Like back in the USSR | Focus on Europe

16 families sharing one apartment - the days of the Kommunalkas seem to be back in St. Petersburg. Communal apartments in older buildings are a relic of the Soviet era and starkly out of step with the grandeur of the world-famous Venice of the North.

[@edelman8829]

Keep in mind, when these were built, it was for people who had no home

[@DrCruel]

A relic of the utter misery the Bolsheviks unleashed on the Russian people.

[@devinward461]

@@DrCruel as opposed to America, where everyone has a home

[@DrCruel]

@@devinward461 Millions of immigrants certainly seem to feel that way.

[@muitnecsa3489]

@@devinward461 Everyone except homeless that are everywhere.

[@devinward461]

@@muitnecsa3489 I was being sarcastic to make a point lmao

[@friendoffriendless1408]

*Hong Kong living conditions for majority of people are worse than it.*

[@tavatumbass]

#079 Moderator they dont have oil and gold and such a countree we have . But putins government stold everything.

[@tavatumbass]

Putin thief.

[@glebsokolov8016]

Vadim Gudoshnikov ПУТИН - ВОР

[@googleuser2609]

That's why no one would dare move to live in your metropolis. Not to mention your mentality.

[@OffGridInvestor]

At least the electric works properly.

[@kyriljordanov2086]

It's actually not very common for a Russian family to live in communal flats nowadays. Mostly guest workers from central Asia and students live there. Most communal flats were long ago converted to individual apartments with each having its own kitchen and bathroom. I'm not saying no young Russians live like this, but it's not too common today.

[@crusader2.0_loading89]

yeah, misleading

[@jan8851]

It is very common in the west to live in communal flats. I share my 3 room apartment with 8 others.

[@laleluna8053]

Also saying they are "soviet styled" isn't entirely true. They have existed before, and though the USSR kept the concept out of lack of room, it was neither their idea, nor their leading concept.

[@seank7413]

My family rents there's out

[@henryseidel5469]

The values of Russian people are totally different from the west. They do not need some shiny cars and a house to be happy but prefer fine arts, literature and music. Even in the smallest apartment they have a piano, a little library or at least a guitar. And a big family that sticks together through thick and thin. Russians do not live from consumerism but from their social environment and the people around them. And the education for their children, which plays the main part within a family. I have experienced that several times when living in a Russian family as a guest during sports competitions. I had never understood that until I was there. To them a sophisticated game of chess is worth more than a palace. I hope those happy people will never get spoilt by silly western consumerism. Their girls are beautiful because they do NOT use cosmetics and plastic surgery..!! Unique, magnificent people. They are happy in their faces but not in their purses.

[@megamanencyclopedia]

I read a book from the thirties a while ago, it was from the perspective of an american journalist studying the Soviet Union. One of the key differences they talked about was how human nature was fundamentally changed under the socialist system. People really did live for the simpler things and cooperation, rather than the competitive nature of capitalist society. I thought it pretty interesting, especially hearing from people nowadays who used to live in the old ussr (though i recognize that the USSR became politically capitalist in the 50's).

[@henryseidel5469]

@@megamanencyclopedia I am afraid this cannot be understood by a foreigner, unless he lived in a Russian family for a long time. It is very difficult to describe. To sum it up: When Americans go to McDonald's or to a shopping centre to buy some rubbish Russians go to a symphony concert, a library, a music school or an opera. Russia cannot be measured by western standards.

[@joshistitic]

@@megamanencyclopedia human nature doesn't exist, it's social construct, every cultural group live different and you can't just say that 'human nature' changed. This is what their lives were and always were.

