such  windows between a kitchen and a bathroom. You probably wonder why do we needed it. Of course a Soviet person was always  under surveillance of the communist   party and they always need to check what  media you are reading what newspapers   you're reading even in the bathroom  the big brother is always watching you. What else is here. Actually I never paid attention to this but now I   see that there is this door and  I have no idea where it leads. What I saw there is not information for everyone. As I said "khruschevkas" are very compact  and basically the apartment tour is over.   "Khruschevkas" just like this one were  built all over the country until 1960s to   provide as many citizens with an apartment as  possible and many families were very happy to   receive apartments like this and not to live in  a communal housing, to have their own bathroom,   to own their own apartment and from  mid 1960s it was when Brezhnev came   to power and he decided to build an improved  version of "khruschevkas" - "brezhnevkas". The population started to complain about the  Khruschev buildings because of small areas,   small kitchens, thin wall, lack of elevators. So "brezhnevkas" had larger  kitchens, trash shoots,   elevators as they usually had up to 16  floors and apartments overall were wider   compared to "khruschevkas". Such buildings  were built until the end of the 1990s. The new buildings that are built in Russia  now usually look like the one behind me. Huge residential complexes with so many  apartments inside of one building like this. Modern and spacious apartments. But actually I'm not sure. I would like to  buy an apartment in a building like this. It's just buildings like this remind me an  ant house and people there are so small like   ants so many people in this huge building.  I think I would have depression if I lived   there and feel like in utopia or something but  I'm not sure. They have very modern apartments   and now I'm in a period of my life when I need  to decide where I would like to own a property   but I still haven't decided if I want to  settle in Moscow or some other city of Russia. There are lots of advantages of living in  Moscow but also disadvantages so I'm still   deciding where I'm going to settle so let's sum  up all types of residential buildings in Russia. "Stalinkas" were constructed during  the industrialization period. They're very monumental and  have a beautiful architecture. Then "khruschevkas" were built  to address the post World War II   housing crisis. So these buildings were  only about functionality and minimalism. And then "brezhnevkas" came which are  like an upgraded version of "khruschevkas"   and modern buildings reflect the demand  for more comfortable living conditions. Some people might say that posts  Soviet countries look depressing   because of these gray ugly panels but  these buildings provided homes for millions   of people. This is not an example of beautiful  architecture of course but in a country where   housing shortages were once a reality having  a roof over your head was a luxury in itself. This was a small tour of my "khruschevka"  and explanation of Russia's grey buildings. Share your opinion. Do you think these buildings look very depressing   and could you live in one of these  buildings like this "khruschevka". As for me yes this is not perfect, it's a very  small apartment but right now I am very happy   to live here in Moscow for this price. It's  very cheap with a nice roommate and in this   quiet and green area of the city and this place  gives me an opportunity to do all my hobbies   and I can reach places that I need by walking  which is a luxury for a big city like Moscow. Also metro is just 10 minutes walk  I will not live here forever of   course but for this particular  period of my life it's perfect. Every day that I'm here I'm happy honestly  even though the capitalist consumerist world   keeps reminding every day that you need a bigger  apartment and when you have that bigger apartment   you need a more luxurious apartment and only then  you will be happy but don't fall into this trap. That's it from me. Let me know if you  already knew the information from my   video before or what things that I mentioned  you found interesting what surprised you the   most and thank you for joining me on  this journey through Soviet era living. "Bye-bye". See you soon!

Channel: Eli from Russia

Views: 788,427

Keywords: eli from russia, russian apartment tour, russian apartment buildings, russian apartment, real russia, life in russia, life in russia under sanctions, typical russian apartment tour, typical russian apartment, soviet apartment, soviet apartment blocks, soviet buildings, how people live in russia, soviet blocks, khrushchevka, khrushchevka tour, stalinka, stalin building, life in moscow vlog, eastern europe life, moscow vlog, russia, life in moscow, moscow, soviet panel buildings

Id: Rec-kWEZC_A

Length: 12min 59sec (779 seconds)

Published: Sat May 04 2024