Why Soviet kitchens are SO SMALL? | My Russian Apartment Tour

Have you ever wondered why there are so many grey buildings in Russia? Let's have a look inside my Khrushchevka apartment and a Soviet kitchen .
All these Soviet 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 building are named after the leaders that built them: Stalinka, Khrushevka, Brezhnevka. I'll explain how they are different and the story behind each of them.
#lifeinrussia #russia #moscowrussia #moscowlife #moscow #sovietbuildings #sovietunion #ussr #sovietheritage #easterneurope #easterneuropean #realrussia #sovietkitchen

[@elausraliano]

Try an average Japanese kitchen and you won’t think the old Soviet ones are that small!

[@hannahy3381]

💯sooo true!! My kitchen in Japan is so small I don't understand. It's a large house with the smallest kitchen.

[@akmalfirmansyah7154]

Try the Indonesian one 😂😂

[@LongMax]

Japan had the same problem; after the war, it was necessary to restore the destroyed housing stock. And the methods in construction were absolutely the same.

[@purplolilita8899]

Paris entered the chat…

[@fayekalantzis4523]

Foodies deserve to have the space for gourmet food

[@laurentsalomonoriginals3438]

I live in a 1906 appartement in France. Same small kitchen, same window to the bathroom. I guess it's no because of KGB, rather to get light from the kitchen to the bathroom.

[@Bombabingbong66]

Ventilation as well.

[@WojciechowskaAnna]

it somehow grosses me out

[@Sicrio-k3w]

Because the Soviet Union stole the idea of ​​building houses, their designs, from France. The Soviet Union generally stole a lot of things from what was considered to be the “decaying West,” for example, car designs, from design to how they were generally built.

[@supersery]

​@@Sicrio-k3w exactly. The whole concept of those buildings comes from the european architectural movements of the beginning of the XX century. Same things for their cars, a lot of them were based on the Fiat models for instance. In both cases they copied the concepts thought for the lower classes in Europe. Easy cheap practical buildings, and easy to build small cars.

[@nouraal6098]

I think she was just kidding but none of you got the joke

[@owcopies123]

They may be small, but at least they are a separate room. In modern architecture the living room and the kitchen are often combined. All the grease from cooking ends up on your nice furniture and you can't leave dishes for later.

[@SallyRyder777]

I don't know how anyone could like an open kitchen.

[@AO-po8kc]

Thank you I thought I am alone in hating the open floor plan, I call it architectural pornography 😂

[@romystumpy1197]

Exactly,!!! And all the noise of clattering pans etc

[@owcopies123]

@@diploll depends, i live in a 1960s soviet era flat and we do have a living room.

[@lienbijs1205]

I have a good kitchen hood so oil is not a problem, I also don't mind the not yet cleaned up dishes but what I really dislike from our open kitchen is the noise of the kitchen sounds going to the livingroom.

[@msannmarie87able]

Thank you for showing Russia. This is what the Internet is for. Real people and real places. Love your channel.

[@MalluStyleMultiMedia]

🔥🔥👍👍 I think those windows are mainly for lighting purposes.

[@mightymidas2021]

Likely due to the bathroom not having a natural source of light

[@jean-francoisavon62]

My friends from Moscow tells me that the real reason is not for spying (window too high to see people easily) but because they did not build lighting in the bathroom to save money. Light came from the kitchen.

[@philipmulville8218]

Exactly.

[@aumelb]

I've never seen a bathroom without electric lights but the windows does provide a natural source of light in the daytime. Soviet bathrooms almost never had street facing windows.

[@PK-nf3jg]

And you can air it out from the steam 😊

[@eumenius]

Nope. It’s a safety feature preventing wall damage in case of gas explosion.

[@jhibberd6290]

I live in uk and my bathroom has window above the door

[@jubmelahtes]

You have Windows between bathroom and kitchens in old buildings in Norway aswell, it was for lighting, electricity was not something to waste back in the day

[@BonnersFerry]

Yes anytime a govt screws you THEY are helping you somehow

[@Zapata1848]

For a working class Spanish worker in the 50s that house would have felt like a palace ---- for thousands today too

[@2andramas]

We have those to let steam out of windowless bathrooms.

[@ratelslangen]

My kitchen isn't that much larger

[@digitalabilia]

​@@Zapata1848I lived in one this apartments, and visited many in the Eastern Bloc. 67m2, 2 bedrooms, 2 balconies, and an thermal isolated so that you can walk around naked while snow is falling outside. Nowadays not cheaper than 80k euros. The random couple in their thirties would required a 15,20 year's old mortgage for paying that.

