I don't think I could live that way. Americans are accustomed to an average space of 500+ Sq foot per person. An average home for 4 people will be between 1500 and 2000 Sq ft depending on what part of the country as well as whether they live inside city limits or in the country. 3 people live in my home along with 2 dogs and 2 cats and we have just under 3000 Sq ft which doesn't include a 2 car garage. It's a ton of space and I have too much junk. Lol I'm so glad you have the asset of a Communalka because ownership of property is key to gaining wealth and possibly survival depending on where you live in the world.
These are somewhat similar to student housing cooperatives in the US and Canada. I lived in one during grad school. I had 30 housemates. We had shared dinners five nights a week and were expected to put in a few hours of labor every week. For the most part it was nice and I saved a lot of money, but there were definitely times I just wanted to be alone and not see ten people when I went to the kitchen.
Very interesting. You’ve got a great head on your shoulders! Since my brother is an electrician, the wiring in the kommunalka gives me a fright! I can’t imagine how you organize/schedule the use of the communal kitchen.
@@carlmorgan8452 yes tented living is the way to go in California especially. The newest and fasted growing accommodation in LA in particular!!!! The governor there should be so proud of the amount of homeless people, homeless families that they have helped create. Some achievement....but hey as long as people have their woke nonsense that compensates for all the homeless veterans whose bravery, dedication and patriotism mean absolutely
@@lochamb1234 you can thank local zoning overseers for allowing investment homes turned into AirB&Bs. Even condos & townhouses are used for income. The "housing shortag" is a myth.
Honestly, this was a an eye opener! The squalor and disgusting condition of the entire living quarters was shocking, to say the least. I am confused as to why you took out a mortgage for this place but then never lived there, how could you afford the monthly expenses and is this really considered an investment??
Good question & the way you put it definitely makes me realize the situation doesn't quite add up. Not surprised you got no answer. How about the fact that she bought a much more expensive place rather than move into this room property she already had & was more within her means? Obviously Russians are not so poor, this is the second video I seen of people showing off their multiple or secondary properties while Ukrainian's lose theirs altogether & Americans go broke funding wars while our people live in tents on the damn side walks or out in the woods. To afford that kind of down payment means her family is smart, worked hard but were definitely not poor because I don't know of anyone who put that much down on one property and I was actually told when offering high down payments that most buyer's put down a few grand, not even ten percent of the cost of a home. They're wheeler dealers and I don't believe the "I'm poor" routine with foreigners anymore. Now it's Americans they can fund!!!
Very interesting 🤔, housing is very expensive there compared with income even at the lower level housing situations. Kseniya you are a strong woman and I see you succeeding no matter what you go after. Keep up the positive attitude and you will always come out ahead. Great video 😁😁
This is such a good video. No other Russian vloggers that I usually watch have ever exposed this part of life in Russia. First time I have ever had kommunalka explains to me in a way I can understand it. Keep up the good work. Thanks.
This is fascinating. In Canada we would consider that apartment that the komunalka is in to be living in squalor. I guess I have been blessed so far to have never lived in such a place. You must feel so blessed to have your new apartment now. Edit. ***I didn't mean this as a put down. I just find it sad that this is what the government initially provided for it's people and that hardly anyone makes a living wage in order to make the apartment safe and livable.
I have seen a kommunalka depicted in the movie Doctor Zhivago. I have also seen an example of this type of apartment in a school residence in the University of Toronto.
👍... We have similar student housing. Here they are usually referred to as suites. The main attraction being that a satellite of rooms around the kitchen and/or common area allows for personal meal prep and entertaining.
Thank you so much for sharing your life and culture with us! You seem to be a very smart and hard working young lady. I think you probably appreciate your new apartment because you earned it yourself. You have accomplished a lot and have much to be proud of!!! I’m sure your mother is proud of you as well. I’m very happy for you to now be living in your very own apartment. Congratulations!!
another great video, keep up the good work. reminds me of when i used to share a house with 3 other flatmates or roommates you might call them here in New Zealand, but they were all people i knew and we each had our own room so it was ok, luckily i now have my own house but with a mortgage also, take care Aaron
Thanks, in Canada there are tens of thousands of Kommunalkas too. We call them Shared Accommodate, where each room or part of the home is rented to a person or a family but we don't have shared accommodate for sale as far as I know.
Thats interesting. You must be a new Canadian, because I have lived here for 61 years and I have never heard that word. I guess we just call it a 'room mate' or having a room for rent.
Hello, it is admirable that with your parents help you purchased a kommunalka and now an apartment. Taking the income in Russia in consideration, it is a high achievement.
When I was younger, my idea of Russian living quarters was a kommunalka. That's what I saw in movies. My introverted soul could not fathom living with so many people around me. But people do what is necessary to live. Thank you, this was very interesting.
Ksenia you always wear so nice outfits. It was really neat seeing Kommunalka. They should put in elevator to reach those shelves.Always learn so much much love my friend.
This was absolutely fascinating. I am learning so much by watching your videos. I don't think I would like to live in a kommunalka. I hope you are very successful in what you are trying to do, and I'm looking forward to your course!
Hello Ksenia! What an informative video. Thank you so much for explaining everything so well for us. I am so happy you had something to sell to help you pay for your mortgage. It is always good seeing you ❤
Thank you Ksenia for this informative video. I am so happy that you own this shared apartment room, so that you'll be able to pay part of the montly cost of the mortage and from what I could see it looks very nice and bright, even if some bathroom repairs have to be done, but this can be easily resolved. Anyway you own shared apartment room is in a magnificent city like Saint Petersburg and I suppose that this makes a great difference in the value of properties, as I think that they are higher than in other parts of Russia. Thank you for sharing this beautiful video and I wish you and family all the best.
Ksenia this was so interesting. I meant to goggle it after you first mentioned this but i forgot. I dont think anyone thought you were lying. I dont imagine you would ever lie about anything. Also these prices are very high by American standards i think. I will tell you more later but at the moment i am not feeling well. Thank you for the video. Have a nice day. 😘
Thanks Ksenia. Great video 👍It's not unusual for students and young people to share flats in the UK, but not really families. Best wishes from Colin 🇬🇧
I watched a documentary about a state of some of the sardines accommodations in London. People have mattress on the floor next to each other. Electrical wires hanging, the kitchen looked like a hazard zone, mould grown everywhere. Even in some higher end apartments in London several couple live together each of them have their own room. They are professional working couples.