[@megamanencyclopedia]

@@joshistitic It feels like you contradict your own argument. Human nature is a social construct and yet these people live the same throughout all of history because of their culture? That is not how culture works and not how people live. Something being a social construct does not mean it doesn't exist. It just means that its existence is dependent on humans who create it. that's literally what a social construct is. Culture is a social construct, fashion is a social construct, how we treat gender is a social construct. All these things shift and change depending on the *society* that humans live in. as Societies developed from primitive communism to slave states to feudalism and to capitalism the social constructs of culture and human nature changed with them. There were 188 different nationalities under the soviet union, do you really think all of them had similar culture? no. This type of communal living was impossible under the material conditions of the russian empire. It was a feudal society, meaning peasant families were split up among 20 million different parcels of land. *It wasn't until the Soviet Union that communal farms originated where all those parcels of land were combined into 200,000 collective farms and peasants worked cooperatively instead of in isolation.* I feel like your view is based on some really weird pseudo science, or something

[@joshistitic]

@@megamanencyclopedia I think what just happened was odd, I thought you were defending Capitalism and you thought I was defending Capitalism even though presumably we both hate capitalism. Juked again

[@Kshapo]

Still looks better than some of the projects in brooklyn and manhattan. LOL

[@franknwogu4911]

yeah, but the average soviet citizen lives there in the projects a tiny minority of new york lives there

[@zacnieprawisz9171]

@@franknwogu4911 the average Russian doesn't live in those - in fact majority of this era small apartments had been redone to bigger one-family apartments, each one with their own kitchen and bathroom

[@naleenperera1969]

Their Lifestyle 100 Times Better Than The American Homeless Street Living Peoples......

[@Yair44]

From a German channel, I expected a little more. These buildings are very old and require regular maintenance, this is a well-known and unique problem for old St. Petersburg. Most of the people of the Soviet Union lived in new buildings, they weren't great but they were normal. Today in Saint Petersburg the majority live in buildings from the late Soviet era, the old buildings are mostly abandoned or renovated, the poor live as you showed (which is much better than a tent under a bridge like in the USA).

[@davesimon9192]

This is not telling the entire story. In the 90s the system changed and nowadays the housing market parallels Western housing markets. What's being portrayed is equivalent to section 8 housing (free/reduced for the poor) in the US. If one works and earns a good enough wage in Russia they can rent or buy housing in a free market. I might add that in expensive Western cities such as San Francisco, where a two bedroom apartment can cost up to $4,000.00 per month, many people share a small space as well.

[@yesgamer1104]

yeah san francisco also happens to be the most liberal city in america, so no surprises there.

[@aimarramadhan9729]

Back then during Soviet era, people are mostly rich to buy foods but on some markets provides little supplies. Now capitalist, average Russians are not what they were back then, small salary but plenty of foods.

[@2002babay]

Если у всех в США сразу появятся деньги, чтобы покупать все, чего они хотят, то буквально через три дня полки ваших магазинов опустеют. В СССР все люди имели деньги и поэтому образовалась очередь на товары.

[@a916LEX]

Not true. People were not rich it would go against your communist beliefs. And I also remember hearing about many stores being out of the goods the Russian people needed. And did I mention the lines, which would take up the majority of the day for the people . Great life :)

[@fabiojr8082]

@@a916LEX this was near the end of the Soviet Union not throughout it

[@smljnsn65]

If these were renovated with modern Amenities they would be praised

[@oliviersadat5107]

Best economic system, everyone had job,own house, no mortgage no bullshit..easy happy life

[@Kevin-it4fh]

Speak for yourself

[@w346]

It was super corrupt. Everyone was stealing and imbesseling as much as they could.

[@HoBoeBpeM9l]

​@@w346 и при этом страна строилась и развивалась? Представь что было бы при отсутствии той тупой коррупции?

[@Aunt_Lydia]

A condescending snide closing remark about Russia,,,classic DW

[@luizaj318]

right, theyre there to judge rather than educate

[@dracotitanfall]

The USSR gave homes to the homeless, food to the starving, and jobs to the unemployed...tell me, what current capitalist government has gone so far as the USSR for their people's benefit? The USA has a poverty rate of 10% while almost all capitalist countries have tons of empty luxury flats with homeless people sleeping on the roads right next to them. Tell me now, which system "failed"?

[@JW-uy2on]

It's way higher than 10%.

[@Kit_Bear]

You had to work for the state to get all of that. Not too different from Capitalist societies to be honest but Capitalist countries didn't steal the harvest from farmers making them starve to death like in the 30's, 40's and 50's. Stalin's solution to hungry people was to feed them a bullet.

[@АртемПлясунов-ж4о]

@@Kit_Bear вот типичный пример великовозрастного дибила

[@JChang0114]

People were assigned to live in these homes, right? They needed approval to move somewhere else or to a better place?