[@aristarchkrisstapov]

still bigger than $2000/month New York apartments

[@saberur66]

I mean sure, compare a rural area of Russia to a city that contributes almost 1% to the worlds gdp

[@harryniedecken5321]

​@@saberur66 Yes, but nothing of actual value, just consumption

[@noorulhasan4904]

No wonder little john need those galvanized square steels

[@del-see-oh]

Russia is so great that their population decreases annually.

[@sam-fs9vf]

just the same as united states ☝️?@@del-see-oh

[@x2y3a1j5]

Argentinian here, having lived in 4 countries in the Americas and 3 in Europe. We in the Americas have our bathroom equipped with windows (something I rarely see in Europe), looking out to the streets (nobody from the outside can look inside), primarily for natural ventilation purposes (and avoid mold build up from steam from hot showers) and also natural daylight. Super simple, super practical, and super healthy = super smart. It's super weird to me, as a 3rd Worlder, that over here in the 1st World super rich Western Europe where I have been living for years many modern apartment buildings are NOT built like that. My current apartment in Paris, France is built with the bathroom inside the bedroom and no windows. When it stinks in the bathroom, it will also sometimes stink in the bedroom. And steam stays a long time, I must clean the ceiling and walls regularly from humidity traces to avoid mold. I had another apartment in Paris, also built inside the bedroom, where I had to go up 3 stair steps to get in the shower, WTF? And as always, NO window, WTF? I've stayed at friends' houses +/- the same in Italy, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal; only in Spain did I find windows in bathroom (but I guess I was just lucky).

[@lucyricardo8713]

There's usually a fan built into the bathroom for that. You're supposed to shower with it on.

[@aleksandarnenadovic5606]

First of all You are not from 3rd world and they are not first that's stupid western propaganda don't smoke that, here in Europe there is really old building and newer one and if you don't have money to buy upper class apartment you are just goin to see all kind of architectural solutions

[@gracjanlada4622]

Your videos are actually really amusing 😂

[@Moksha-Raver]

Balconies were for freezing extra food.

[@AndrewBlacker-t1d]

We just used our unheated back porch. It was completely enclosed.

[@user-oo1fb2kd7e]

same in northern China😂

[@ameliemileva6459]

​@@AndrewBlacker-t1dwhat do you mean unheated backporch??? Do people heat the outside?

[@barbthegreat586]

You enclose the balcony and gain an extra room.

[@vladcraioveanu233]

what extra food?! 😂

[@chiarabay9364]

That kitchen is massive! ! Have you been in a flat in London? When I lived in London I would have fallen on my knees and thanked every god for a kitchen that gorgeous!

[@TheMissblue2u]

This kitchen its the double size of my Dutch kitchen...do you want to know what a small kitchen is? Go Dutch...

[@Cursedschnitzel]

Yes, because even to Russian standards it’s a relatively big kitchen. Usual Soviet kitchen is like 4-6 m2, if I remember correctly

[@patrykn4793]

Russia is a State of Mind🙁

[@маахамариам]

See , Russia is a huge country, they do have space for roads and expansions unlike many European countries , also Britain which is technically small, so thus space is definitely an issue for housing in these countries at least in cities like London I’d assume

[@galeparker1067]

​@@маахамариамbuilt QUICKLY after WW2. Many millions were HOUSELESS!!!! 😢

[@milanstojanovic3285]

My grandpa built a lot of those apartment buildings in 60's all over the Balkans. As I remember, he told me that they have a very small kitchens or sometimes even one kitchen per floor, because they cooked just a little bit or did not cook at all.They used it only to make coffee, tea or soup. People had one meal at factory restaurant, and for the others they had a lot of goverment owned restaurants all around the city wher they could eat fresh cooked meal for a very low price.

[@LoganMaclaren]

Thus socializing the work that would be done mostly by women, liberating more of their time to participate in politics, study or simply enjoy themselves... think about what a single mom that works two jobs would give for something like that. Oh, yeah, the apartment's rent was about 5% of the minimum wage, and they had State run schools and kindergartens. Terrible, right?

[@kafkaesque_f]

​@@LoganMaclarenhow is this terrible??

[@LoganMaclaren]

@@kafkaesque_f well, can you imagine how bad that was for the economy? Like, giving people shelter, food, education, culture, enjoyment, political participation? That should be reserved only to people with generational wealth, the best of us, the ones at the pinacle of human kind, the millionaries and billionaires, not to common folk. The place to common folk is at work, carrying society forward on their broken backs. They enjoy working 16 hours a day, 6 or 7 days per week, they feel productive and motivated. They don't need comfort, like rich people do. And, yes, there was deep, heavy sarcasm in everything that I just said, @kafkaesque_f.

[@kafkaesque_f]

@@LoganMaclaren ohhhh I'm sorry my bad , I thought you were for real bc English is not my first language that's why I didn't catch the sarcasm . I'm glad we both agree that today's politics around the world is nonsense ,proletariats have no rights or life anymore just slaving for the upper class .