@@annam4313 True, but other places aren't like London. I pay a reasonable rent for my nice modern flat in Edinburgh. I've never lived in any kind of shared accommodation.
@@albin2232 I agree with you. Even in London not everybody live in shared accommodation. In Russia not everybody live in Kommunalka. I respect anybody who try their best. When we were in high school My husband and I both lived in boarding schools sharing a room My husband lived in a boarding school sharing a room with two other boys and I lived in a boarding school sharing a room with one other girl.
@@annam4313 in UK boarding schools, back when I was young, sharing was not uncommon for the first two years. Mind you, nowadays, the cost is over £30k per year per child. For that I hope they get their own room!
@@TT-zd6nr In Australia the girls from our family attended Lauriston Girls School. Not a boarding school. You can look up the fees. The boarding rooms in my husbands and my ex boarding school remained the same. In 2019 when we last visited we found junk food and sugary drink machines has been installed which we could not believe. They are large rooms. In my husband's ex-room the 3 boys, were in the room. My husband told them what a room called in his time, the pet name remained the same. The boys demonstrated the same politeness, happy, helpful and considered behaviour as expected. Not much changed. In my the room looked the same, it was empty when we visited.
Thanks for being so open. Quite honestly, that place looked like a slum. In western Europe you would only find very, very poor people living like that or poor students. And no one would buy a room there. You wouldn't get it onto Airbnb. But, hopefully the value of the room increased over the years that you had it and you made a net profit.
In every city in the UK are apartments in which people rent one room because it is all they can afford. Me, I run my own business and sleep in an empty office. It's great living in such a rich country.
Hi Ksenia! Interesting and informative video. Thanks for showing us your kommunalka. I am curious what you have done with your kommunalka since 2013 if you never lived in it? Did you ever rent it out?
In UK these are rare and need special planning permissions. They're known as HMO's. House of multiple occupancy. There are extra rules eg fire regulations but the whole apartment is usually owned by one person or business. Then the rooms are rested
Dear Ksenia, Thank you for such an information filled video. You are an excellent teacher and Historian! I have a question totally off the subject you were talking about. You talking about Kommunalka's made me think of the following questions, and I was wondering if you would do a video on them? How do disabled people live in Russia that have no family to care for them? Poeple in wheelchairs that could still live by themselves wouldn't be able to climb stairs in most of the Kommunalka's, and apartments there that I have seen on UA-cam. Do you see very many people in wheelchairs living by themselves in Russia? How do they get around during the snowy Winter and Spring months? Does the Russian government give them a small income if they are not able to work? Are employers friendly to hire such qualified disabled people? What happens to people with long term chronic, progressive, physical or emotional health issues that just get worse? Is there a place for them to go once they cannot care for themselves anymore? Here in the USA there is what they call Social Security income for those with disabilities and the elderly. It is not much money, maybe $725 up to $1900 US depending on if you were ever able to work, and for how many years you worked and contributed to the Social Security fund. It can be very difficult for most people to live on this amount depending on where they live. What happens to children born with birth defects that their parents care for their entire life, and then the parents die, leaving their now disabled adult child unable to care for themselves? In the USA the State and Federal government subsidizes payments to nursing homes and State run hospitals to care for those who cannot care for themselves anymore. Although the care they receive most of the time is terrible. There are also what they call Assisted Living Centers for the elderly and disabled. They are kind of like Kommunalks's are like. But where each person has their own room, bathroom, half kitchen with a microwave oven. But all meals are served in a dining room where everyone eats together. Thank you for considering my questions... Have a beautiful day!🌷
Many people sell their homes to enter assisted living. When the money from the sale is used up, if they are not disabled enough ( bed ridden) for a government assisted program they may have to find a family member to take them.
@@lindaetheridge-stroud1502 : also, there is a large population of elderly nomads, living in vans or cars, following the good weather. They have no other property, just their vehicle. They live in the Arizona desert during the winter, visit Mexico for dental work, eyeglasses, medicines, etc.
I have to say I am so surprised how expensive a room in a shared apartment cost (even being in a city such as St. Petersburg). Otherwise the overall conditions seem nice, I suppose it all comes down to how well you like the people who you are sharing it with.
@@gingersmith2888 True , 55K is too much and 150 $ probably too little. Maybe she wants to rent it out fast and then sell it as a passive income apartment.
What's crazy is that you shared your mother's place with us in Belarus and I think I recall you stating her lovely apt with balcony cost only 13 grand, versus that room with a dumpy bathroom that's falling apart with mold! My questions are: Why didn't you move to this room you already had that was more affordable at least, than this *new* place? I understand the bathroom is bad but you said it was going to be remodeled soon. Yes it's only one room but it was more affordable. Is it not located where you need to be? I am just wondering if I missing some facts here as to why because it doesn't seem like the most economically responsible decision and I also gotta wonder how come you don't get an adorable place in Belarus as apparently they have much nicer to offer for far less!!! Maybe less employment opportunities but it's not as though Russia is gonna be in a great position now as you've experienced. Apparently Russians are not as poor as made out, I don't know anyone with two properties and capable of paying that kind of down payment on even one place and I reside in America. Maybe it's us that should creating video's crying we're poor & the world needs to help pay us back for all our aid!!! Over forty billion to Ukraine, well over in a matter of a month, and an additional 13-14 billion, that's Billion with a B. No wonder America has become the poor & broken nation!!! Russians are making out quite well!!! You aren't even employed with much salary and you clearly have parents who were smart and generous & cared to help you. For as much as your current place is nice, I think it would have been less stressful financially to move into the room you already owned or buy a place in Belarus near your family or closer anyways. Cute places there for much cheaper! Big cities are nice to visit but not necessarily live $$$ I can just imagine people watching this who don't even have one place to live and wondering how a Russian has two properties and this seems to be a trend of prosperity or greed, depending on how one views it, Russians buying secondary or extra properties while Ukrainian's lose limbs & everything, and supposedly Russians are struggling, poor and oh yeah feel "sad" about the war or rather conveniently don't acknowledge it. The history is interesting but not very tasteful or appropriate considering how bad off most are economically and famine is taking hold globally. You are so bright & explain things so articulately in English Ksenia. You should be a teacher! I really do love your research & cultural or historical lessons of sorts! It's a shame the Russian body allowed your dictator to continue as you are all paying his price and your channel would be far, FAR MORE along by now as I used to watch all the time & you'd have many more viewers. When a people don't do anything, it will do you. Your Buffalo farm was my favorite video and it's just extremely hurtful. We watch video's and feel it personally, as if we know you in real life when you are not perfect, you have your share of problems like we do and faults same as we do. I send love, positivity & prayer's for your Mother's health 🙏🏻❤️🌹
So you never lived in your kommunalka but did you ever rent it out like you planned? Even those numbers don’t sound like a good investment - you had to pay a $577 mortgage for it but could only get $150 in rent per month? I understand it was a ten year mortgage so after it was paid off, the monthly rent would be investment income but still… Here in the US, people may have a home they rent out but the monthly rent will always be set higher than their mortgage payment.
