The FSU is known for some of its wonderful architecture. Many cities have beautiful opera houses, palaces and churches. But more recent construction is something else again.
When I first met my fiance and visited her flat (in 2004) - I was amazed at the poor condition of her building - concrete falling off the walls and into the hallway, plumbing about to fall apart as well. She shyly expalined that it is to be expected as it is a "very old building". When I asked how old it was, sho told me it was built in 1984!
Twenty years old is a "very old building"? Old Soviet construction techniques left something to be desired, for sure.
I bring this up in the context of this forum for one reason. when you describe to ladies where you live, how old the house you might live in actually is, you might get a surprising respnse.
The apartment building that I lve in currently was built in 1977 but it is definitely upscale. I was recently looking at a very nice house that was actually built in 1978. In casual conversations with my exfiance - you can imagine what her opinion of these structures was (sight unseen). "Why would I want to live someplace that was about to fall down?"
(Since she has already been to my apartment, when I brought her over on a fiance visa, she expressed disbelief that it was that old.)
The point, as you mention, is "more recent construction" (built under the Socialist period).
But buildings in most other countries that experienced an increase in Socialist ideas suffered the same fate: look at areas of the Uk where socialist (Labour) party came in power (such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle). The fact is that these, like in the FSU, were admisnistered during the 1970's by a conglomeration of housing agencies that were (at least in the UK) run by Central Govn't in London, and so they didn't get the necessary maintenance and care on a regular basis that the building needs. It was the same in nearby Metz (France) or Saarbrucken (in Germany) when I lived in Luxembourg.
This probably explains why the notoriously rich Russians prefer to spend 30 million on overseas properties that are presently being built, rather than buy up buildings that are 2 to 5 hundred years old - like the British, Irish (say), do.
While these newer properties require less regular maintenance than a 19th Century, or earlier, building, their regular maintenance is more difficult - in part because they are built out of pre-fabricated or reinconcrete blocks.
But, will these new buildings, like the US style prefabricated wooden houses being built in the UK the past few years suffer the same fate a those built under Socialist ideas?
Most probably.
It may well be a cultural thing... Russian millionaires are, on the whole, quite thick when it concerns long term viability of their investments.
Try and telling a Russian that you have an ideallic 600 year old property that is excellently well heated, ventilated, sound proof possessing the best structural stability that exists since the birth of Christ.
what a load of Bollocks. both written by same person using a different name.
who in their right mind would want to discuss such irrelevant triviality as this dross.