[@AppearDispairDisappear-xi1gt]

Yes it was heaven, wasnt it? No one wanted to migrate 😂😂😂

[@ezzatmagdy1503]

Я из Египта и прожил в России десять лет. Это были лучшие моменты в моей жизни и лучшие воспоминания, которые у меня остались с моими русскими друзьями.❤

[@artist.sanctuary.studio.d16]

No matter you were still born beautiful. I seen your land in 1982 What a change you have today. Everyone is watching you now. Live it. Love X

[@janasweeney8494]

The window is there because bathrooms have no window so during the day you get a bit of daylight.

[@Moonsfire62]

And to vent steam.

[@OlgaProkofyeva-gk4sk]

No In this type of buildings there were gas systems for heating water. And in case of explosion of this equipment this window decrease blast wave.

[@Moonsfire62]

@@OlgaProkofyeva-gk4sk steam from the sink or shower in the bathroom. It probably doesn't have a steam vent to the outside.

[@OlgaProkofyeva-gk4sk]

@@Moonsfire62 No this building on video was built in 60s and there were no central water heating in that time. So every apartment has individual gas water boiler and it was located in the kitchen so to decrease blast wave in case of explosion engineers made these windows in the kitchen. Gas individual boiler is only the reason for this window. In original version it’s not possible to open this window

[@TinyTinaBigPunch]

We need apartments like that in America. We have a lot of homeless people and your apartments very nice. Doesn’t matter what size it is as long as you’re comfortable and warm.

[@LoganMaclaren]

Well said, my friend @tinytinabigpunch

[@brandybilly4035]

And in big cities, the entire apartment would fit in that kitchen.

[@vonzen]

Have you seen NY city apartments?

[@edwinamendelssohn5129]

Many homeless cannot maintain a home

[@kiranicole2096]

​@edwinamendelssohn5129 They would also need a case worker, mental health services, and addiction services available to them at levels that just aren't accommodateable for the vast majority of them. Those apartments would get destroyed more quickly than people imagine.

[@heldersilva6672]

I'm from Portugal, and my bathroom also has a high glass window towards the kitchen, altough it is bigger than that one (and has the shape of a rectangle). Its a sort of tangled glass, it allows light to pass through but we can't see through it. I think the reason is to allow for daylight to enter the bathroom. Otherwise the bathroom would be a very dark division of the house, only possible to iluminate with electricity. Regarding the size of your soviet kitchen, in a way i think it is also a good way to get the best out of cooking heat during winter. A smaller kitchen needs less heating, that way it allows for families to stay warmer more easily during meals. The heat coming from the oven probably feels really nice and cozy during the harsh russian winters. 😊 I think it's a really nice concept.

[@OluenRival]

In the harsh Russian winters in these apartments the temperature is +25° C. ;))) on the contrary, the kitchen is hot and stuffy. The window is always open even if it's -25 outside ;))

[@truthhearit1471]

Those apartments had boilers and they were set to one temperature which could be very warm. Lots opened windows because of the heat .

[@LongMax]

In Russia, all apartment buildings have always been built since the war and are being built with a central heating system, so this has never been a problem. In hot countries, apparently, yes, there is a heating problem in winter.

[@GK-st9fz]

Let's see: linear layout for a kitchen is: sink+ countertop +range+ countertop + refrigerator according to the modern standards the sink front approach clearance 30" (0.76m) Ideally for elbow room you want at least 18 inches on one side of the sink The National Kitchen and Bath Association recommends a distance of at least 36" (but no more than 48 inches) between the center of the sink (24"x24") and the center of the stove hob(24"x24") So we have the line- 108" or ~2.75m, the depth of countertops is 24" (~0.61m) max according to standards. The working area is ~ 1.68m2 The path along countertop edge is 42" (~1.07m). Such way the minimum kitchen area should be : 1.07x2.75 ~2.95m2, Hruschyovka provided minimum 5.8m2 for the kitchen. minimum dining table size 30"x30" or 0.58 m2 seating area, the kitchen stool size 12"x12" or ~0.1 m2, 3 stools = 0.52 - So: working area is 1.68m2 + Path 2.95m2 = 4.63m2 , seating area with the table - 1.1m2 and grand total: 5.73m2 - For a 1 bedroom unit the kitchen 5.8m2 -6.2m2 meets all requirements for kitchen + dining area even per modern standards ( though without dishwasher and pantry) - Note! Kitchens in Hruwyovka has own window. If we approach Hruschyovka with the USA standards when kitchen is open to living space ( the wall between kitchen and living room can be demolished) the kitchen will look specious. The USSR habits to divide all rooms with walls and doors, people of the USSR even against haven toilet in the bathroom, they like to have toilet room as a separate space. ( Japanese style)

[@ItsJustMeCody22]

Eli I’m so madly in love with you and learning about your culture. ❤

[@BongoBeng1]

Rubbish. Window to kitchen from bathroom, has nothing to to with surveillance! But with Flat and house design.

