1. Introduction: Debunking the “Gray Soviet Housing” Myth

The video opens by challenging the stereotype that Soviet housing was universally bleak and miserable. The creator argues that this perception comes from looking at decaying, unrenovated buildings long past their intended lifespan. When seen in their original state or after proper renovation, Soviet apartment blocks were a major social and technological leap forward — lifting millions from primitive dwellings into modern apartments with amenities like running water, heat, and kitchens.

The USSR, devastated by two world wars, prioritized mass housing as a social need rather than a market commodity — an unprecedented achievement in speed and scale.

2. Pre-Revolutionary Context: From Feudal Poverty to Urban Crisis

Before the October Revolution, Tsarist Russia lagged centuries behind Western Europe:

• Most rural homes were smoky huts with no chimneys, dirt floors, and straw for fuel and bedding.
• Urban areas, especially in St. Petersburg, were overcrowded; fewer than 10% had access to electricity, heating, or bathrooms.
• Rents fluctuated violently, particularly during WWI, worsening poverty and unrest.

This backdrop of feudal deprivation and housing crises provided the revolutionary motivation for mass public housing.

3. Early Soviet Housing Experiments (1920s–1930s)

After 1917, the Soviet state nationalized bourgeois homes and began experimenting with “socialist cities” and communal housing:

• Designed by international architects like Ernst May, these early projects featured shared facilities — communal dining, laundry, and childcare — reflecting Marxist ideals of collective living.
• Cities like Ivanovo became early models, pioneering utilities such as sewers, electricity, central heating, daycare centers, and schools.
• By the 1930s, the USSR shifted from collective dormitory living to individual family apartments with private kitchens and bathrooms.
• Standardized, prefabricated designs enabled mass production and rapid urban development.

4. Postwar Expansion and Prefabricated Housing Revolution

The devastation of WWII left over 25 million people homeless, forcing an immense rebuilding effort: