Usual Russian or Ukrainian multi apartment middle class, not new, buildings look like this. You probably can notice those windows are different for everyone. Some have totally new PVC windows, other have self made wooden frames. That’s because there are no laws forbidding to change the window frames and paint them for an individual apartment in order to maintain the overall look of the house, so people do this according to their available budget and will. And not only poor people live in such buildings, no. It’s really normal place for middle class people to live. So they can spend tens thousands dollars for renovation works, but… inside the apartment so it might look glossy inside but be in such a place from outside. It’s totally normal that someone having a Range Rover car can live in such a place. Just because the average price of such an apartment in Moscow would be around $300,000. And it would be considered good buy if it is in good location – not far from the central part of the city etc. They were left as a heritage from the Soviet times when authorities didn’t care much on the ethical side of the housing but wanted to give space for as much families as possible, and they gave them away for free, though in order to get one sometime people were staying in waiting lists for years.
From inside this buildings look usually like this. There were no special organizations tracking the condition of the halls, stairways or lobbies so only if the residents of the building were enough organized to plan a renovation then it might look bit different. The lobbies are often occupied by local teens from the neighbourhood as the weather is cold and they can’t wander thru the streets and to get inside some cafe you need to order stuff or to be at least some age old etc.
Lately people were paying more attention to the condition of such places, equipping the entrances with special steel doors with hardened access and video cams to track unwanted visitors but still there are a lot of places like this, especially in smaller cities. And, again, it is often a place where higher class people live, driving good cars and earning some a few thousands dollars a month. Of course, eventually some of those move to some new construction but it’s not that easy too even for them with current property prices in Russia.
But what we can see today, is something a very different from which was discussed and showen above. This is just another lobby on the thirteenth floor of such a building, in Ukraine, but there was living a person, a lady, that was bit too much devoted to letting the things leave as they were. What to she has turned their hall you can see inside…
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As she told in phone interview: “My neighbors tried to protest, even to ruin this artwork but they couldn’t really do much – that’s a painted concrete actually”. So she was really devoted to see things changed! And she lights the candles all the time too!
People say they try don’t to spread the rumors on this location much just because they afraid it would attract thousands of visitors to the place daily and would break their privacy totally with those watchers, so the location stays undisclosed. The only known thing is that it is in one of the most bad reputable districts of Kiev city, in a thirteen stored building. And they say there are not much of those there.
the lady can make her home an aquaria….
She is impeding the fire escape pathway> not to mention she has no taste. Yechhh
Creepy and pathetic. However this mentality and conditions are present in every ex-soviet country. Sad indeed.
Cool. I wonder how many mushrooms she eat before coming up with the design?
Fire escapes ??
Present on every balcony.
But EVERY Russian will weld it shut, first thing he does. Second thing is to install a thick steel door with at least 3 locks on the front entrance.
Because they rather run the risk of burning to death than to have faith in their neighbours. Russian are a paranoic lot, I can tell you that.
Usually fire escapes not provide in same apartment, steel door is not paranoia, is necessity, because you may be killed for you property even if is 1$ before cops will come.
sorry for my english, but i’am 11 years old, hope you understand.
I had steel door and three locks plus camera in hall. Must protect from all people plus melitsia and OMON.
Stephanie R
Memphissigncompany.com
I you look closely you’ll see me having a cigarette from the window on the top floor of that building.
Great article, we all need something colourful to cheer up our daily cycle! Not creepy at all! But some official needs to make sure the fire exit isn’t blocked, serious matter!
Home! Sweet home- Detroit.
Hey there,
Have you someone in St Petes? If so, get photos from the artist’s colony at Pushkinskia 10!
I can confirm this article, during my stay in Kiev, I was living in such kind of building. Flat inside was like a palace, fully renovated, with new wallpaper, cable TV and all modern facilities. But outside, it was completely miserable, nobody has taken care of entrance or common premises for years (I guess last time somebody did, Gorbachev was president…). I even got locked into elevator and was lucky that wife knew russian and called for rescue, otherwise seems I’d spend the night there.
Talking about buildings where rent costs $600 per month for 2 room flat and it’s common to see 3 liter Mercedes and big SUV parked outside.
Explanation from locals is that the owner of the buildings is still the state but now they don’t provide enough money for repairs (a.k.a. they don’t care). And even when residents are willing to do something by themselves and pay it by their own pockets, somebody will disagree and it will be canceled, or done partly.
I have seen it hundreds of times in Moscow. Russians SPIT ON EVERYTHING that is OUTSIDE their apartment door. Filth Dirt Disrepair. It permeates almost everything except in the center and IKEA.
Memphissigncompany.com
u`r mistaken. All the wooden frames of the windows are NOT self made!People order them in companies and shops, because they are more natural and healthy than plastic. And sometimes cheaper. You can find self made frames in some villages,but surely can say- it will be particularly old items.
Though I wouldnt do that to my house I have to give her credit for creativity and effort. to many of u that may seem gaudi but I doubt many of us have her creative talent. Comparing her floor to the rest of the common areas of that building I say she rocks…I’m not so sure she covered the fire escape .. had she intended to do so ..u wouldnt see it. MY question is…if she was able to put that much effort changing that floor so dramaticaly, why cant the rest of the tenants put a 10th of the effort to simply paint the rest of the interior. (Perhaps it has something to do with the criminal element that would see value and force the tenants out)…i dont know. There are a lot of very creative artists in Russia…good stuff…
Well, there ARE laws forbidding to change the window frames, but no one follows them
I love your blog!
OMG, I would have LOOVEED to party in a nightclub that sis looking like this. Who is that girl? She needs a investor
Rasta
Interesting and weird
Soendoro Soetanto
Those hallways are freaky! Can’t imagine coming home drunk to walking down one of those…lol! Might think your on LSD or something. I have a antique lingerie chest that is painted exactly like the fourth one down!
one and the only weird decorations of door and walls found in Russia are presented here as Russian? – what for this site is?- is it for people who want to find smth. weird in Russia? – then call this site – “unusial weird things in Russia which even Russians have never seen” -but this site is supposed to be about average things in Russia, as English-speaking people are people who does not live in Russia and they want to know smth true about Russia, not one and the only freak-crosdresser who is presented here on another thread as a Russian (so ,please enjoy how all Russians really look like), or some would-be criminal who abuse a teacher AT SCHOOOL (SEE, DEAR FOREIGNERS HOW ALL RUSSIANS TREAT THEIR TEACHERS ), or this weird appartment ( look dear foreigners how a Russian appartment looks like) etc.etc.etc. – and looks like some posters here consume this bs. as real Russia – LOL!
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