I can see that, after the revolution, it was quite a satisfying remedy to confiscate large properties in favour of housing the people. But it's not now (and probably never was) a very satisfactory arrangement, for all the reasons you've given, and, it's led to people settling for this type of housing still today, instead of better solutions being looked for.
It was a lazy compromise on housing the poor rural people. It was a deviation from the initial plan to house every family probably due to corruption or incompetence.
There is a video on UA-cam titled people and cats about this type of facility. It's hilarious and sad in the same way. The main character comes back from the war finds his wife cheating on him. It's musical style but really gives a good picture of the communalkas.
An Intourist guide told me about these in a 1983 visit to the, then, Leningrad. Surprised to see they are still around today. In my city this room would be a code enforcer's nightmare. Rather than sell, the owners would get a demolition order. Still, there is a demand among young single people for living quarters with private bedroom and bath, with communal space for all other activities.
In Australia the poor would be very happy to be able to buy a room in a kommunalka that would give them somewhere permanent to live. Regretfully the income is very low in Russia and once that is taken into consideration buying an apartment or kommunalka is admirable. My husband and I born, studied and worked in one of the Easter European countries. We were highly successful in our birth country, than we started a new life in a foreign language speaking country. It took sheer determination to financially join the top 1% in Australia. I respect and admire any achievement people have.
Thank you...it's amazing the hardship...and having to pay so much for so little..it keeps people too poor to escape,or improve their lot..I'm so sorry.. bless you..You have to share the bathroom?
@@mateandcheck I agree with you that you that you likely the cost per Square metre in St.P will be expensive , but on her getting a ' real job ' , this is an educated woman to University standard , already doing a skilled job . Best regards
@@mateandcheck Hi and thanks for the reply . I think really it's subjective how you would view the impression Ksenia gives of St Petersburg , your opinion is as valid as mine , tho obviously you'll have vastly more knowledge of the city than I ever will , but I think on the whole she gives a good impression of the city and is proud of it and proud of her heritage and country . Being a native of the city I guess it's possible you may find her ' lacking ' but to me here in the Scotland I find her videos informative and honest . I'm not very familiar of her job but I believe she at least has secretarial skills and as you had mentioned her English skills , but I guess like anyone if she is finding it hard to make ends meet , then she's only human and would have times when feeling low , I always found it's a lot easier to feel low or depressed with money in my bank than feeling low and depressed with no money , so I sent a small donation for the entertainment value of her videos , but regardless , I wish you well and as I do to Ksenia , I send you best wishes from Scotland 🏴
I’m grateful that Ksenia is a smart woman and knows there are some people she will just have to ignore in life. I look forward to all of her future videos. I’ve learned a great deal for her and appreciate her time.
There is a similar situation here in the usa as many folks would buy old hotels where everyone had their room, a common kitchen and common 1 or 2 bathrooms. Some would have a small back yard and are innercity communal housing. I lived at one in berkeley, california usa for a short time. A friend of mine who lived there, he and I took over the back yard as no one else was interested and we also took over the flat roof for same reasons. We raised food on the roof and some in the back yard as well as chickens.
This was very, very interesting. I was under the impression that kommunalkas were a relic of the past also during the Ussr. Older tzarist era apartments divided like that out of necessity, but destined to be replaced by kruschovska style apartment blocks. I didn't realize they actually kept building new ones, up until the very end. Yours being from 1985 was very surprising to me. I thought the goal of the state was to eventually get rid of that kind of accommodation. Were kommunalkas and kruschovskas mixed together in the same building or each block was either all kommunalkas or all kruschovskas? There were other kinds of accommodations? Edit to add: I'm looking forward to your course!
Watch the movie (American) Doctor Zhivago (1965) -- see what happens when the good doctor finally, after all he's been through during the revolution, he comes back to what "used to be" his house. Pretty sad/brutal but that's how it was, as already touched on (but lightly) in this video. There are some clips of that movie -- when he arrives back home -- here on UA-cam...one of them is a 2-minute clip titled "Dr Zhivago comes home." Except, it's not HIS house anymore. -- BR
It is not dissimilar from some places I have lived. The people you are living with are more important than the facilities. One gross, loud, or irresponsible person can make everyone else's life miserable. The building at 1:56 is utterly gorgeous. I would love to live in a building that beautiful.
No I don't think your room was so cheap...I thought for a room without private bathroom or kitchen was very expensive!!..I hope you sell your shared apartment soon..Many Blessings and good wishes ..safety and health👩🦳🌿🕊️😄🇺🇸
We have apartments similar to that in the US. I think they're called sleeping rooms. I had a friend that rented one in a building that used to be a hospital. In US hospitals, you either have a private room, or maybe one other person in there. The room just had a sink. A rental room, male living there, sink in the room. I'll let you guess what he used it for.
Hello Ksenyia! Wow! I did not realise how expensive it is.....Even by Irish standards, it is very expensive......Stay safe.....Respect from the Republic of Ireland.....
They sound like bed-sits which are rented rooms in a larger building with shared bathrooms and kitchen. They are always rented though you do not own them.
