The terms "Stalinka" and "Khrushchevka" are familiar to most people, but the concept of "Putinka" remains less common. This term refers to apartments so small that it's impossible to move freely when a mattress is laid on the floor, and one has to use the balcony to stretch their legs. In recent decades, large cities have seen extensive development, leading to new residential complexes and, in the case of St. Petersburg, entire new towns outside the Ring Road. Beyond architectural concerns, the main problem with these new buildings is the prevalence of studios around 20 square meters, which is smaller than even post-war Khrushchevka apartments.

Despite the possibility of purchasing such apartments with a 25-year mortgage, as a purchase "for growth" or "just to have," a logical question arises: who will live in them? Students, perhaps, but families are unlikely. It may be difficult for elderly people to reach medical facilities. Solitary freelancers might temporarily live in such conditions, but if their financial situation improves, they will most likely move to more spacious and convenient areas. If such apartments are not in demand among permanent residents, why are they still being built en masse, and who is buying them?

Arkady Gershman, an urban issues specialist with over 10 years of experience, analyzes this situation. This material examines not only the amenities or transport accessibility of new districts but also the key problem hidden behind their facades. It discusses how the cult of the apartment has become a trap for Russians, why such districts should not be called ghettos, why "Putinkas" represent a slow-motion social disaster, and what their prospects are for the next 20 years.

How We Got Here

The term "putinki" encompasses not only concrete boxes in a field and micro-apartments where a toaster barely fits, but also an entire economic model that has taken shape in the country. In the early 2000s, with limited financial resources and a lack of construction, as well as questions about financial institutions, mortgages were difficult to obtain, and living with the whole family in a tiny space was uncomfortable.

The government's response to this situation was the 2005 national project "Housing," designed to stimulate construction and increase mortgage accessibility. As a result, construction volumes increased significantly; according to expert estimates, in some cities, there were more new buildings than housing from the Soviet period. Purchasing housing also became easier, and it seemed the situation was developing positively.

However, since 2014, the real incomes of Russians have begun to steadily decline, meaning a deterioration in the population's purchasing power. Despite this, the construction industry, which had already gained momentum, continued to develop. Developers adapted their offerings to the new realities: the less money the population has, the fewer square meters they can afford. Simultaneously, governors received KPIs for the volume of housing commissioned, which further stimulated construction.

Thus, a situation arose where developers are mass-producing 20-square-meter studios, and the authorities consider this to be in line with the plan. If previously houses from different eras were distinguished by their facades, the hallmark of the first quarter of the 21st century has become 30-story buildings with ten apartments per floor, which can be simply called "putinki." Architecture, as a reflection of policy, confirms this trend.

Many aspects of new districts are a consequence of urban planning practices focused on mass and simple construction, characteristic of the Soviet period. At the same time, control over the process lies with the builders, not the architects.

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Empty Apartments

According to a survey conducted by DOM.RF and VTsIOM in 2022, half of Russians consider buying housing the best way to invest money. The experience of bank failures, devaluation of deposits and stocks, as well as currency depreciation, has strengthened people's confidence in the reliability of real estate. The idea that "one's own apartment is reliable" has become deeply ingrained. Until 2020, one in five buyers purchased an apartment they did not plan to live in.

The introduction of preferential mortgages in 2020 led to a surge in demand for housing, with people buying apartments for children, for rent, or "just in case," believing that prices would only rise. Many invested specifically in "putinki" (small, inexpensive apartments) due to their smaller size and cost, as well as their ample supply. At the same time, investors themselves often could not live in such apartments due to their cramped conditions, especially if they had a family and children.

Over the four years of preferential mortgage implementation, 453 billion rubles were allocated from the budget, equivalent to the construction of about 56 kilometers of metro lines. Nevertheless, priority was given to supporting developers. The result of this policy is a large number of vacant apartments in new districts, such as Nekrasovka. According to 2021 data, the share of apartments not used for primary residence across Russia was 17%.

According to the 2020 census, there are 66 million households and almost 80 million housing units in Russia. This means that the country has over 10 million "surplus" apartments, not including dachas and serviced apartments. Every eighth apartment in Russia is vacant. This creates problems for both owners of vacant housing and their neighbors and other city dwellers. For example, a burst pipe in a vacant apartment can lead to flooding of lower floors, and finding the owner and resolving the issue can be extremely difficult.

The absence of additional taxes on second and subsequent homes, unlike in Germany or Switzerland, makes maintaining vacant apartments economically viable. However, if state revenues decrease and taxes are introduced on the market value of real estate or on investment apartments, maintaining vacant housing will become unprofitable, leading to its sale or rental.

Considering the demographic trough and the fact that the next generation will inherit apartments in historical centers, which are more attractive for living than "putinki," it is precisely the vacant studios that are most likely to become surplus. The mass entry of such apartments into the market with low demand will lead to a devaluation of housing.

A demonstration of these processes has been observed in some cities since 2022, when, after the departure of a large number of people, inflation rose, and the key interest rate increased, real estate prices remained high, supply was abundant, and demand was low. This creates conditions for unsuccessful investments in apartments, where, at best, one can break even, and when recalculated into a stable currency, incur significant losses.

It is important to understand that buildings are constructed to last 100 years or more, and much can change during that time. Not all real estate is a good investment. History knows examples of bursting bubbles, when what seemed eternal suddenly ended, as, for example, in China with its demographic and urban planning crisis.