[@gottod6895]

@My Nameis And the problem is not only that of America , Consumerism is spread not only throughout the entire Western world but many many other countries. People are no longer human, to consume more is to be better, to be up in the hierarchy to be more respected and get more chances in social interations.

[@franktoledo6342]

In the States especially in California tent ⛺ community. Drug use rapid. Legal and illegal drugs people are fleeing to find a better life.

[@hashimali4005]

The child is so cherry and happy ❤️

[@miike111]

That was a nice story about people that live shabby flats and the wonderful city they live in. I was surprise that old soviet era still exist in old buildings.

[@a916LEX]

Miike08 Pennia lol as if Russia has the money to update these slums.

[@Pajdas610]

@@a916LEX This is not slums.

[@Demid05]

Most of those kind of apartments have been turned into Individual apartments and habe been redone

[@OffGridInvestor]

I live in a cottage that's about 170 years old and had no maintenance for DECADES but IT'S BETTER THAN THAT. I know all the plumbing and electrical (completely solar) works because I INSTALLED EVERY INCH. It had no electric or plumbing before I inherited it.

[@zacnieprawisz9171]

so it had quite a lot of maintenence recently - unless you had personally done all this plumbing and solar over 170 years ago 😂

[@HoBoeBpeM9l]

Звучит странно. Такое ощущение, что вы думаете, что в союзе люди любой профессии получали одинаковое количество денег и могли рассчитывать только на переданное государством жильё.

[@GregoryTheGr8ster]

Russian people are so much happier than Americans, but not because they have such big houses and several cars per person. It's because they know that they have to live together. I'm so glad that some of them keep pictures of Comrade Stalin in their homes. He was a true Soviet. Of course, so was Lenin.

[@Captain_MonsterFart]

The brown haired lady looks fundamentally unhappy.

[@GregoryTheGr8ster]

Polite Q -- No, she is happy & content. You have to think in Russian, kind of like Clint Eastwood in Firefox.

[@97I30T]

GregoryTheGr8ster There are happy and miserable people in every country. I'm American and I'm very happy with my life in the United States.

[@aimarramadhan9729]

Because communist/socialist countries are mostly caring and sharing. Back then Russia was rich but in some provinces have a shortage amount of supplies due to Russia's vast geography.

[@glebsokolov8016]

GregoryTheGr8ster Do you know how many people Stalin killed? And don’t dream about Soviet Union coming back, we (Russians) aren’t gonna feed poor central asian countries anymore.

[@ohmeowzer1]

I do like the kitty

[@Captain_MonsterFart]

I like that the kitty cat hangs around socially and cheerfully.

[@ibraben4146]

Communist cat

[@sixmax11]

it's a cat. you were expecting knee high boots and bear fur hat maybe.

[@louisleon4419]

Stalinist cat!

[@lyfia3779]

socialism cute cat

[@learnmore6779]

Dude is carrying his own toilet seat. 1:30

[@criznueve]

Hey at least he has a toilet! Some people in other countries don’t have indoor plumbing.

[@lesablier2088]

people lives in the same condition in paris !

[@SANTONSANTO]

We should not afraid about change but old is gold.

[@hashimali4005]

Atleast they have home to live. Better than any capitalist country.

[@WORLDCITIZEN10]

I don't have experienced, but maybe kumunarka very social place to be not alone.

[@JohnAK72]

Post-Chernobyl youtube search :)

[@huudamu1884]

ITS WEIRD THAT SAME STYLE HAS PARTLY INFLUCED ON HELSINKI

[@auslegungssache]

really had to ruin it with the comment at the end didn't you

[@lynnleigha580]

Alexandra is so cute, my fourth baby (second girl) was bald, just like that, until she was 3 💜

[@theundaunted5481]

In 50 years will the pianists sound as they did 50 years ago? The classics will always be there but 200 years ago the literature was not so classic. We all expect our architecture to survive the test of time but the palate craves evolution and so Russia must usher in modern conveniences, consumer goods, foods, fashions and even blockchain.

[@zacnieprawisz9171]

they do

[@RASHEEDKHAN-hj4ze]

Its not tht soviet matter but maintenance matters...