This was an interesting and well-presented cultural and historical lesson. You are a good teacher. The cost of mortgage for your kommunalka seems surprisingly expensive, in comparison to here where I live in a town in California, USA. I have a private, 3 bedroom / 1 bathroom house with living room, dining room, kitchen, front and back yards and a garage for less than $1000 per month mortgage. It's not a big house ( about 650 square meters) but it's fairly modern construction and well-maintained. I share the house with my nephew, so it's okay for just the two of us, but I couldn't stand the thought of living with a bunch of other people in a kommunalka.
First thing I have to say is wow. I don’t think that sounds cheap at all! Besides all that, your interest is near theft. How do people workout bathing, and cooking times? I can only imagine the frustration of someone taking a long bath and using all the hot water, and what can you do about it other than give them the evil eye.
It doesn't seem very safe. Especially with a government owned room with people you don't know. Thank you for explaining this type of apartment. It was hard to understand what is was like in your previous video.
That was very interesting, learning about the system of Kommunalkas. Did you make a video tour of your new apartment? You are very keen on numbers! I am a retired programmer, so I know how significant numbers are. The amount you had left over from your salary in 2013 after paying the mortgage must have meant adopting a frugal life style for some time. Is the balance between income and outgoings easier to cope with in 2022? I retired aged 54 in 2000, having worked since I left school at 15, but didn't start receiving any pension until 2006, so I had to exist very frugally, too. But it can be achieved if one cuts out all luxuries.
Interesting to know. Communalka room is expensive, what's the reason? Wonder how did people live with no privacy? Also why are bathrooms so compact? The idea of ex Soviet govt to provide housing to all was good but could had been handled differently. Russia has vast land mass, then why is housing is so expensive?
In Australia we have over 3 million poor people. Years ago it was in the news that in Sydney the people who leased one of the apartment divided the rooms with cardboards and packed it with people. It was a fire and some of the people lost their lives. It is a new law in effect now which makes the owners of the properties responsible for how many people live in their rental properties. Since this new law in effect my husband and I cancelled our contracts with the agents and we sign the leases with tenants personally and we inspect the properties twice yearly. Luckily in the area where our rental houses are the house prices starting from over $1,500,000 and the people wish to live in them are usually responsible. In 2020 in one of the house the tenants lost they job. We sat down and worked out how much can they afford to pay and we reduced their weekly rent from $650 to $200 until they get a new job we did not ask them to make up the difference.
OBOS in Norway, Oslo - has begun a market strategy that buy a half apartment and use the whole house. You share a apartment with another person and pay your part of rent and mortgage.
Thanks for the very interesting video! A question I have about kommunalkas: if there are three room owners and one bathroom, how are repair or maintenance or renovation decisions about the bath or kitchen made? What if one room owner thinks a bathroom ceiling repair is needed, while another says the repair isn't needed?
Good luck with the sale and your future investment. Very informational video, funny but not so funny thing to share during the UA-cam advertisement they played a McDonalds commercial (really?) the UA-cam algorithm has a dark sense of humor.
In the USA, 14.25% would be a very high interest rate on a mortgage. This is because, until you pay it off, the lender owns the property. if you are not able to make the payments, they can sell it to someone else. This is different from a higher risk loan, such as for credit cards, for example, where if you default, the lender is stuck for the full remaining amount. Are such high rates typical in Russian cities?
Oh my, that's a lot of money to purchase just one room! What is the current value of the 1 room you own now? How expensive was a decent apartment with livingroom, bathroom and kitchen at the time of your purchase? Wages being low together with high house prices makes it hardly possible to secure decent housing. Hoping you are able to sell your property soon for your asking price. Take care Xenia.
What do you think of a kommunalka?
In Colombia we call ( Comuna ). Guess is modus operandi around the world from some “ class “ of losers.
I don't think I could live that way. Americans are accustomed to an average space of 500+ Sq foot per person. An average home for 4 people will be between 1500 and 2000 Sq ft depending on what part of the country as well as whether they live inside city limits or in the country. 3 people live in my home along with 2 dogs and 2 cats and we have just under 3000 Sq ft which doesn't include a 2 car garage. It's a ton of space and I have too much junk. Lol I'm so glad you have the asset of a Communalka because ownership of property is key to gaining wealth and possibly survival depending on where you live in the world.
I think Russians are very unspoiled...you make the best of every living situation...very few comforts....but do the best you can...it amazes me.
It sounds dismal
It's better than being homeless
My mouth dropped when I saw the price of that room - so expensive for what you get!
Enjoyed learning about Kommunalka very much. Look forward to your future videos on Russian culture whatever the topic.
Thanks
Thank you!
Seems very expensive for what you get & high interest rates i thought it would be much cheaper. Very interesting to see it . Thank you for showing it.
That is expensive. The condition of the rooms is very bad. Your apartment is so much better. I hope you able to do something with your other place.
These are somewhat similar to student housing cooperatives in the US and Canada. I lived in one during grad school. I had 30 housemates. We had shared dinners five nights a week and were expected to put in a few hours of labor every week. For the most part it was nice and I saved a lot of money, but there were definitely times I just wanted to be alone and not see ten people when I went to the kitchen.
As an introvert, shared housing sounds nightmarish!
Thank goodness i only had 4 roomies !!
Western Canada 🇨🇦
Thanks! For being you!😁
Thank you!
Very interesting. You’ve got a great head on your shoulders! Since my brother is an electrician, the wiring in the kommunalka gives me a fright! I can’t imagine how you organize/schedule the use of the communal kitchen.
I noticed that too.
All I can say is WOW! $50,000 in 2013 for ONE room and access to a dilapidated and moldy bathroom?!
That makes one a slave to their shelter forever.
It's like Manhattan rentals .$5k for a 150 sqft cubby hole.
Homeless is the best way to go now days in USA. Or nomadic life with good weather. Seems to be catching on.
@@carlmorgan8452 mini houses.
@@carlmorgan8452 yes tented living is the way to go in California especially. The newest and fasted growing accommodation in LA in particular!!!! The governor there should be so proud of the amount of homeless people, homeless families that they have helped create. Some achievement....but hey as long as people have their woke nonsense that compensates for all the homeless veterans whose bravery, dedication and patriotism mean absolutely
@@lochamb1234 you can thank local zoning overseers for allowing investment homes turned into AirB&Bs. Even condos & townhouses are used for income. The "housing shortag" is a myth.
