The Revolution in Russia has brought enormous changes to all life aspects of its people. In this context, the solution to the Moscow’s housing issue caused by property nationalization and urban migration, in many ways, reflected a new ideology. Mainly, it transformed the way of life, leading to the formation of the new and reorganization of the old social practices, which included social stratification and gender positioning.
In contrast to previous individualistic and bourgeois ideological paradigms, communism implied an entirely different perspective on the organization of the living space. Consequently, what began as a way to forsake the old practices has become the manifestation of equality and co-ownership (Brooke, 2006). The old houses with great flats and spacious rooms now served as communal apartments for many people at once, while the new buildings were built with this mindset from the start.
In contrast to governmental expectations, such housing practices had not led to people’s unity. Conversely, it only exacerbated individualistic tendencies in communal apartments. According to Brooke (2006), “everyone cooks in his own pot, hides in his own room, procures food and utensils for his own family” (p. 220). The elevated levels of individuality and mistrust were caused by a severe lack of privacy experienced by people of that time.
Nevertheless, such a policy has achieved certain success in terms of social and gender stratification. The progress was moderate in the case of the former – the new living space organization ended the stratification of bourgeois and common people. Unfortunately, the newly formed privileged classes of intellectual and state workers had a clear advantage when it came to their apartments (Brooke, 2006). In the latter case, however, women were relieved from their daily domestic routines of cooking, laundry, and childcare due to the occurred equalization.
Overall, the changes that occurred in the social life of Moscow people in particular, and Russian people as a whole, were controversial, to say the least. To adhere to ideological standards, the government targeted people’s privacy to solve the housing problem. Consequently, it led to discord rather than communal unity, with the people tending primarily to themselves and their close ones. The housing reorganization boosted gender equality, but the desired elimination of class stratification was not achieved in the process.
Reference
Brooke, C. (2006). Moscow: A cultural history. Oxford University Press on Demand.