[@thirstbasket]

You guys, that was a joke 🤦‍♀️

[@Ulan-wk1yl]

Она пошутила))

[@mentak2593]

She was kidding 😂

[@haroldcampbell3337]

Chill, vatnik!

[@cechzc2e]

A joke from a beautiful Russian girl....I love their sense of humour

[@Minerva14714]

Housing is a human right. In Soviet Russia they gave these houses for free for the working class if they can’t afford renting or buying a house. You can’t pass it to your children but it’s a very good idea to provide free housing for their citizens.

[@Txpo50]

No…it’s definitely not. Thanks for playing though

[@user-ug5xr2gb6j]

And how are they built and maintained? Go check out housing projects, homeless shelters, public retirement communities and HUD housing to see what’s available for “free” or with assistance near you. It’s meant to be temporary until you can get into a better situation, but unfortunately for lots of folks it’s way more permanent.

[@EveLilac]

Communism may seem extreme but here is the deal. In a country you live and reside in you should have land for everyone and a place to lay your head. It’s funny that the government of that country owns land. It’s population and control. Ain’t nothing wrong with basic socialist tendencies as far as making sure your citizens are ok. When it goes to extreme dictatorship that is when it is a problem: I think people are so bent on keeping others down. You can obviously see these apartments in this video aren’t luxurious but it’s enough for people to make it. America has similar options but let’s face it. Why would someone with a 3 bedroom get mad at someone living in a crammed space? The obvious answer of course . Greed. A lot of middle\upper class Americans have it. Greed and a complete desire to control someone from being on the street or not.

[@malinia.20]

​@@user-ug5xr2gb6j There's really no comparison between capitalist USA and the Soviet Union. You're assuming everything is a scam like it is in the United States, but it turns out that's not true

[@helloworld-ti5zs]

​​@@Txpo50Definitely yessssss. My dad received a flat for free. He got it in 6 months after graduating his university. All his neighbours of that house were colleagues from his work. My parents were absolutely happy. 😊 We still have it. Now my parents live in a cottage but they don't want to sell the flat.

[@gulfcityswampwitch7108]

This makes me cry. 😢 they were like "see, its better" but they were really just trying to hurry up and provide while attempting to make better housing, but the whole thing just crapped out b4 anything got better.

[@hippiewtch9885]

Communism does not make for bigger apartments. They knew what they were doing😂

[@GilbertGeronimo-kn3wk]

Beautiful Russian inside out spasiva for sharing ur channel from Philippines🇵🇭

[@miel1074]

I have to be honest with you, I have absolutely no idea why Soviet kitchens are so small…but I do know that you are absolutely and utterly beautiful!!!

[@alexjandrogonzalesgomez2055]

Only Soviet Kitchens? Have you been in apartments in Barcelona owned or inhabited by working class people?

[@Alexdj44]

No.Is there any difference in.size?

[@khinsushein4906]

Well in the EU west countries some people are living much smaller and expensive appartments as well.

[@frostflower5555]

I saw a youtube video of an apartment in Italy and the kitchen was incredibly small. I was actually shocked.

[@Глеб-ф9м]

Russian tradition is permanent complaining)))))

[@m0L3ify]

I live in the US and my kitchen is about the same size but with maybe 1 extra counter. But we don't have as much room to walk around because it's a very narrow space between two counters facing each other to cook in, so it can really only fit one person at a time. The building was built in 1996, so there really aren't any excuses except to maximize the number of apartments they could fit on the property.

[@alisonhurst7044]

my grandma lived in an apartment for 40 years that was built & assigned to her during soviet occupation. while it represents something sad, it was an adorable place and i miss it & her🥹

[@braxtonagee412]

My girlfriend is Bulgarian and lives in a soviet Era apartment building. There's a sickle and hammer mosaic on the corridor floor. The apartment itself looks exactly like this. She's managed to organize and decorate it in a way that utilizes every last inch of space. And i like how shes managed to combine laundry room and kitchen. It actually works quite well. My baby's OCD and makes it work for her. Also, the building has no fire escape. So, communists didn't care about public safety.

[@tr6557]

Окно между кухней и ванной делалось для возможности света днём. Кстати, нормы инсоляции были приняты именно в СССР : они запрещали к строительству дома с квартирами без попадания света в течение суток. А вот на западе таких норм не было и нет, оттуда и темные квартиры, влажные углы и тд.

[@elenatrofimova419]

Вот именно, эти окна для солнечного света и минимального использования электричества днём…. просто девчуля юная, неумная и не учится… мозги промыты антикоммунизмом, вероятно ее родителей лично Сталин расстреливал в 38 году прости господи..