Thanks and nice to see you are still publishing videos!
Always a pleasure to see you, Ksenia. Hope you are well
Honestly, this was a an eye opener! The squalor and disgusting condition of the entire living quarters was shocking, to say the least. I am confused as to why you took out a mortgage for this place but then never lived there, how could you afford the monthly expenses and is this really considered an investment??
Good question & the way you put it definitely makes me realize the situation doesn't quite add up. Not surprised you got no answer.
How about the fact that she bought a much more expensive place rather than move into this room property she already had & was more within her means? Obviously Russians are not so poor, this is the second video I seen of people showing off their multiple or secondary properties while Ukrainian's lose theirs altogether & Americans go broke funding wars while our people live in tents on the damn side walks or out in the woods. To afford that kind of down payment means her family is smart, worked hard but were definitely not poor because I don't know of anyone who put that much down on one property and I was actually told when offering high down payments that most buyer's put down a few grand, not even ten percent of the cost of a home. They're wheeler dealers and I don't believe the "I'm poor" routine with foreigners anymore. Now it's Americans they can fund!!!
Very interesting, thank you. Didn't expect that the komunalka is so expensive.
Very interesting 🤔, housing is very expensive there compared with income even at the lower level housing situations. Kseniya you are a strong woman and I see you succeeding no matter what you go after. Keep up the positive attitude and you will always come out ahead. Great video 😁😁
Shared accommodation is pretty common around the world, but I think that owning the room rather than renting it is pretty unusual.
Really illuminating for me, and a reminder that there's always something to learn about Russia, and you're certainly a good teacher, Kcenya!
Thank you!
I watch your videos all the time . Bless you. You are so young , yet you are very wise and serious for your age.
Thank you! This was so interesting! 😊
Thank you!
Very interesting video. I love hearing ”history lessons” from the Soviet Union era!
This is such a good video. No other Russian vloggers that I usually watch have ever exposed this part of life in Russia. First time I have ever had kommunalka explains to me in a way I can understand it. Keep up the good work. Thanks.
This is fascinating. In Canada we would consider that apartment that the komunalka is in to be living in squalor. I guess I have been blessed so far to have never lived in such a place. You must feel so blessed to have your new apartment now.
Edit. ***I didn't mean this as a put down. I just find it sad that this is what the government initially provided for it's people and that hardly anyone makes a living wage in order to make the apartment safe and livable.
Thank you for sharing this. 🥰
I have seen a kommunalka depicted in the movie Doctor Zhivago. I have also seen an example of this type of apartment in a school residence in the University of Toronto.
👍... We have similar student housing. Here they are usually referred to as suites. The main attraction being that a satellite of rooms around the kitchen and/or common area allows for personal meal prep and entertaining.
Thank you so much for sharing your life and culture with us!
You seem to be a very smart and hard working young lady. I think you probably appreciate your new apartment because you earned it yourself. You have accomplished a lot and have much to be proud of!!! I’m sure your mother is proud of you as well.
I’m very happy for you to now be living in your very own apartment. Congratulations!!
Thank you for the details on everything. Your open and honest approach is much appreciated.
Thank you for this very informative vlog.......I look forward to your next one,
another great video, keep up the good work. reminds me of when i used to share a house with 3 other flatmates or roommates you might call them here in New Zealand, but they were all people i knew and we each had our own room so it was ok, luckily i now have my own house but with a mortgage also, take care Aaron
Very interesting to learn. Thanks and good luck to you!
Thanks, in Canada there are tens of thousands of Kommunalkas too. We call them Shared Accommodate, where each room or part of the home is rented to a person or a family but we don't have shared accommodate for sale as far as I know.
Thats interesting. You must be a new Canadian, because I have lived here for 61 years and I have never heard that word. I guess we just call it a 'room mate' or having a room for rent.
@@freddesmoines9317 they don't call them komunalka in Canada. That's a Russian word.
I live in Canada. Other than college dormitories i have never heard of this. Unless you are renting out a room in your house.
Hello, it is admirable that with your parents help you purchased a kommunalka and now an apartment. Taking the income in Russia in consideration, it is a high achievement.
So fascinating, Ksenia. Thank you for sharing about this.
Thanks for the very honest video! You explain things so eloquently! I am wishing you all the best! 🌻❤️🙏🌻
Blessings from Montreal Canada
When I was younger, my idea of Russian living quarters was a kommunalka. That's what I saw in movies. My introverted soul could not fathom living with so many people around me. But people do what is necessary to live. Thank you, this was very interesting.
Same. I am very introverted.
Glad to see that you are well. This was a very interesting video. Stay safe and I look forward to seeing you again. Best wishes from Texas, USA
Ksenia you always wear so nice outfits. It was really neat seeing Kommunalka. They should put in elevator to reach those shelves.Always learn so much much love my friend.
So interesting as always. I hope you manage to sell up soon. xx
This was absolutely fascinating. I am learning so much by watching your videos. I don't think I would like to live in a kommunalka. I hope you are very successful in what you are trying to do, and I'm looking forward to your course!
Hello Ksenia! What an informative video. Thank you so much for explaining everything so well for us. I am so happy you had something to sell to help you pay for your mortgage. It is always good seeing you ❤
Thank you Ksenia, for your informative videos.
Thank you!
I liked too 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you for this wonderful history and culture video! Love your red jacket too. Looks great on you. Hugs from Kansas USA 🌻👠
Thank you so much! Very interesting!
Thank you Ksenia for this informative video. I am so happy that you own this shared apartment room, so that you'll be able to pay part of the montly cost of the mortage and from what I could see it looks very nice and bright, even if some bathroom repairs have to be done, but this can be easily resolved. Anyway you own shared apartment room is in a magnificent city like Saint Petersburg and I suppose that this makes a great difference in the value of properties, as I think that they are higher than in other parts of Russia. Thank you for sharing this beautiful video and I wish you and family all the best.
Thank you for showing us this and explaining it in detail so well. I can understand why you are selling the room. Take care and stay well.
