Cross thread post but I have been getting the same bullshit, recommendations. It might be due to his recent videos on the Russian invasion of Ukraine or perhaps a Youtube algorithm change trying to deradicalize people. Anyways, this fucker was shilling for Commie Block apartments saying that they were not that bad compared to the bombed out shit holes and rural villages in Central Europe. On a purely factual basis, he is indeed correct. But the question is compared to what?
I would argue that compared to nations like the United States or even the UK the solutions to our housing problems (suburban developments) far exceed that available to most in the Soviet Union. He went on to argue that everything was more convenient due to all services being located within walking distance but fails to mention that the main reason for this is due to cars not being available for the general public making one more reliant on public transit; therefore the state. In fact, later on in his video praising Commie Blocks he states that banning or greatly reducing cars is his intent.
For reference, I have included a blueprint of a commie apartment block with dimensions. As you can see below, his claims of different rooms or having an interior bathroom is true but he does not tell you the whole story. Yes, your family of four has separate rooms but it seems that the Soviet blueprints I have found only has around two rooms and entrance area. So in such an arrangement one of the rooms had a kitchen meaning that either the parents and kids had to sleep in the room with the stove. As with indoor restrooms, you will see that the indoor bathroom in first photo is communal.
Finally, my pet peeve with his video is that he just glosses over a broken elevator as a minor issue when its multi level development. All in all, its just them trying to put lipstick on a pig and basically equally lackluster conditions for all. I would rail against unban planners but that is another issue.
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https://youtube.com/watch?v=1eIxUuuJX7YCommie Block Apartments are GOOD!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=bwNi4iWDgM8Former Soviet Citizen recounts his life in Soviet cities.