"Khrushchev" in us, modern people, almost always evokes not very good associations. We immediately imagine an uncomfortable and uncomfortable living space, the facades of which cannot be called aesthetic. But when they were just being built, they were the cherished dream of almost every Soviet citizen.
These apartments have small rooms, thin listening walls, through which the life of neighbors is involuntarily known to almost everyone who lives nearby, and there are no balconies on the first floors. The latter feature is visible from the street and is a characteristic feature of buildings of this type. Why doesn't the structure provide for a balcony on the first floor? There were reasons for this.
1. Why were "Khrushchevs" built in the Soviet Union?
To understand all the need for these houses, it is worth going back far in the past. Back in the thirties of the last century, there was a shortage of housing in the cities of the country. During the period of industrialization, all building forces were thrown into the construction of industrial buildings. As for residential buildings, very few of them were built, but the number of townspeople, on the contrary, was constantly increasing. Millions of people moved from villages to cities. Only in Moscow in the period 1926-1939. the population has doubled, reaching 4,000,000.
Naturally, they simply did not have time to build houses for them. People lived wherever they could - in communal apartments, basements, and even in dugouts. Then the Second World War began and the problem became even more acute. For obvious reasons, many people of the huge state were left without any housing at all.
2. Fast and cheap
The housing problem was solved in the Soviet Union at the end of the fifties of the last century, when N. Khrushchev was in power. The government has made an important decision regarding mass development. In order to make the construction of residential buildings cheaper, standard projects began to be created.
Four-story houses were originally designed. Then they were replaced by five-story buildings with very thin walls and a shared bathroom. Soviet citizens were not embarrassed by such inconveniences. For them, almost any personal home was the ultimate dream. The lack of personal space in communal apartments and barracks did their job. The Khrushchevs provided them with it.
3. And where are the balconies
Let's start with the fact that in such typical houses the number of apartments was always greater than the number of balconies. First of all, they were absent on the first floors. There were several reasons for this.
Fear of being robbed
Quite a logical explanation, since the apartments in the "Khrushchevs" on the first floors are located too low. The balconies would be practically on the ground, which would make it easier for thieves to enter someone else's territory.
Not allowed
In the days of the USSR, the balcony was considered a place where a person would have the opportunity to go out to breathe the air, without overcoming flights of stairs each time. And if everything is clear with the upper floors (it is really inconvenient to run back and forth), then the inhabitants of the first floor could safely leave the apartment and find themselves on the street. Accordingly, it was believed that there was no need for balconies either. Having abandoned an unnecessary and unimportant element, it became possible to save on building materials, and therefore on construction in general.
Fire safety
Designers in the USSR were sure that in the event of a fire, it was much easier for the residents of the first floors to leave the apartment through the window than using the balcony for this purpose. Moreover, they believed that the balcony could complicate the evacuation process, and this is dangerous for the health and life of people. But those who still wanted to have a balcony could well finish building it themselves. Such an opportunity was provided.
Balcony instead of a separate bathroom
Often, "Khrushchevs" were built by factories and various enterprises for those who worked for them. Naturally, the budget was not always enough. To save money, a number of elements had to be discarded. For example, they could have made some changes to the project, according to which the balconies were removed on the end sides of the house on the second floors, one riser at a time. In some cases, in such apartments, instead of a balcony, the bathroom was divided. There were situations when the decision on the presence or absence of a balcony in the future house was made jointly with the future owners of the apartment, since this housing was cheaper.
It will be equally interesting and useful to find out what 7 new ideas for decorating a Khrushchev house will look worthy in any small apartment.