Flats in Russia

[smilingjake]

The girl I have been writing to advised me that she is doing some repairs in her flat where she resides with her mother. I was wondering what is the typical russian flat? Is it similar to a small apartment with a couple of bedrooms along with a kitchen and living area?

[Phil dAmore]

There are variations in flats.  Some are little more than a studio apartment, where there is one room that is used for living and sleeping, a tiny kitchen and a toilet /bathroom.

Others will have an extra room.  When you hear a Russian say how many rooms his or her apartment has, they are talking about bedrooms, or rooms that could be used as bedrooms.  The kitchen, bath and toilet do not count as 'rooms'

They can be anywhere from 40 sq. meters to 100 sq. meters or even larger. It depends on the building, where and when it was constructed.

Living in Russia one gets used to the never-ending sound of cutting, drilling, hammering and other construction noises.  Someone, somewhere is always doing remodeling.

[ScottinCrimea]

In other words, a one room flat has a living room with a sofa sleeper, a kitchen and a bathroom.  A two room flat has an additional bedroom.  If two people can fit in the kitchen or bathroom at the same time and manage to turn around, it is a luxury flat.

[Turboguy]

There is a wide range in flats in Russia.   On the worst end I saw one that was a one room apartment and the kitchen and bathroom area was shared by three other apartments.   On the high end there were perhaps 4 moderatly good sized rooms.   Most have one or two rooms for a living area and the rooms tend not to be real large.   Most are quite well furnished and decorated but the common areas, the elevator (if there is one and if it work is often old and small and the stair ways may smell of urine and beer and have a fair amount of litter.   They don't seem to care much about the outside and common areas. 

[ScottinCrimea]

Turbo's right.  You can walk into a building that hasn't been painted in 40 years and appears to be crumbling at its foundation, walk up several flights of stairs in the dark with decaying walls and enter an apartment that is cleaner and better decorated than those you will find most anywhere.