The housing issue has long been an acute problem in Russia, from the time of the Russian Empire to the present day of the Russian Federation. At a time when millions of rural residents rushed to the cities in search of better jobs, there was a huge demand for housing. And after the Second World War, after the destruction of countless buildings, this demand increased many times over.

The leadership of the Soviet Union organized global construction projects. Rebuilt cities, practically from scratch. But, the problem with housing was still not resolved. Temporary, communal wooden barracks were not a salvation. The people did not have the means to build private houses - thanks to the socialist economy. And the construction of high-quality apartments was costly for the state.

Then, the new General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Nikita Khrushchev, was ordered to develop a project for an apartment building with a minimum construction cost. Apartments of this era were popularly called “Khrushchevka”.

This type of apartment had a minimum living space, a minimum area of ​​kitchens and bathrooms. The main priority was to reduce the cost of an apartment due to square meters.

The first generation apartments were brick. And, this is perhaps the best version of "Khrushchev". However, the state has found a way to save even more. And houses began to be made from concrete panels cast at the factory. In fact, such a house was assembled as a LEGO construction set.

The lack of such panel housing manifested itself immediately. First, these houses were (and still are) very cold. Secondly, they have very good audibility. Just incredible audibility. And the neighbors could hear your family's conversations, as well as you go to the toilet.

The main disadvantage was the living space. Often large families lived in a small two-three-room apartment (living room, bedroom, (+ another bedroom, if we are talking about a three-room apartment) + kitchen and bathroom). At least three people, and often up to six people. If there were more, then this is already a perfect extreme of survival.

But, despite the inconvenience of such housing, the main problem began to be solved - a huge number of residents moved from barracks and "dugouts" (we will talk about them later), to new, durable apartments, with running water and sewerage.

Photos of classic apartments of the “Khrushchevka” model are given below.