Why in Soviet apartments they made a window from the bathroom to the kitchen

In an effort to provide each family with separate housing in the post-war years in the USSR, residential buildings were reduced to the level of a panel or brick box. The excesses included not only the decorative design of the facades, but also high ceilings, large kitchens and corridors, utility rooms, garbage chutes. And yet, in the apartments and houses of that time, there are a lot of modern elements that are mysterious to humans.

Window from the toilet to the kitchen

Last summer, a friend bought an apartment in the so-called “German cottage” – a low-rise house on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, which, according to legend, was erected in the post-war years by captured Germans. Two adjoining rooms, a kitchenette from the strength of five meters, a separate bathroom – cheap and cheerful. “I will lay it during renovations,” a friend said, pointing to a window in the wall between the bathroom and the kitchen.

In my childhood apartment in an ordinary five-story Khrushchev building in a town in the Far North, my parents simply painted over the same window with paint to match the walls. And so did many happy owners of separate housing in Soviet-built houses. After all, the purpose of this “architectural excess” was for the majority a secret sealed with seven seals.

However, in houses of pre-revolutionary construction, such windows are also found. Just remember Bulgakov’s Heart of a Dog. When Sharikov locked himself in the bathroom, he was rescued through that very window on the side of the kitchen. So it will not be possible to write off everything only on the fantasies of Soviet builders.

There are many versions trying to explain this architectural oddity. And not all of them stand up to scrutiny. As, for example, the assumption that, thanks to the glazed opening, gas equipment in the event of an accident and explosion in the apartment will not damage the wall, and the shock wave will simply take out the window. In fact, thin interior walls will not withstand a powerful explosion of gas – even with a window, or without.

Concern for the psychological comfort of the residents, as well as the visual expansion of the space, is also from the realm of fantasy. Soviet architects, as well as the developers of all sorts of standards, if they thought about it, then the last thing.

One of the plausible versions is the fight against tuberculosis. At the beginning and middle of the XNUMXth century, this attack was worse than the current coronavirus pandemic. Dark, humid rooms are an ideal breeding ground for Koch’s bacillus, the causative agent of tuberculosis. But ultraviolet light is destructive for her. That is why sanitary standards appeared that regulate the provision of insolation (illumination by direct sunlight) of residential buildings. True, they were about living rooms and kitchens, and not about bathrooms. And soon scientists found more effective ways to combat the disease.

However, this version is partly correct. The window in the bathroom was made to additionally ventilate this small room. This was supposed to help avoid dampness and mold.

And of course, the window was an additional source of light. Indeed, in those days there were no energy-saving lamps, and there were often interruptions with the supply of electricity.

“With such a window, you don’t have to turn on the light in the toilet during the day. This is exactly what I do when visiting my grandmother, ”a colleague shared her experience of living in Khrushchev.

Niche under the window in the kitchen

The deepening under the kitchen window is another know-how of Soviet housing. And it was not intended at all to install an additional heating radiator. A niche with an outer wall half a brick thick is nothing more than a “Khrushchev” refrigerator. Kitchens in small apartments were very modest in size. In addition, furniture, as well as household appliances, were in short supply in those years. And the products must be stored somewhere.

Trusting the most valuable string bag hung out the window was fraught: there were craftsmen who deftly cut off food supplies. But in such a “refrigerator” under the window the food remained safe and sound. At least in the winter. In our family, for example, they kept jars of jam and soaked lingonberries, as well as bars of village bacon in it.

Mezzanine in the corridor

In fact, the beautiful French word entresol was once called an additional mezzanine in mansions and estates of the 2,5th – XNUMXth centuries. It was, of course, unrealistic to organize such in apartments, the ceiling height of which barely exceeds XNUMX meters. So, in the interpretation of Soviet architects, the mezzanine was turned into a section of a ceiling cabinet, usually located between the kitchen and the hallway.

In small-sized Khrushchev houses, for which the furniture did not fit the standard size, mezzanines became almost an ideal storage system. Tourist and sports equipment, bulky kitchen utensils, boxes with an artificial Christmas tree and toys for it, and even clothes were put here. But more often than not, it is ordinary rubbish, which is a pity to throw away.

Half painted walls

White top, dark bottom. And this is not about the classic outfit of an excellent student, but about the painting of the walls in the entrances of Soviet houses. This design appeared not only due to the Soviet tight-fistedness. Although, of course, not without it. Although paint was more durable than whitewash, it was more expensive. And the economy, as we remember, must be economical. Plus, the paint did not allow the walls to “breathe”, which led to the accelerated development of mold when the walls were completely painted over. But with partial staining, this process could be slowed down.

Another reason is aesthetic. The light top visually raises the ceiling, any designer will confirm this. And the whitewash also reflects light. Albeit slightly, but in this way it was possible to create the feeling of additional space. Indeed, on the narrow stairwells of that time, two people could hardly pass each other, and in order to raise or lower the furniture, one had to show remarkable ingenuity.

And this method of painting also saved many lives during fires. In the conditions of strong smoke of the entrance, the place where the painted part of the wall was joined with whitewash stood out in contrast, which helped the residents quickly leave the dangerous building.

High-rise buildings with 9 floors

At some point, five-story Khrushchev buildings were replaced by the same houses with small apartments, but with nine floors. Why exactly nine, and not, say, ten?

It is useless to look for some sacred meaning in this. It’s all about fire safety. In those years, the height of a standard mechanized fire truck ladder was 28 meters. This was just enough for the rescuers to rise to the level of the ninth floor.

For buildings with a large number of storeys, there were building codes and regulations. For example, the mandatory presence of smoke-free stairs, as well as two elevators – passenger and freight. All this significantly increased the final cost of housing. Frankly speaking, an unaffordable luxury in terms of economy.

By the way, the “love” for five-story buildings is also easy to explain. According to the standards in force at that time and medical research, a Soviet person could easily climb the stairs to the fifth floor on foot. And if so, then the elevator in such houses is useless. Saving!

Open balconies

When designing modern houses, construction companies initially try to provide for the presence of balcony glazing. In Soviet times, they were completely open. Here, fire safety rules played a role (it was possible to evacuate through the balcony), and sanitary standards for insolation of premises (at least three hours a day of direct sunlight). In addition, it was assumed that the balcony would become a special area in the apartment, where you can go out for some fresh air or have a cup of tea.

By the way, balconies were often made also at an angle – the slab was slightly sloped down so that rainwater and snow would not linger on it for a long time and flow down.