Urban Problems

From an urban planning perspective, "putinki" (a colloquial term for mass-produced, often uniform housing developments) represent a problem of building morphology, meaning the organization of buildings and streets in an area. A high-rise building can accommodate both luxury housing and many tiny apartments. High-rises or studio apartments themselves are not a problem, but when an entire district consists of uniform buildings, it becomes an issue. The fundamental principle of urban planning is housing diversity, capable of meeting the needs of different people over centuries.

A good neighborhood should allow a person to be born, grow up, live alone, start a family, and raise children without leaving it. A one-room apartment would suit a bachelor, a two-room apartment for a couple, and a three-room or larger apartment, up to a townhouse, for a family with children. Such a district should be attractive to both an aspiring freelancer and a billionaire, creating an environment that is always in demand by everyone, with protection against shocks.

In contrast to such examples, new Russian districts are characterized by maximum morphological uniformity. Developers strive to minimize costs to sell apartments as quickly as possible, unlike in European countries where payback periods can be 20 years. Public spaces are often absent, and exiting an apartment building leads directly to a parking lot. The opening of craft bars and coffee shops on the ground floors only partially compensates for the planning deficiencies.

The quality of a city is determined by its worst districts, not its best. Buildings stand for centuries, and housing must remain in demand. A studio is designed for one person, and it is already cramped for two. Thus, entire districts are built primarily for young singles, which contradicts traditional values. Given historically low birth rates and the demographic trough, the number of potential students will decrease. In such conditions, migrants may become the main residents, but their numbers may also decline due to the current exchange rate of the ruble and policy.

Transition

Housing management issues are exacerbated by the presence of vacant apartments. After a building is completed, it begins to deteriorate, and maintaining it in proper condition requires active owner participation. In multi-story buildings with many apartments per floor, reaching an agreement among residents is extremely difficult, even on issues like painting the walls in the entrance hall.

Areas located far from the city center often become a "prison" for residents due to difficulties with commuting: hours-long traffic jams or long public transport journeys. For those who work, this is an inevitability, but for remote workers, it's an additional incentive to stay home. Inviting friends to the city center requires serious consideration due to the inconvenience of the trip. Public transport often stops operating after 8 PM. Friends may also be reluctant to visit due to the distance and parking problems. Delivery services and marketplaces offering pickup points in every building, as well as streaming services, contribute to a home-centric lifestyle, minimizing the need to leave the house. This creates an "anti-city" where the environment does not unite people but divides them.

Statistics from the latest census show that over 40% of households in Russia consist of single individuals. Despite possible inaccuracies in the census data, such a result prompts reflection on ways to socialize and form families in conditions of apartment isolation.

It is important to note that modern new developments are not ghettos or slums, although these terms are sometimes applied to them. The affordability of housing for middle-income people makes their social composition more prosperous than in some older districts. Ghettos and slums are defined not by architecture but by their residents, and can arise even in beautiful old neighborhoods due to the political situation. Classic ghettos are practically non-existent in Russia.

Problems of accessibility and inclusivity, where an entire district depends on a single road with traffic jams on the way out, do exist. However, fortunately, the other misfortunes are not yet present. The morphology of development could become the main problem in the next 20-40 years if measures are not taken to improve these areas today.

What to Do

For ordinary people, there is simple advice: choose a neighborhood, not an apartment. A good apartment in a bad neighborhood will become a burden, while a bad apartment in a good neighborhood will always be in demand, and the infrastructure will smooth over its shortcomings. For example, a small kitchen combined with a living room will not be a problem if there is a park nearby in the summer and a cafe in the winter.

For developers, this is also important advice when choosing a plot of land or developing a master plan for a neighborhood, as buyers are reluctant to purchase apartments in remote areas without preferential mortgages.

The city in the broad sense also needs to take steps, as even one problematic neighborhood can negatively affect the entire city. There are universal solutions that do not involve demolishing buildings.

First, it is necessary to study the life of neighborhoods. Municipalities should employ sociologists and anthropologists to understand how people live in new and old neighborhoods and to identify potential problems in a timely manner, such as rising crime or population outflow.

Second, not only building height and insolation should be regulated, but also the morphology of development, based on demographic forecasts. Most successful cities in the world, when allocating land for development, set requirements for the mix of apartments in a building. It is also necessary to provide social housing in every project so that the city can offer apartments to doctors, teachers, or young families at a preferential rate, promoting social mixing and providing specialists to remote areas. Vacant areas between high-rise buildings allow for the construction of mid-rise buildings or townhouses without demolition, adding diversity.

Third, it is necessary to develop urban transport and public spaces around existing buildings. Many new neighborhoods are isolated islands where transportation problems arise. Not only road infrastructure is important, but also the ability to leave home unimpeded, which promotes communication, meetings, and family formation.

Fourth, averaged indicators should be abandoned. Officials are focused on increasing housing space per person, striving to reach the indicators of London (33 sq. m by 2030) and New York (over 38 sq. m by 2036). However, by building studios and one-bedroom apartments, the actual provision per person is about 18 square meters. Thus, the square footage per person increases, but the actual provision does not. In Moscow, restrictions on the minimum apartment size have already been introduced: 28 sq. m for studios and 44 sq. m for two-bedroom apartments. It remains to be seen when these measures will be adopted in other cities and whether it will not be too late.