I found a rather interesting site that calls itself a "virtual museum" dedicated to communal aspects of Russian life, in Soviet times and continuing into the present.
Some of the articles give a sense of nostalgia, while others portray a present reality.
The texts have a choice between Russian and English. You can view photos and videos, take a look at original documents related to communal life, read essays on various aspects of life, and more.
The site is very well-organized and user-friendly! Check it out.
Thank you so much! I can't wait to explore this in detail! It is timely as I have just been reading Zoschenko's short stories, many of which focus on "housing" issues. Last night I read an amusing one about a couple who settled down living in the bathroom, they had children, the mother in law moved in, and the only problem was the way they were relegated to the hall on bath nights. I love that author. I laugh out loud.
ReplyDeleteAlso, reminds me of what, for some reason is one of the two or three most vivid scenes in Dr. Zhivago (movie) - when Zhivago comes back from the front and his wife waves wildly to him from the balcony. He runs into what was once his in-laws' beautiful foyer and is met by all of the new residents coming our of their rooms.
Anyway - I can't wait to jump into this!
I haven't read Zoshchenko, sounds interesting!
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