“It seemed that we have a large one bedroom apartment — 33 sq. m”
Businessmen, deputies, actors — how they lived in the Khrushchev.
“B” asked his famous readers what their best memories about life in the Khrushchev. Businessmen, deputies, officials, artists spoke about how the kitchen could get the food out of the fridge, put it on the stove and close the window without getting up from his chair.
Svetlana Zhurova, the first Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on international Affairs, Olympic champion.
— I still have the apartment, and I stay there when I go visit my mom and sister in Kirovsk, where I have lived all my youth.
My most vivid memory is when you sit on a chair in the kitchen and can not get up with him to get food from the fridge, put it on the stove to heat up and simultaneously to close the window.
But, we can say that this “microhabitat” and sealed my fate, because of the cramped conditions, the parents bought me a piano and was not allowed to study music. Since the choice in Kirovsk was not very big, I had to get up on skates and play sports. And so, maybe I’d be a pianist, not an Olympic champion — so sometimes the conditions of life affect the fate of the child.
David Yakobashvili, Vice-President of the Union.
— Khrushchev I have the fondest memories, because this house was my first apartment that I was able to buy at the end of 1980-ies. I had just started to engage in commercial transactions with forest and was able to amass a certain amount of $8 thousand, which acquired three points with an area of 47 sq. m on the street of Marshal Timoshenko.
Having lived in that apartment for about five years, I sold it to my buddy. His son and still lives there. I remember we had a neat staircase, a tiny hallway and kitchen, but a quiet, peaceful place and few cars.
Joseph Kobzon, people’s artist of the USSR, Deputy of the state Duma.
Despite the fact that I first lived in a private home in Ukraine, then in Moscow the hostel and then bought a co-op, I know very well what Khrushchev. Many friends they lived in different areas, and I went to visit them.
And I have to admit I never understood these when Khrushchev criticized — it all depends on the owners, and most importantly from the owner.
Careless hostess any lovely apartment could turn into a hut, and another of Khrushchev did the Palace, where there is plenty of room where clean and comfort.
And do not think that Khrushchev spoke only of the working class. Khrushchev lived intellectuals, young researchers. Exactly six kitchens in the Khrushchev there were new ideas, projects, because there were going to friends, colleagues, there were disputes. And no one in the close quarters were not close.
Oleg Sysuyev, the first Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alfa-Bank, during the period 1992-1997, the mayor of the city of Samara.
— Childhood, adolescence, youth and students were held in a typical Khrushchev apartment. However, in Kuibyshev. Yards from Khrushchev was not only small front gardens, these courtyards were in Stalin’s houses.
Khrushchev was built in such proximity to each other that, going to the window, you become part of the lives of a dozen other apartments.
Basically all the territory looked not the best way.
We had apartment 32 square meters, where everything was fully combined — room, kitchen, bathroom. But this apartment was a real treat for families of major, finally moved from the communal.
Stanislav Govorukhin, Director and Chairman of the Duma Committee on culture.
— Remember the apartments in the Khrushchev, himself once lived in this. And I can not say that the apartments were bad in those days was considered very good. There was a beautiful green yards — now these little. For me though the yard is, of course, were neighbours with whom we have long separated and living in different places.
So I Khrushchev won’t get bored.
Yes, and now are doing much better.
Igor Ashmanov, managing partner and CEO of the company “Ashmanov and partners”.
In the building I lived, and many relatives and friends. The emergence of Khrushchev was for many salvation, and most importantly, they were given for free. The grandmother of my wife gave a big apartment absolutely free. And after the terrible communal flats, with their inhuman conditions of true happiness.
I have those flats were good memories, many of my friends who lived in the Khrushchev, and are experiencing the same feelings. I then several times moved from one to another Khrushchev. I appreciated these houses for a lot of greenery around and low floors.
Nikas Safronov, the artist.
—As a student, I moved to Moscow. In 1983 I got to the apartment in Teply Stan, exchanging it for his apartment in another city.
At first I really didn’t like — primarily because I was sold a one-bedroom apartment as the sole owner, but when I arrived, there was a neighbor who was registered in the same apartment.
And he lived with me for a very long time.
At some point, a year outside the country while in Vilnius, I’m feeling homesick. Khrushchev was associated with my house. Back in may, I opened the window, in which nightingales were singing, and fell in love with Moscow and fell in love with Khrushchev: I thought she was cute, incredibly delicious. I even made friends with the neighbor, respect him, although we had not very good relations. I have about it were only fond memories.
Yuri Loza, singer, composer.
— I have a lot of roam in a rented apartment, rented apartments and Khrushchev. Yes, uncomfortable, cramped, but it solved the housing problem.
And part of Khrushchev better and better today’s commercial housing I have friends still live in such houses.
Them a bit to fix, to unite the room. And if you call the guys that were doing graffiti, then the city will be areas with beautiful appearance is not what we see grey today. Moreover, it is low-rise buildings, where life is much nicer and more useful than on the 28th floor.
Sergei Nedoroslev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company “Kaskol”.
— When a little — everything seems great. So it seemed to me that we have a large one bedroom apartment — 33 sq. m. Yes, the bathroom seems small, but on the other hand, Khrushchev all so rational: in this room from wall to wall was the tub and it was still a place for a washstand with a mirror — nothing more is needed.
Then there was a cafe, so went to one another’s house — it was comfortable, it seemed that the space is sufficient. When I’m an adult came to the house where I grew up, I entrance appeared terribly small — not clear how we had enough space to play hide and seek, to gather in the evenings and play the guitar. Now in retrospect I understand that the Soviet government is very strict to comply with regulations. Each building was surrounded by trees, the sidewalk, between the houses field for all sports at the same time, in the courts necessarily were tables for entertainment and within walking distance was a deli.
Mikhail Abyzov, Minister for “Open government”.
—I was born in the Khrushchev, and it was only bright memories from childhood are the only happy memories. I was born in a two-bedroom apartment with total area of 34 sq m, the so — called combined three. I recently drove to their sons, and we couldn’t leave the apartment for several hours: I was thinking about how all this was going on in childhood — but in such a small area and so many events.
Igor Butman, saxophonist, people’s artist of Russia.
— I Khrushchev only went to visit.
These houses from the point of view of architecture generally it was impossible to build, they have a terrible appearance, and look at them unpleasantly.
If they are of interest for history or UNESCO, one house can be left. But only one memory.
Grigory Oster, the writer.
If not for Khrushchev, many people are not so happily formed.
But that does not mean that they should stand forever: they definitely have to endure.
We are witnessing a unique phenomenon, which does not exist anywhere in the world — the poor homeowners. Around the world people who have no money, renting apartments. People who have the finances to buy an apartment, and they are required to take care of housing: a roof, courtyard, state of the entrance and so on. And we were the owners of the millions of people who have the Finance to maintain the house in good condition no. Therefore, not only the building, but the rest of the house will soon be in a terrible situation and begin to fall apart. The building is only a small part of the problem.
Source: Agency “Moscow”