The secondary housing market is full of terms that may seem obscure. How does Stalinka differ from Brezhnevka and what is Khrushchev? High-rise buildings being built in the Soviet Union are often called by construction time, that is, at which of the rulers of the house were commissioned. These are fairly accurate definitions by which you can anticipate in advance possible difficulties and nuances that you will encounter when buying an apartment.
Affordable Housing Program
During the reign of Nikita Khrushchev, the state program for affordable housing for all was launched. Technologies have been developed that allow you to quickly build houses from finished reinforced concrete structures. By and large: what is Khrushchev? This is a small apartment with low ceilings in a panel or brick house. Construction on a steel frame was too expensive, so the Khrushchev panel building resembled a huge constructor - panels with ready-made window openings were supplied from the plants, all that was left was to "assemble the house according to the drawing."
There are many complaints about residential buildings built using this technology, but it is worth paying tribute to the program - thanks to the cheaper and faster construction, hundreds of thousands of families were able to get separate housing with communal amenities.
What is Khrushchev?
If we list the shortcomings, then the affordable housing was not very comfortable, but compared to communal apartments or work huts - the height of dreams. Too thin walls without sound insulation between the apartments left little room for privacy. Khrushchev’s houses did not retain heat well, and construction errors sometimes turned out to be terrible - in some cases a palm could be inserted between the panels of the outer wall. Of course, the breeders were actively condemned, but most often they had to eliminate the flaws on their own.
Since the electric refrigerator needed to be saved up and stood in line for several years, the so-called winter refrigerator built into the Khrushchev’s kitchen turned out to be very convenient. Under the kitchen window there was a special box for storing food, in which the temperature was kept low in winter. A fairly spacious pantry in the hallway became literally indispensable.
The evolution of apartments
If we compare the Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnevka, it becomes clear: there was no question of the comfort of the residents. Stalin's apartments were striking in their spaciousness and peculiar luxury, but they were accessible to a very narrow layer of the population. High ceilings, rich design of facades and grand staircases, thoroughness of construction - all this was intended for the highest military ranks, venerable scientists and other distinguished citizens. Therefore, when Khrushchev’s houses began to appear, mere mortals suddenly got the opportunity to approach the dream of their own home.
To the credit of Soviet builders, they tried to correct the shortcomings of small-sized apartments. Soon after the Khrushchevs, their slightly more spacious options appeared first, and then, under Leonid Brezhnev, the so-called apartments of improved layout. Many experts agree that Brezhnevka is worse than Khrushchev - the flaws were only partially corrected, and the advantages were not added.
Layout Features
What is Khrushchev and what does it look like? The first thing that catches your eye is a rather narrow staircase with cramped spans. To raise furniture along such a staircase, you need to show miracles of maneuverability.
The entrance hall in the small-sized Khrushchev is also very crowded, and it becomes even smaller, because they usually tried to take out a refrigerator that does not fit in a tiny kitchen. In the original layout there was a combined bathroom; if there are more than one rooms, then they are usually adjacent. That is, one room was a passage.
When they began to improve the layout, they shared a bathroom and slightly enlarged the rooms. At the same time, poor sound insulation remained, which they tried to fix with the help of a wall carpet.
Modern repair in Khrushchev
Despite the obvious shortcomings of Khrushchev’s houses, modern construction technologies can significantly improve the situation. Overhaul of water supply, electrical wiring and heating system is supplemented by external wall insulation. Of course, this will not raise the height of the ceilings, but the microclimate in the apartment is noticeably changing towards comfort.
If you consider that the room in Khrushchev is small, then you can convert the apartment into a pretty cozy studio. The partition between the kitchen and the room is easily cleaned (this is not a load-bearing wall), due to which the space is noticeably moved apart. The entrance hall is also connected to the living area, the space is not optimized by partitions, but by design solutions.