Ksenia this was so interesting. I meant to goggle it after you first mentioned this but i forgot. I dont think anyone thought you were lying. I dont imagine you would ever lie about anything. Also these prices are very high by American standards i think. I will tell you more later but at the moment i am not feeling well. Thank you for the video. Have a nice day. 😘
"East West' is another good film that has people living in a Kommunalka. You can rent that on Amazon. It's a European production.
Thanks Ksenia. Great video 👍It's not unusual for students and young people to share flats in the UK, but not really families. Best wishes from Colin 🇬🇧
I watched a documentary about a state of some of the sardines accommodations in London. People have mattress on the floor next to each other. Electrical wires hanging, the kitchen looked like a hazard zone, mould grown everywhere. Even in some higher end apartments in London several couple live together each of them have their own room. They are professional working couples.
@@annam4313 True, but other places aren't like London. I pay a reasonable rent for my nice modern flat in Edinburgh. I've never lived in any kind of shared accommodation.
@@albin2232 I agree with you. Even in London not everybody live in shared accommodation. In Russia not everybody live in Kommunalka. I respect anybody who try their best. When we were in high school My husband and I both lived in boarding schools sharing a room My husband lived in a boarding school sharing a room with two other boys and I lived in a boarding school sharing a room with one other girl.
@@annam4313 in UK boarding schools, back when I was young, sharing was not uncommon for the first two years. Mind you, nowadays, the cost is over £30k per year per child. For that I hope they get their own room!
@@TT-zd6nr In Australia the girls from our family attended Lauriston Girls School. Not a boarding school. You can look up the fees. The boarding rooms in my husbands and my ex boarding school remained the same. In 2019 when we last visited we found junk food and sugary drink machines has been installed which we could not believe. They are large rooms. In my husband's ex-room the 3 boys, were in the room. My husband told them what a room called in his time, the pet name remained the same. The boys demonstrated the same politeness, happy, helpful and considered behaviour as expected. Not much changed. In my the room looked the same, it was empty when we visited.
Thanks for being so open. Quite honestly, that place looked like a slum. In western Europe you would only find very, very poor people living like that or poor students. And no one would buy a room there. You wouldn't get it onto Airbnb. But, hopefully the value of the room increased over the years that you had it and you made a net profit.
I really liked learning about the history of the housing…and to see how these are still being used now. Wow! I had no idea.
At a mortgage rate of 14.25%, the majority of the people in the US would not be able to own a home.
exactly, that is insane interest rate
In every city in the UK are apartments in which people rent one room because it is all they can afford. Me, I run my own business and sleep in an empty office. It's great living in such a rich country.
I also rented apartments with friends to make my rent expenses smaller. And there are many other people who do the same.
Very interesting!
Hi Ksenia! Interesting and informative video. Thanks for showing us your kommunalka. I am curious what you have done with your kommunalka since 2013 if you never lived in it? Did you ever rent it out?
Just imagine all the wacky sitcoms that could be made in kommunalkas.
Thanks!
Thank you so much!
In UK these are rare and need special planning permissions. They're known as HMO's. House of multiple occupancy. There are extra rules eg fire regulations but the whole apartment is usually owned by one person or business. Then the rooms are rested
Dear Ksenia,
Thank you for such an information filled video. You are an excellent teacher and Historian!
I have a question totally off the subject you were talking about. You talking about Kommunalka's made me think of the following questions, and I was wondering if you would do a video on them?
How do disabled people live in Russia that have no family to care for them?
Poeple in wheelchairs that could still live by themselves wouldn't be able to climb stairs in most of the Kommunalka's, and apartments there that I have seen on UA-cam. Do you see very many people in wheelchairs living by themselves in Russia? How do they get around during the snowy Winter and Spring months? Does the Russian government give them a small income if they are not able to work? Are employers friendly to hire such qualified disabled people? What happens to people with long term chronic, progressive, physical or emotional health issues that just get worse?
Is there a place for them to go once they cannot care for themselves anymore?
Here in the USA there is what they call Social Security income for those with disabilities and the elderly. It is not much money, maybe $725 up to $1900 US depending on if you were ever able to work, and for how many years you worked and contributed to the Social Security fund. It can be very difficult for most people to live on this amount depending on where they live. What happens to children born with birth defects that their parents care for their entire life, and then the parents die, leaving their now disabled adult child unable to care for themselves?
In the USA the State and Federal government subsidizes payments to nursing homes and State run hospitals to care for those who cannot care for themselves anymore. Although the care they receive most of the time is terrible. There are also what they call Assisted Living Centers for the elderly and disabled. They are kind of like Kommunalks's are like. But where each person has their own room, bathroom, half kitchen with a microwave oven. But all meals are served in a dining room where everyone eats together.
Thank you for considering my questions...
Have a beautiful day!🌷
Great questions it would be interesting to see how those life issues are addressed there~thanks for asking!
Assisted living in the US is very expensive.Many elderly people cannot afford it.
Many people sell their homes to enter assisted living. When the money from the sale is used up, if they are not
disabled enough ( bed ridden) for a government assisted program they may have to find a family member to take them.
@@lindaetheridge-stroud1502 : also, there is a large population of elderly nomads, living in vans or cars, following the good weather. They have no other property, just their vehicle. They live in the Arizona desert during the winter, visit Mexico for dental work, eyeglasses, medicines, etc.
I have to say I am so surprised how expensive a room in a shared apartment cost (even being in a city such as St. Petersburg). Otherwise the overall conditions seem nice, I suppose it all comes down to how well you like the people who you are sharing it with.
I agree, it is expensive and its all about the neighbours.
I agree that the purchase price is pretty expensive, but the monthly rent of $150 would be a bargain for someone with low income.
@@gingersmith2888 True , 55K is too much and 150 $ probably too little. Maybe she wants to rent it out fast and then sell it as a passive income apartment.
Definitely designed for students and young people starting out in a career. Those are the people who would want to purchase that properly.