[@candaistopor1114]

I'm from Canada and my city is the oldest in Canada. Every bathroom has to have a way to vent and windows were the norm. Also most buildings here from mid to late 1700s to 1960s our windows in most residential homes and apartments are really big some so big they have built in pullie systems to open them.

[@HereticChorister]

I'm an Aussie and (just like my Canadian friend) we've always had mandatory requirements/codes for natural lighting in habitable rooms....

[@Alexdj44]

Вот зачем вводить людей в заблуждение и ломать вековые стереотипы о тирании и несвободе😀

[@Landofsmiles999]

I really enjoy the insight you provide into everyday life in Russia. It's always a pleasure.

[@thomasprince4992]

they build apartments that small in Toronto and they cost a fortune

[@LoganMaclaren]

Amazing... well, @thomasprince4992, in the USSR the apartments were government-owned, but the rent was extremely cheap, just about 5% of the minimum wage of the time.

[@NrminMemmedova-yg3zl]

My parents were teenagers in the Soviet times. When they start to talk about their childhood or teenagerhood memories it always gives the feeling of novel 1984.

[@mateuszek1495]

Im living in Poland in the communist building from 1976. My kitchen have something around 3x3 m² without the fridge etc. but with all kitchen devices there is only small way in it so max 2 persons can be there in the same time and they have to be careful to don't hurt each others. More positive fact is that in my city we have few milions of flats like this so a lot of people have their flats. If Edward Gierek (first secretary of Polish United Workers Party [in Polish PZPR]) would not be first secretary now a lot of people wouldn't have any flat. He ruled Poland from 1970 to 1980 and he modernized Poland (he built roads for example "gierkówka", factories, PGR-s [farms, witch belonged to state], etc.) of course all od that was for loan, but now loan is paid off, but everything is still working. He is very interesting person and i recommend to watch some you tube video's about him. That's really weird that none street in my city have his name. Of course "beacouse he was a communist and communism was bad". But he improved Poland in oposite what is doing "Polish" goverment since 1989. They are just Selling Poland and destroying everything what he did 😢 Rest In Peace Sorry for my english

[@rebeccaoprea9917]

That’s what much of city life in eastern Europe looks like.

[@holger_p]

No, especially this brick facade is special to russia, also the iron curtain on the ground floor. In other easter Europe, style of building is similiar, but more build in the 1970ies from concrete, not from bricks. Also the habit of painting the staircase in dark colors is very strange and unique to russia.

[@easterneurope451]

Soviet bloc citizen here, I have the same window between the bathroom and the kitchen, the house i live in is older than communism. I was told there were laws that required these windows whenever the area of bathroom was below a certain limit, it is that simple. Where i live, bathrooms are nowadays much smaller, no windows though, regulations must have changed.

[@sunnydaysahead9108]

This is giving me major nostalgia I think it is a beautiful time capsule

[@turtlefromthenorth]

Kitchens were often small in appartments all over Europe, not always of course. A trend in the 1920s and 30s were the ideal working kitchen. The house wife`s steps were measured out from cupboard, to work space, to stove. Everything was within reach in a step or two. The dinner was meant to be served in the adjoining room.

[@scottcox9108]

I would imagine that the screen between the bathroom and kitchen is for air to circulate. Bathrooms get humid easily and will mold if they don't ventilate. Water those plants!

[@nataliepodgainova6582]

No it is not a window, just glass in concrete, for more light. For air in bathroom there is a ventilation inside.

[@seagreenmoon13]

It's just a safety measure. In Soviet apartments these windows are sealed. You can't open them. And light from the kitchen was just an afterthought. They were installed to reduce the force of the blast wave and keep whole section from collapsing in the case of kitchen gas explosion.

[@FRAME5RS]

​@@nataliepodgainova6582Thank God, nothing like bathroom smells wafting into your kitchen while you cook dinner.

[@patrykn4793]

Yeah... and make refubishment

[@garethgriffiths1674]

The "propaganda" of kitchen efficiency was evident also in western Europe, notably with the so-called Frankfurt Kitchen, built in the social housing in Frankfurt and elsewhere in Germany. It was designed by Margarete Schutte-Lihotzky in 1926. It was based on the principle of limiting walking distances between the sink, cooker and cupboards.

[@esterherschkovich6499]

😊even in Uk years ago,always had small kitchens,strange as people cooked more years ago....❤Your kitchen.

[@norabarnes9235]

Sounds about right. Things are always "temporary" until time proves that they were never temporary.

[@CensorshipGenesis]

That window for the "big brother" is such a funny BS! LOL 😂 Absolutely current in similar architecture from the same era, all over Europe.

[@tanwei1931]

This reminds me of many buildings/ apartments in Cuba !!