[@liamoconnell8354]

Can't be too bad, is a tiny bit of poverty that bad? How many rich people dyou know who are utterly miserable?

[@royslapped4463]

I didn't know Europe was like this. Russia was a weird part of Russia

[@Dr_MKUltra]

Putin grew up in one of these.

[@MMM-qx7wb]

Don't millions of a Russians have summer homes

[@wasimkhattana7156]

Back in the Soviet Union

[@GEMahler]

Nice! Propagandistic but nice!!!

[@mordecaiesther3591]

Life is better . Jesus Christ bless them .

[@MohammedSameer-t4t]

Classic DW

[@kerriirvin5206]

Wow

[@davidvardanian7751]

and the point of this video??

[@JuliusCheeser223]

To teach people about the communal flats

[@nulanula5302]

And the point of your comment??

[@predator7418]

To show how dark communism is

[@kingkashi5151]

To show the effects of communism 😂😂😂

[@alfalfa6644]

16 families sharing an apartment, what country is Russia so powerful, I have always known the poverty and misery that exists there, and that some want to put Russia as a power, but power in hunger

[@HoBoeBpeM9l]

Ахахах, почему ты не упомянул, что у нас туалеты во дворе и нет продуктов на полках магазинов?

[@gabrieltomete4751]

4:18 "With a LOT of meat" if that's considered lots of meat then I must be from a different planet. There is a mountain of rice and a little meat on top.

[@johnroddy8756]

Same in the West if you did not have credit cards to buy on the never never,or education to pay for better life style

[@21lessons56]

Russia is pretty depressing.

[@bipeenchorge4218]

They were free

[@kingkashi5151]

The people who were sent to the gulags respectfully disagree 🤣🤣

[@bumarangnebula2589]

​​@@kingkashi5151 Many Millions of American prisoners and ex-convicts will also contradict. There is no Difference to the Gulag anymore

[@edwardjnarrojr3135]

👀

[@myownidenity4955]

They are trying to make socialist/communist collective living. Belurus is still communist please go there and see how they are living.

[@sabrinadoang5899]

I heard that Minks is the cleanest city in europe. Is that true ?

[@jmbpaz]

I did choose to move there. I wouldn’t say it communist, I would say it’s a mixed economy somewhat like Yugoslavia was. Best place I ever lived. Clearly you’ve never been to Minsk !!

[@filyapanzerman335]

and people are still proud in russia that they do not live the same way as in the usa

[@slik_]

That's a little bit of a low comparison, isn't it?

[@davidlguerr]

Send all those who praise communism to live there. Maybe they will change their mind after living in those "wonderful" conditions.

[@henryseidel5469]

Maybe they will change their mind seeing how Americans are living in plastic bags or carboard boxes on the sidewalks. Never saw anything like that in Russia.

[@taterboy9601]

No wonder they will do anything to leave Russia for other counties so they can live a decent life...........

[@KitsGravity]

Capitalism is better. Mixed economy is best.

[@YPR4022]

😄😄😄how about our india.... which is full garbage and poverty on north part india......

[@predator7418]

Prathap Reddy and ours is mixed economy 😇

[@themeerofkats8908]

Planned economy is the way to go

[@cenzoredworld]

What country isn't a mixed economy? socialism and capitalism are ideas, reality is a different story.

[@KitsGravity]

@Nationalist Nacionalismo I used to work in banking industry until I quit my job. Didn't like the work. I was making average income as per MBA standards, close to Rs. 9 lakes per annum. Wasn't much, wasn't too small either though.

[@татьянаиванова-э1ж8й]

Не стыдно жить в такой грязи ?

[@TinTaBraSS777]

татьяна иванова они из узбекистона ) там все так живут

[@SKY-jv9ue]

Boy, those white Russians need ObamaCare, welfare, food stamps, and some housing that doesn't look like the war just ended!!! No wonder those people lost 25 MILLION in the last war!

[@elvira5135]

Roger Borroel vietnam..

[@SKY-jv9ue]

Yes! Vietnam!

[@elvira5135]

Roger Borroel 26 million were civilians...

[@SKY-jv9ue]

That's right!

[@kinfezegeyeaboretugn6839]

I don’t understand why western strip the eveil side of this country!