What's crazy is that you shared your mother's place with us in Belarus and I think I recall you stating her lovely apt with balcony cost only 13 grand, versus that room with a dumpy bathroom that's falling apart with mold! My questions are: Why didn't you move to this room you already had that was more affordable at least, than this *new* place? I understand the bathroom is bad but you said it was going to be remodeled soon. Yes it's only one room but it was more affordable. Is it not located where you need to be? I am just wondering if I missing some facts here as to why because it doesn't seem like the most economically responsible decision and I also gotta wonder how come you don't get an adorable place in Belarus as apparently they have much nicer to offer for far less!!! Maybe less employment opportunities but it's not as though Russia is gonna be in a great position now as you've experienced. Apparently Russians are not as poor as made out, I don't know anyone with two properties and capable of paying that kind of down payment on even one place and I reside in America. Maybe it's us that should creating video's crying we're poor & the world needs to help pay us back for all our aid!!! Over forty billion to Ukraine, well over in a matter of a month, and an additional 13-14 billion, that's Billion with a B. No wonder America has become the poor & broken nation!!! Russians are making out quite well!!! You aren't even employed with much salary and you clearly have parents who were smart and generous & cared to help you. For as much as your current place is nice, I think it would have been less stressful financially to move into the room you already owned or buy a place in Belarus near your family or closer anyways. Cute places there for much cheaper! Big cities are nice to visit but not necessarily live $$$
I can just imagine people watching this who don't even have one place to live and wondering how a Russian has two properties and this seems to be a trend of prosperity or greed, depending on how one views it, Russians buying secondary or extra properties while Ukrainian's lose limbs & everything, and supposedly Russians are struggling, poor and oh yeah feel "sad" about the war or rather conveniently don't acknowledge it. The history is interesting but not very tasteful or appropriate considering how bad off most are economically and famine is taking hold globally. You are so bright & explain things so articulately in English Ksenia. You should be a teacher! I really do love your research & cultural or historical lessons of sorts! It's a shame the Russian body allowed your dictator to continue as you are all paying his price and your channel would be far, FAR MORE along by now as I used to watch all the time & you'd have many more viewers. When a people don't do anything, it will do you. Your Buffalo farm was my favorite video and it's just extremely hurtful. We watch video's and feel it personally, as if we know you in real life when you are not perfect, you have your share of problems like we do and faults same as we do. I send love, positivity & prayer's for your Mother's health 🙏🏻❤️🌹
So you never lived in your kommunalka but did you ever rent it out like you planned? Even those numbers don’t sound like a good investment - you had to pay a $577 mortgage for it but could only get $150 in rent per month? I understand it was a ten year mortgage so after it was paid off, the monthly rent would be investment income but still… Here in the US, people may have a home they rent out but the monthly rent will always be set higher than their mortgage payment.
I can see that, after the revolution, it was quite a satisfying remedy to confiscate large properties in favour of housing the people. But it's not now (and probably never was) a very satisfactory arrangement, for all the reasons you've given, and, it's led to people settling for this type of housing still today, instead of better solutions being looked for.
It was a lazy compromise on housing the poor rural people. It was a deviation from the initial plan to house every family probably due to corruption or incompetence.
Interesting..I liked the tour of apt..m
Love this. Love learning Russian history and culture.
There is a video on UA-cam titled people and cats about this type of facility. It's hilarious and sad in the same way. The main character comes back from the war finds his wife cheating on him. It's musical style but really gives a good picture of the communalkas.
Good to see you!
This was sooooo interesting! Perhaps you can rent it out now? To make a little bit of money until it sells?
An Intourist guide told me about these in a 1983 visit to the, then, Leningrad. Surprised to see they are still around today. In my city this room would be a code enforcer's nightmare. Rather than sell, the owners would get a demolition order. Still, there is a demand among young single people for living quarters with private bedroom and bath, with communal space for all other activities.
In Australia the poor would be very happy to be able to buy a room in a kommunalka that would give them somewhere permanent to live. Regretfully the income is very low in Russia and once that is taken into consideration buying an apartment or kommunalka is admirable. My husband and I born, studied and worked in one of the Easter European countries. We were highly successful in our birth country, than we started a new life in a foreign language speaking country. It took sheer determination to financially join the top 1% in Australia. I respect and admire any achievement people have.
Many poor people in Canada live like this.
Thank you...it's amazing the hardship...and having to pay so much for so little..it keeps people too poor to escape,or improve their lot..I'm so sorry.. bless you..You have to share the bathroom?
@@mateandcheck I agree with you that you that you likely the cost per Square metre in St.P will be expensive , but on her getting a ' real job ' , this is an educated woman to University standard , already doing a skilled job . Best regards
@@mateandcheck Hi and thanks for the reply . I think really it's subjective how you would view the impression Ksenia gives of St Petersburg , your opinion is as valid as mine , tho obviously you'll have vastly more knowledge of the city than I ever will , but I think on the whole she gives a good impression of the city and is proud of it and proud of her heritage and country . Being a native of the city I guess it's possible you may find her ' lacking ' but to me here in the Scotland I find her videos informative and honest . I'm not very familiar of her job but I believe she at least has secretarial skills and as you had mentioned her English skills , but I guess like anyone if she is finding it hard to make ends meet , then she's only human and would have times when feeling low , I always found it's a lot easier to feel low or depressed with money in my bank than feeling low and depressed with no money , so I sent a small donation for the entertainment value of her videos , but regardless , I wish you well and as I do to Ksenia , I send you best wishes from Scotland 🏴
@@mateandcheck hope Karma will be with you😤
I’m grateful that Ksenia is a smart woman and knows there are some people she will just have to ignore in life. I look forward to all of her future videos. I’ve learned a great deal for her and appreciate her time.
There is a similar situation here in the usa as many folks would buy old hotels where everyone had their room, a common kitchen and common 1 or 2 bathrooms. Some would have a small back yard and are innercity communal housing. I lived at one in berkeley, california usa for a short time. A friend of mine who lived there, he and I took over the back yard as no one else was interested and we also took over the flat roof for same reasons. We raised food on the roof and some in the back yard as well as chickens.
This was very, very interesting. I was under the impression that kommunalkas were a relic of the past also during the Ussr. Older tzarist era apartments divided like that out of necessity, but destined to be replaced by kruschovska style apartment blocks. I didn't realize they actually kept building new ones, up until the very end. Yours being from 1985 was very surprising to me. I thought the goal of the state was to eventually get rid of that kind of accommodation.
Were kommunalkas and kruschovskas mixed together in the same building or each block was either all kommunalkas or all kruschovskas?