[@jackieow]

This could have been used in 1959 for the Kitchen Debates between Nixon and Khrushchev. Khrushchev was trying to make the point that bigger American kitchens were full of junk housewives didn't really need, and Nixon was making the point that Americans were better off because capitalism was producing goods better than communism, even in the kitchen. Each predicted his country's system would best the other by the time there were grandchildren..

[@Fenrir_Lokisson]

Both kitchen systems each have their advantages and disadvantages.

[@jackieow]

Especially when from the kitchen the KGB can spy and make sure nobody is stealing the toilet paper. And from the bathroom they can spy and make sure nobody is putting poison in the borscht. In luxury housing for Party members only there were two windows with one-way mirrors, so two KGB agents could spy on one another at the same time.@@Fenrir_Lokisson

[@Moksha-Raver]

I imagine Eli would rather have the American kitchen of the 1950s.

[@jackieow]

@@Moksha-Raver Don't be too sure, but only she can speak for herself.

[@150419822]

​@@Moksha-RaverWho will cleaning that( big kitchen)?

[@lonelyfrog5499]

We had a similar block style apartments. With premade panel blocks .The kitchen is more smaller than this. ~4 m2. Was acute kitchen. Loved it.

[@grunerteedaughter3298]

your kitchen is actually very beautiful and cosy

[@jackskinner9749]

Я итальянец, и моя кухня тоже из 1950-х годов. Вы не поверите, но она меньше вашей. Советы делали хорошие вещи. Большой привет из маленькой деревни в центральной Италии.

[@anatolii4226]

Пиздишь?

[@helloworld-ti5zs]

Soviet flats were given for free. The house belonged to your company. All your neighbours were your colleagues. My dad's boss lived in the second floor. We lived on the the fifth. The most comfortable flat in our house was for an old colleague , veteran of World War II , he fought against Nazis. Specially for him builders made a big kitchen and rooms.

[@KabaiSun]

I hope you know that English-speaking people do not understand that you are joking about big brother 😅 for them this is the future))

[@leeshepherd6512]

Yeah because the KGB definitely didn’t spy on people 😂 oh wait.

[@zima3181]

​@@leeshepherd6512most definitely didn't spy on you poop, but everyone speaks from their own experience. Sorry for your lack of personal safety.

[@WilliamAshleyOnline]

so much was destroyed after WWII it made sense they wanted to stabilize and grow things to recover from the war. but its true smaller is more efficent when you scale that across large numbers of people it creates efficiencies, the soviet union grew a lot over this period.

[@nikitakhliestovgett]

It is ENORMOUS! I live in Poland, and your kitchen is much bigger.

[@lightmoonlight1722]

THE BIG BROTHER IS ALWAYS WATCHING YOU! One of my favorites lines from 1984

[@TheWorldsEnd66]

Kruschevska? Was this named after some Nikita Kruschev post war building drive? Just wondering 🙏

[@alekschibich]

Народное название жилья, которое безплатно давало государство. По фамилии. руководителя. ❤

[@LongMax]

Yes, this is an unofficial name in honor of Khrushchev. By the way, there are also “Stalinkas”, houses named after Stalin that were built from 1933 to 1963, they were larger and better than Khrushchevkas.

[@TheWorldsEnd66]

@@LongMax Thank you. I love learning about Russia and find this fascinating 🙏

[@CouncilEstateRach]

Lots of this type of housing was built everywhere in europe after the wae, especially in uk where bimbs were dripped but even in areas that just neede houses as the population started to grow.

[@kolise_koll]

Also in Germany, in Berlin sometimes i can see a window between the kitchen and the bathroom 💀

[@paulb3436]

I met a Russian girl, she was in St Petersburg but I took her to her family in Novokuznetsk. It was like this. But her mother loved feeding me in the kitchen, even though she understood no English. I miss Russia...

[@jimnewfl]

I’ve lived in a Khrushchevka in Moscow, Kyiv and Dnipro. Trust me they are strange. No elevators, no sound proofing, and the worst plumbing in the world. Some are remodelled and nice.

[@NiniD-nr9hx]

Your kitchen looks authentic and beautiful, never change it 💕.

[@joannaquanttumphysics]

How would a window help to government spy on you in the bathroom?

[@caesumisrude]

Been Asking that myself as well. I'd rather say it's just a way to give some natural light to the bathroom which might be useful during power outages + air ventilation.

[@thirstbasket]

She was joking......

[@andrissanta9905]

That kitchen is not small...it's perfect...I used it a lot, since I grew up in one like that

[@kolise_koll]

Because you were used to that. I am Italian and I lived in different countries. For me that kitchen is very small and the window is disgusting. The apartment is very old. I would never rent an apartment like that one. But in Italy we do have smaller kitchens and older apartments 😅 (without the window 😂). it depends if you have money or not.

