Soviet communal living
Subtitle: an oral history of the Kommunalka
By: Paola Messana
Edition: 1st ed.
Series: Palgrave studies in oral history
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2011
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 168
ISBN-13: 9780230110168
Subjects: Shared housing; HISTORY / Modern / 20th Century; HISTORY / Europe / Russia & the Former Soviet Union; Communal living; HISTORY / Social History
Description: "This book brings together fascinating testimonies from thirty inhabitants of the Kommunalka, the communal apartments that were the norm in housing in the cities of Russia during the whole history of the Soviet Union. The Kommunalka was perhaps the most important social experiment undertaken by the Soviet regime, having arguably as much if not more of an effect on the outlook of inhabitants than external political realities. Beginning in 1920, almost overnight, multiple Russian families were crammed together into single apartments, purposefully chosen to represent different classes in the same space. The intent was not just to level out class differences, but also to create spy systems within homes so as to extend the governments surveillance abilities and its control over daily life"--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.