Kommunalka

Saint Petersburg is full of old aristocratic palaces that the Communists turned into collective proletarian housing. They still exist, but many people have their eyes on them

EUROPE | RUSSIA | SOCIAL ISSUES | ECONOMY

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Elena Moisenkova, a 32 year-old taxi driver in her room in a kommunalka at 76 Sredny Prospekt, while a fellow tenant is working in the communal kitchen.

Created in the Soviet era, the kommunalki were luxurious aristocratic residences turned into collective apartments, where each proletarian family lived in a single room while sharing the bathroom, kitchen and telephone with other families. After the end of Communism, the kommunalki did not disappear. Even today, in more than 56,000 apartments inside Saint Petersburg’s noble palaces, around 200,000 families still live. The kommunalki are the city’s other face: interiors with Italian marble fireplaces but, in many cases, rotting wallpaper and crumbling stucco ceilings.

Inside, you can find everything: immigrants, students, lower-income families, elderly people who never left, but also artists, architects, musicians and designers. This is the evolution of the modern kommunalka, which has also become a place of social gathering as well as a highly desirable piece of real estate. Wealthy entrepreneurs would like to buy some of these beautiful buildings overlooking the Neva and turn them into offices and luxury hotels, while in 2025 the city authorities have already “emptied” more than 2,000 kommunalki. In the meantime, they are also being sold room by room to small investors, who then resell them or rent them out. How much longer will this legacy of the USSR survive?

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a person walking in Dvortsovaya Square (the Palace square) seen from the Hermitage Palace.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), people talking in the hall of a building at 18 Dvortsovaya Nab after a public meeting with Oksana Dmitrieva, an economist and MP at the Duma in Moscow. During the meeting they have discussed a law which, if approved, could easily expropriate houses and kommunalke in the city centre.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a girl dressed with 18th century clothes smoking a cigarette during a break of a photo reportage in Millionnaya street, a historical street in the city centre. All palaces in Millionnaya belonged to nobles families and most of them today host kommunalke.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a historical but rundown building hosting a series of kommunalke in the city centre of Mal Morskaya.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Olga, 27 years old, in the communal kitchen of a kommunalka where she lives with her husband, Sergei, 39 years old, and her daughter Masha, 3 years old. This kommunalka is located in a palace dating back to 1897 on Sovetskaya 4, in an area north of the railway station.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a woman washing clothes in the bathroom of an old kommunalka at 19 Millionnaya Street.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a view of Isaakiyevskaya Square seen from the dome of Saint Isaac's Cathedral.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), the room of a kommunalka in a noble palace at 11 Millionnaya Street. A retired geologist Nikolay, 90 years old and his wife Antonina, 88 years old, have been living here since 1948.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a woman feeding seagulls on the river Neva from the beach of the Peter and Paul Fortress. On the opposite bank the noble palaces between Dvortsovaya Nab and Millionnaya Street where there are still several kommunalke.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), members of the theatre company Morf rehearsing a dance of their show 'Capitalism and schizophrenia' in the hall of a former kommunalka turned into a community and arts centre called 'Mir' (peace), in a noble palace at 18 Per Pirogova. The restaurant Club Tegn is also in the hall.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Vladimir Dronov looking at the river Neva from the window of his 40 sqm room in a kommunalka at 15 Millionnaya Street. Vladimir lives in this room, where there used to be an aristocratic English club, with his wife Natalia and his cat Digna (meaning 'melon').

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a relaxing moment for young men working in a former kommunalka turned into a community and arts centre called 'Taiga' (forest) in a noble palace at 2 Moshkov (off Millionnay Street).

Saint Petersburg (Russia), the staircase of a kommunalka at 15 Millionnaya Street. From 1903 until the Russian revolution there was an english aristocratic club in this building.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), young people having dinner at a restaurant on the Nevskij Prospekt.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a calendar hanging in a room of a kommunalka in a noble palace at 11 Millionnaya Street. A retired geologist Nikolay, 90 years old, and his wife Antonina, 88 years old (in the background) have been living here since 1948.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), the common telephone of a kommunalka in a noble palace at 11 Millionnaya Street. A retired geologist Nikolay, 90 years old, and his wife Antonina, 88 years old (in the background) have been living here since 1948 In a room of this building.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Russian soldiers walking on Nevskij Prospekt.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), 15-year-old Viktor Kirdlov playing the guitar next to an old fireplace at the entrance of Arkitekt, a community and arts centre in a noble palace at 10 Millionnaya Street.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), guests at a wedding part dancing in a restaurant at Bol Morskaya, in a noble palace.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), the window of a kommunalka at 15 Millionnaya Street overlooking the river Neva. In this 40 sq. room, where there used to be an aristocratic English club, Vladimir Dronov lives with his wife Natalia and his cat Digna (meaning 'melon').

