When the first communal apartments appeared in Russia, and How they lived in them under the USSR

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

A communal apartment is a concept familiar to those who lived in the USSR. The phenomenon of communal apartments is explained by the special relationships between people who are strangers to each other, who are forced to live together. The modern generation does not know much about communal apartments and considers them a symbol of the Soviet era. But even today in Russia there are many apartments of this type and they occupy a considerable percentage of the total housing stock. For example, St. Petersburg, a modern metropolis, where today there are at least 100,000 communal apartments. Read where communal apartments appeared, when they appeared in Russia, who are the disenfranchised and other interesting facts.

The first communal apartments in Europe and how people filmed corners

The first communal housing appeared in the 18th century, when large manufacturing enterprises began to appear in Europe. The stream of workers and artisans rushed to big cities, people went to work. They worked and, naturally, lived somewhere. There were sheds and shacks where working people could spend the night. However, apartments in more comfortable houses were gaining more and more popularity. The dwelling usually consisted of several rooms with a common kitchen. The toilet was located on the landing. The room could be rented very cheaply. But many could not afford it, so the owners began to lease the corners. Apartments were divided into parts and nooks were offered as housing. The corners could be walk-through, but people still took them off, as it was more convenient than living in a rotten shed.

The emergence of communal housing in Russia: apartment buildings and the leadership of St. Petersburg

So people were filming the corners. The Industrial Revolution was taking place by leaps and bounds, and tenants began to unite. For example, it could be employees of one plant or acquaintances. Together, renting an apartment was cheaper and more comfortable. Soon, this option appeared in Russia. In the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire, there were tenement houses, that is, buildings divided into many apartments and rented out. Most often, such housing was rented by workers with good salaries or students. Those with low incomes, such as cabbies, porters, etc., huddled in the corners of wooden barracks, most often on the outskirts. St. Petersburg became the leader in communal housing. In 1917, in Petrograd (this was the name of the city at that time), the main part of the housing was communal. According to statistics, 9 people lived in one apartment in the city.

Post-revolutionary "compaction" and who are the "disenfranchised"

The term "communal apartment" appeared after the October Revolution. Even before the revolution took place, Lenin argued that it was not the business of people to live in large apartments, but it was necessary to make room. The new government called this oppression "compaction". It was announced the withdrawal of apartments from private ownership. In 1918, the Central Committee issued a decree abolishing private property rights in real estate, and this hit primarily the large industrial cities. The tenants were forced into the apartments. Even the room did not escape such a fate. Living standards were getting smaller and smaller.

If at the beginning of the twenties it was 10 square meters per person, then in 1924 the figure was equal to 8 square meters. At least 35,000 workers with their families were moved to Petrograd in 1919. It was chaos. Representatives of different social strata gathered in the apartment, who needed to manage the household together. But that's not all. It was not enough for the Soviet government to deprive citizens of their property in real estate. In 1924, the concept of "disenfranchised" appeared. These were people who were deprived of their voting rights. The list included entrepreneurs, private traders, artisans, artisans, prospectors, priests and former property owners. They were subjected to real persecution, evicted. People could just be on the street and did not even have the right to live in their own former apartment.

How the state either allowed or forbade renting out apartments and terrible sanitary standards

All these measures led to the fact that by the mid-twenties all housing was state-owned and, accordingly, free. The maintenance of the housing stock required money, which was not enough. People were "shoved" into communal apartments, but there was simply no money for the maintenance of communal services. A new economic policy was introduced that partially allowed private property and trade. With regard to housing, a decision was also made on partial private ownership, it was allowed to rent apartments and rooms. Housing cooperatives arose and started working. The owner of the apartment could live in it and at the same time rent it out to those people whom he chose.

This was a pleasant contrast to the compaction, when the decision was made exclusively by the state. The owner of the apartment took a fee from the tenant and paid the house management himself. The difference was his income. Some houses still belonged to the state and were called communal houses. In 1929, the NEP ended and all housing again became state-owned, that is, communal. With the advent of industrialization, a stream of workers poured into the cities. Compaction began again, sanitary standards began to decrease again. For example, in Leningrad in 1931, 9 square meters per person was relied on instead of 13 square meters, as it was in 1926.

Grandiose plans that never came true or unkillable communal apartments

As the years passed, the housing situation did not improve. The state made attempts to build new housing, but everything was done like communal apartments, each family was entitled to one room. In 1937, a decision was made to abolish the housing associations, which still managed the housing stock. All buildings have become the full property of the state. Residents have lost the ability to influence their own life.

Then the Great Patriotic War broke out, after which the difficult post-war years began. At this time, the housing issue was not given special attention, since all efforts were directed to the restoration of the destroyed housing stock. Instead of building up the cities with housing suitable for isolated living, the usual communal apartments were erected. The housing problem has not yet been resolved in Russia, but, fortunately, still such a concept as "taking a corner" no longer exists.

Later, the government adopted a new program to solve the housing problem and resettle the communal apartments. Namely construction of Khrushchevs, which were completely different according to the original plan.