[@rosebud8615]

​@@kolise_kollgenau so ist es

[@avertthymortaleyes3460]

Very cozy and perfect for enjoying a hot cup of coffee with a good book.

[@lordlucan66]

Same in the UK for pretty much the same reasons. A lot of council houses have narrow kitchen about 1.5m wide called galley kitchens to make them sound a little more exotic.

[@sarapeyton4335]

Small? Compared to some super expensive apartments here in berlin… thats big. 😂 here its be like 1 room apartment, two kitchen cabinets in the living room that for 900 - 1.100 per months 👽

[@Taifune81]

The layout kind of reminds of some Indian flats honestly

[@kimrowe8808]

Here in usa soo many have no home,laying on sidewalks.i think that would be fine for most ppl here.we have tiny studio apts even one bedroom that dont have bathrooms.you go down hall to shared

[@flintb6559]

What do you mean, capitalism doesn't work for you? What happened? Who does it work for then if not for you?

[@michellecboutwell]

I think you’re gorgeous and have a very charming kitchen. I found this channel because I’m learning Russian. 🤷‍♀️

[@AngelaSmith_1970]

Wow that is a pretty small kitchen, but it’s kind of adorable if everything is up to date and safe for you to use, I like stuff like this 😎🥰🤗🙏🏽

[@SuppchenMelU]

You really mean this is small? Idk, for me this feels alright for most housing in European countries.

[@bobbarista]

They are all over the former Soviet Union and Mongolia too. Hehe. When I see Ukraine war coverage oh crap that looks like the town I grew up in up in.

[@tokarev3094]

One would assume that the bathroom window was there to allow steam to leave the room faster, but i suppose every apartment was assigned its own NKVD agent who lived in the bathroom... All joking aside, the Soviet government was not as totalitarian or deeply entrenched as many who are poorly informed on the topic may believe. Many academics have written about the Soviet government's relationship with people's daily lives and contrary Western and Liberal portrayals, the scholarly conclusion is a far cry from what many people believe. Useful references: "Urban Planning and Housing in the Soviet Union" by G. Andrusz "Stalin's Constitution" by S. Lomb "The Shortest History of the Soviet Union" by S. Fitzpatrick "The Origin of the Great Purges" by A. Getty "The History of the Gulag" by O. Khlevniuk Misinformation is easy to spread. It is much more difficult (and not as fun for some) to actually engage with scholarly works.

[@codyofathens3397]

Came here to make a very similar comment, though with much less in the way of citations. Thanks for the reading material!

[@Julia-gl7zu]

thank u ☝️

[@patrykx4577]

It was not fot the steam. Each apartament has own gas water heater in bathroom. In case of explosion glass window will allow quick escape of pressure and dont damage the building construction

[@holger_p]

The thing is, the governement was the only one doing the planning and delivering the design. nobody could design anything themselves, that's what people partially did in their Datchas. But then, there was no supply with materials or tools, so it's all kind of improvised. It's not just going to the home depot and by a drilling machine.

[@Billy-the-Kid]

What a nice girl. No fake-up, no long fake claw nail, no tat's, etc. Simply natural and good.

[@brain_apostrophe_t]

I grew up lower middle class in America and Australia, both in houses built after 1970 and Ive never had a kitchen this big.

[@solarmax11]

They want to save time in cooking by eliminating 500 steps? Meanwhile, the dictator lives in a huge palace with 1000 steps from his bedroom to his shower.

[@sparklemotion8377]

Jeff Bezos?

[@luizlozer3838]

Perfect answer for an uninformed person.

[@Juhani96]

Thats how dictatorships work 😅 tactical truth for citizens

[@Reich1408]

Small is acceptable but why so outdated and dirty😂

[@emmaschipper6339]

Well, my apartment has a kitchen but all is in one room. Including the bedroom. Only bathroom is separate. The space to cook is just as small as my space and is included in the rest of the room. A Soviet kitchen isn't so bad from what I see. 💕 Maybe different wallpaper lol. But it has something very retro.

[@jam901]

Where i live we have soviet era apartment complexes too, but it's interesting how differently they're viewed by the people of different countries. Here they're seen as a cheap and fast way to fit everyone into a mould. So instead of beinf seen as practical, i belive many see them more as oppressive. They're also very nostalgic for most I personally love these apartments, reminds me of my grandparents' And another one i like is the Kádár square A small square house with a garden There's some pretty ones out there Also I'm a sucker for soviet era brutalist architecture and art deco from before that

[@JurnyAlone]

Thats intriguing but I understand now why they are the way they are. Be blessed and stay safe 🙂

[@nothingmore8090]

I am living in Munich with a window exactly like that in a much smaller kitchen and super expensive...

[@Afterbreakfastnaptime]

I don’t mind small kitchens. How do you decorate eggs like that? They’re so pretty.

[@solomama]

These are the special Easter stickers for eggs.