There were other kinds of accommodations?
Edit to add: I'm looking forward to your course!
As always your video was interesting. I knew nothing about the Kommunalka before today. Best of luck to you!
Watch the movie (American) Doctor Zhivago (1965) -- see what happens when the good doctor finally, after all he's been through during the revolution, he comes back to what "used to be" his house. Pretty sad/brutal but that's how it was, as already touched on (but lightly) in this video. There are some clips of that movie -- when he arrives back home -- here on UA-cam...one of them is a 2-minute clip titled "Dr Zhivago comes home." Except, it's not HIS house anymore.
-- BR
I filled out your form! Good luck to you!
Thank you!
Great video
It is not dissimilar from some places I have lived. The people you are living with are more important than the facilities. One gross, loud, or irresponsible person can make everyone else's life miserable.
The building at 1:56 is utterly gorgeous. I would love to live in a building that beautiful.
Very interesting. Thank you!
this does not sound CHEAP to me. It sounds terribly expensive.
No I don't think your room was so cheap...I thought for a room without private bathroom or kitchen was very expensive!!..I hope you sell your shared apartment soon..Many Blessings and good wishes ..safety and health👩🦳🌿🕊️😄🇺🇸
The interest rate was so high.
We have apartments similar to that in the US. I think they're called sleeping rooms. I had a friend that rented one in a building that used to be a hospital. In US hospitals, you either have a private room, or maybe one other person in there. The room just had a sink. A rental room, male living there, sink in the room. I'll let you guess what he used it for.
Hello Ksenyia! Wow! I did not realise how expensive it is.....Even by Irish standards, it is very expensive......Stay safe.....Respect from the Republic of Ireland.....
They sound like bed-sits which are rented rooms in a larger building with shared bathrooms and kitchen. They are always rented though you do not own them.
I have seen rooms like this in New York City, they call them micro studios. Usually young single people live there. They are all rentals.
This was an interesting and well-presented cultural and historical lesson. You are a good teacher.
The cost of mortgage for your kommunalka seems surprisingly expensive, in comparison to here where I live in a town in California, USA. I have a private, 3 bedroom / 1 bathroom house with living room, dining room, kitchen, front and back yards and a garage for less than $1000 per month mortgage. It's not a big house ( about 650 square meters) but it's fairly modern construction and well-maintained. I share the house with my nephew, so it's okay for just the two of us, but I couldn't stand the thought of living with a bunch of other people in a kommunalka.
The kommunalka doesn’t offer enough privacy for me. No thank you.
First thing I have to say is wow. I don’t think that sounds cheap at all! Besides all that, your interest is near theft. How do people workout bathing, and cooking times? I can only imagine the frustration of someone taking a long bath and using all the hot water, and what can you do about it other than give them the evil eye.
It doesn't seem very safe. Especially with a government owned room with people you don't know. Thank you for explaining this type of apartment. It was hard to understand what is was like in your previous video.
That was very interesting, learning about the system of Kommunalkas. Did you make a video tour of your new apartment? You are very keen on numbers! I am a retired programmer, so I know how significant numbers are. The amount you had left over from your salary in 2013 after paying the mortgage must have meant adopting a frugal life style for some time. Is the balance between income and outgoings easier to cope with in 2022? I retired aged 54 in 2000, having worked since I left school at 15, but didn't start receiving any pension until 2006, so I had to exist very frugally, too. But it can be achieved if one cuts out all luxuries.
Interesting to know. Communalka room is expensive, what's the reason? Wonder how did people live with no privacy?
Also why are bathrooms so compact?
The idea of ex Soviet govt to provide housing to all was good but could had been handled differently. Russia has vast land mass, then why is housing is so expensive?
In Australia we have over 3 million poor people. Years ago it was in the news that in Sydney the people who leased one of the apartment divided the rooms with cardboards and packed it with people. It was a fire and some of the people lost their lives. It is a new law in effect now which makes the owners of the properties responsible for how many people live in their rental properties. Since this new law in effect my husband and I cancelled our contracts with the agents and we sign the leases with tenants personally and we inspect the properties twice yearly. Luckily in the area where our rental houses are the house prices starting from over $1,500,000 and the people wish to live in them are usually responsible. In 2020 in one of the house the tenants lost they job. We sat down and worked out how much can they afford to pay and we reduced their weekly rent from $650 to $200 until they get a new job we did not ask them to make up the difference.
In England I believe it is called House of multiple Occupancy and is mainly student accommodation. I do not think it is possible to buy a room.
Hallo Ksenia! Adjacent rooms is the idea and if communicating even better.
OBOS in Norway, Oslo - has begun a market strategy that buy a half apartment and use the whole house. You share a apartment with another person and pay your part of rent and mortgage.
Isn’t it scary to live with people you don’t know?? It seems dangerous.
it of course depends on the neighbors.
I would not like locking into a ten year agreement with neighbours that rent next door. You never know who will be living with you.
Thanks for the very interesting video! A question I have about kommunalkas: if there are three room owners and one bathroom, how are repair or maintenance or renovation decisions about the bath or kitchen made? What if one room owner thinks a bathroom ceiling repair is needed, while another says the repair isn't needed?
Judging by this one, nobody thought bathroom renovation was needed since the dang place was built into existence!!! 🤷🏼♀️
Good luck with the sale and your future investment. Very informational video, funny but not so funny thing to share during the UA-cam advertisement they played a McDonalds commercial (really?) the UA-cam algorithm has a dark sense of humor.
In the USA, 14.25% would be a very high interest rate on a mortgage. This is because, until you pay it off, the lender owns the property. if you are not able to make the payments, they can sell it to someone else. This is different from a higher risk loan, such as for credit cards, for example, where if you default, the lender is stuck for the full remaining amount. Are such high rates typical in Russian cities?
In Russia it's the same. If you are not able to pay mortage you lose your property. Yes, high rates are typical.
Oh my, that's a lot of money to purchase just one room! What is the current value of the 1 room you own now? How expensive was a decent apartment with livingroom, bathroom and kitchen at the time of your purchase? Wages being low together with high house prices makes it hardly possible to secure decent housing. Hoping you are able to sell your property soon for your asking price. Take care Xenia.