Saint Petersburg (Russia), cars parked opposite a series of khrusciovke built during Nikita Krusciov period in the suburbs of Kolpino.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), the communal bathroom in a kommunalka in a noble palace at 19 Millionnaya Street.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), people are taking part in a public meeting with Oksana Dmitrieva, an economist and MP at the Duma in Moscow in the hall of a palace at 18 Dvortsovaya Nab. During the meeting they have discussed a law which, if approved, could easily expropriate houses and kommunalke in the city centre.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), actors dressed with 18th century style costumes sitting in Isaakiyevskaya Square with Saint Isaac's Cathedral in the background.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), buildings in the souther suburb of the city on Bukharestskaya Boulevard. Those who live in kommunalka do not want to give up the privilege of living in the city centre and move to cold and uncomfortable suburbs.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a family is having dinner in their small apartment in a khrusciovka in a building dating back to Nikita Krusciov's period in the suburbs of Kolpino.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a car wash in a building west of the Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood. Most of the buildings in the historical centre of this city (Unesco Heritage List since 1990) are in very bad conditions.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Hassan, a 23 year old Uzbek worker is doing his bed in a kommunalka at 19 Millionnaya Street.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Russian soldiers in a queue to enter the Isaac's Cathedral.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), people taking part in a public meeting with Oksana Dmitrieva, an economist and MP at the Duma in Moscow, in a hall in a palace at 18 Dvortsovaya Nab. During the meeting people have discussed a law which, if approved, could easily expropriate houses and kommunalke in the city centre.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a shop assistant smoking a cigarette in the southern suburb of the city on Bukharestskaya Boulevard. Those who live in kommunalka do not want to give up the privilege of living in the city centre and move to cold and uncomfortable suburbs.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a man relaxing in an old banya (steam bath) in the suburb of Kolpino.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a palace in Millionnaya street, a historical street in the city centre. All palaces in Millionnaya belonged to nobles families and most of them today host kommunalke.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a woman working at her computer near a window at Millionnaya Street, a historical street. All palaces in Millionnaya belonged to nobles families and most of them today host kommunalke.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Anna Olekhnovich looking at herself in the mirror in the new wedding dresses shop that she owns together with Alexandra Savvateeva (to the right). The shop is in Arkitekt, a community and arts centre in a noble palace at 10 Millionnaya Street.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a girl making a video of the rehearsals of the theatre company Morf rehearsing the show 'Capitalism and schizofrenia' in the hall of a former kommunalka turned into a community and arts centre called 'Mir' (peace) in a noble palace at 18 Per Pirogova.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), two young men working in an office in a room overlooking the river Neva. This former kommunalka in a noble palace has become a community and arts centre called 'Taiga' (forest), at 2 Moshkov Street (off Millionnaya Street).

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Olga, 27 years old, with her daughter Masha, 3 years old, in the corridor of the kommunalka where she lives with her husband Sergei, 39 years old (the hand on the right is his in the communal kitchen). The kommunalka is in an ancient palace dating back to 1897 at Sovetskaya 4 in an area north of the railway station.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a model of new buildings in the suburbs exhibited on Nevskij Prospekt. Those who live in kommunalka do not want to give up the privilege of living in the city centre and move to cold and uncomfortable suburbs.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Galina Bielkova walking in her apartment in a kommunalka at 11 Millionnaya Street. This aristocratic residence has been deserted for a long time and Galina does not have the money to renew it.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a retired geologist Nikolay, 90 years old (on the left), and his wife Antonina, 88 years old, in their room in a kommunalka in a noble palace at 11 Millionnaya Street, where they have been living since 1948.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), street vendors selling clothes not far from Ligovsky underground station.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a palace on Millionnaya Street, a historical street in the city centre. All palaces in Millionnaya belonged to nobles families and most of them today host kommunalke.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Sergei, 39 years old, lighting a cigarette on the stairs of a kommunalka where he lives with his wife Olga, 27 years old, and his daughter Masha, 3 years old. The kommunalka is in a palace dating back to 1897 at Sovetskaya Street 4, north of the railway station.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a view of the city from the roof of a former kommunalka turned into a social and art space called 'Mir' (peace) in a noble palace at 18 Per Pirogova. This is the Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), people in an underway on Nevskij Prospekt.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), the terrace of the Loft Project ETAGI, an art centre in a former bakery.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a window on the river Neva of the room of Gennady Kon, a 46 year old unemployed man, who lives in the kommunalka in a noble palace at 11 Millionnaya Street. His aristocratic family has been living here for five generations.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), an old woman going back home after shopping on Konnogvardeyskiy, west of the Admiralty Building.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Umed Gion, 39 years old, a tagiko worker from Duanbe in a room of a kommunalka at 19 Millionnaya Street where he lives with three more people paying a 300 dollar rent.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a series of kommunalke are in this historical but rundown building in the city centre of Mal Morskaya.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), the roof of a former kommunalka turned into a community and arts centre called 'Mir' (peace) in a noble palace at 18 Per Pirogova. A café run by Solaris Lab will be built on the roof. The dome belongs to Saint Isaac's Cathedral.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), a woman shouting during a public meeting in a palace at 18 Dvortsovaya Nab, with Oksana Dmitrieva, an economist and MP at the Duma in Moscow. During the meeting they have discussed a law which, if approved, could easily expropriate houses and kommunalke in the city centre.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), the door of the room of Elena Moisenkova, a 32 year old taxi driver, in a kommunalka at 76 Sredny Prospekt.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Hassan, 23 years old, a uzbeko worker in the corridor of a kommunalka where he lives at 19 Millionnaya Street.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), one of the halls of the Loft Project ETAGI, an art centre created in a former bakery.

Saint Petersburg (Russia), Vladimir Dronov looking at the river Neva with his cat Digna (meaning 'melon') from the window of his 40 sq room in a kommunalka at 15 Millionnaya Street. Vladimir lives in this room, where there used to be an aristocratic English club, with his wife Natalia.