[@Ellada-hu5tx]

Just a sticker on a regular chicken egg.

[@lcg5790]

Bigger than my kitchen in Vancouver.

[@Danny30011980]

Love your accent when you speak Russian words. And I think the window between Kitchen and bathroom is to provide the inside bathroom with some natural light, rather than someone spying on you from your kitchen ;-)

[@danielhusain7570]

Your content is so interesting!

[@jesterbeast]

Mine Is smaller. Less than 2x2. I love It! I put myself in the centre with a sponge, I spin on my feet a couple of time and everything it's clean! 😂

[@angelwings3369]

😂

[@turkhon]

Люблю тебя 🇷🇺

[@JamieSuzanne69]

You need to video that!😁

[@jesterbeast]

@@turkhon 🌿❤️🌹💙🌷🧡🌺💚🌸💜🏵️🤎🌼♥️💮🌿

[@jesterbeast]

@@JamieSuzanne69 no way! I love my privacy 😊

[@MK-tx3wi]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Adoro seu senso de humor!!!!. Simples, mas inteligente!!!!.

[@AndrewBlacker-t1d]

I agree. Eli is a bunch of good things.

[@Arbutusunedo]

Soviet and ginger, I'm in love

[@Ahmed-jc5bc]

I also live in a 9-storey building built in Soviet times. They usually say that the window between the bathroom and the kitchen is used to save light during the day.

[@ortolitore1522]

One of the possible reasons for the window between the kitchen and the bathroom could be the gas heaters for the water in the Soviet era. It was common to have gas stoves and gas water heaters in apartments. Gas appliances can sometimes explode. It is better that the possible explosion destroys the windows than the bearing building constructions around the bathroom.

[@johnbrown-rm8kc]

you still have big brother today .very sad !!!

[@valeriemacphail9180]

You mean, our cell phones?

[@theveganflower5135]

Man i know how bad communism can be and all. But i also know how bad capatilism can be. Atleast they had some type of housing and food in horrible times. Id take that than capatalism being like "ok youll die now"

[@based-iranian]

I don't think that Matters if you get deported to central asia like the chechens were

[@Based-d4u]

Do you think being homeless is worse than being deported in soviet concentration camps?????????? Then you're plain dumb. I'm sorry if this statement hurts your feelings, but it's true.

[@Based-d4u]

There're things worse than dying alone on the streets, man. Remember that the next time you praise communism

[@vipinpillai1481]

Eli your amusing. Your window of Russia and world

[@Superduper666]

The building is very well maintained and seems safe. I like it.

[@Zapata1848]

For a working class Spanish worker in the 50s that house would have felt like a palace ---- for thousands today too

[@Ana-bw7gm]

You have to remember that Soviet Union was totally destroyed and wanted to provide homes for as many people as fast as possible. Now how do you think people live in New York and how large their apartments are? Obviously, you have paper on you walls which is bad. My parents had paint on the walls and everything was painted every year.

[@Based-d4u]

That's cool, but what about other countries *totally destroyed* after WW2? 😂 Isn't it just an excuse for treating people like animals in the soviet union?😂

[@Ana-bw7gm]

@@Based-d4u I don't know how you were treated but have you seen where people live in Germany or in Austria or in Holland, France. I can't imagine to live in such a small accommodation.

[@Ana-bw7gm]

@@Based-d4u I was shocked when I realized that all people in Paris don't have water in their units. Before rubbishing your own, you should know that grass in the neighbourhood always appears to be greener.

[@LongMax]

Painted walls are not suitable for Russia, it will be too cold in winter, all houses and apartments have paper wallpaper. Moreover, modern wallpapers with modern adhesives and on pre-leveled walls last for decades. Previously, when I lived in a house similar to the one in the video and with the wallpaper available at that time, of course I had to re-glue the wallpaper, but not every year.

[@ukmary1968]

I mean they were ahead of their time. Many people are going to tiny homes, vans etc due to rising costs. This is a great option that we should pursue in America

[@norisori123]

Still larger than kitchens from comfort 2 and 3 Romanian apartments

[@Hecbekkers1]

@Elifromrussia Hello from Russia too. Maybe I'm not completely correct, but the apartment buildings made of BRICK were not made as temp. Solution. Those would be the ones made with concrete panels, also called 'панелка'. The brick ones were just regular housing. The Mosxow city even suggested removing the панелкаs by 2050 or something like that.

[@bloominglilly4041]

As the prices for keeping our houses warm are raising,many people are considering this days small studious.

[@APare-bx2ir]

Crazy anti communist propaganda....damn I wish I had an affordable apartment......

[@mateonouvel6843]

Go try NK then red hair regard

[@smagerlakk]

Girl 💀

[@TeresaLipot]

The design flaw? Anticipating "the rise of communism".