Where do Russians ACTUALLY live? | Life in Russia’s residential area 

You speak English so well, you can be proud! I am learning German and it is not always easy to learn a new language. Well done! 🌹🌸 Thank you for sharing Russian culture. I love Russia! And I'm from South Africa.

Love to see real Russia and the lifestyle of the common man in the city. Thanks for showing the non-tourist locality, it would be more interesting if you have shown any house from the inner side. Greetings from Mumbai, India. 🇮🇳

Hi, Svetlana! I am from Slovenia (formerly Yugoslavia) and all of this reminds me of my childhood, when things here were built similarly. Every neighborhood had everything one needed right there. And a lot of green- trees, parks, playgrounds. I love those areas still! I love your videos, thank you for posting!

To be honest…. every city in the world has its depressing moments - but thanks for showing your country very beautiful and informative Russia is definetly on my list of travel! Love from New York 🥰

Man I miss Russia and especially st Petersburg. What a place. The moment I can hope on a plane I'm there. Spasibo

Greetings from Connecticut, USA. We've been watching your videos for a few months now and every one keeps getting better. Keep up the good work!

Omg I loved this video, reminded me of my childhood in Hungary. Our towns has these areas too, looks exactly like in the video.

HI Svetlana, I'm from Poland and the buildings and landscape arrangements you show seem almost like the ones I know from home. I like the way you show it objectively without going into the nationalistic propaganda. The fact is these houses are sub-standard by today's standards, but back then in the "60's provided large numbers of people with much needed housing. Also, the space between tha buildings, and the green areas, are something the modern developers do not provide any more while chasing the profit. Overall, thumbs up from me for your small reportage. ;-)

Russia in the summer is so beautiful, especially outside of the city center.

You speak excellent English. You are a great ambassador for your country. Russia has always seemed so nice, thank you for the time you spend sharing it with us.

Thank you for showing us the way you live and the Russians live. I had no idea that there were so many buildings that house the families. In Phoenix, Arizona, we mostly live in houses in the suburbs. Your English is so lovely. You are beautiful and are doing a great service to your country showing it so honestly. I’m an artist. I have always loved the Russian painters’ work. 🇺🇸 Thank you!

I've been to Saint Petersburg a few times and loved it. Felt like I was in an alternate universe with a mix of old royal architecture with modern colorful and friendly people. Not a fan of the apartments, however! Ironically, Saint Petersburg was a planned city. It was designed to be architectually beautiful. After the war, it made sense to focus on housing. Yet, now, it's time they put the same effort into helping redesign the residential buildings and neighbourhoods of Saint Petersburg and Moscow so residents can feel cozy, proud and positive all year long! Help eliminate any depression! Thanks for sharing!

I could not live anywhere near a city. I prefer living on my ranch in the mountains surrounded by the forest. I can watch the deer, the elk, coyotes and the turkeys in the fields on the ranch and watch all kinds of birds fly over the fields and into the forest. And thank heaven I do not have to watch any people, but I do love watching your videos.

Appreciate your honest views, looks like things are getting better in Russia...greetings from Brisbane

Kindergarten😀. You did absolutely well and your video presentation was amazing. Your video has shown me another beautiful side of Russia. In all I feel more like visiting Russia in the nearest future. I will definitely suscribe to your youtube channel for more inofrmative and educative video of Mother Russia. Thanks for the beautiful insight and exposure.👏👏👏

Thank you very much for this video. I have never been to Russia. I grew up in Western Germany during the Cold War and Eastern European Countries did not make it easy to travel to them. Now, my health does not allow. Your video allows me to get an Idea about how people live in your country. It is so good to see young people like you building bridges to other cultures. Thank you for this 👍

Thank you for showing us how Russians live, much love from the USA. Keep making videos!

i love the balanced look you gave on the city! people are so quick to demonize Russia when nowhere is 100% bad (well, maybe Norilsk is an exception lol) anyways, i loved to see so many trees and flowers in the summer! i wish my street here in brazil had this much green

Your vlogs are really different in so many ways. I love the way you speak. I love the way you share your thoughts about Russia and its culture. I love everything about your vlogs. 😊

Really wanted to thank you for your videos. My wife and I basically made up our mind to visit Russia after seeing your videos. We are here now for new year and it’s been 5 days. It’s been an absolute pleasure visiting here, both Moscow and Saint Petersburg. We are loving it, thanks again. Russia needs to be seen for what it is and not what it is propagandised as by the west….

Thanks for the balanced outlook about these type of residences in Russia. Telling the back story and showing them in different seasons was very good idea. A lot of Russian RU-vidrs just want to promote negativity about there country. They just show how poor and backward Russia is to the western audiences because that's in demand and profitable eventually. But your video was very well done. Just Subscribed.

Thank you for showing your country to the world. You help make it a friendlier place. Your voice is very pleasant to listen to and your English is excellent. Your inner spirit shines through and enhances your lovely physical beauty. Peace & Love 💗

I lived in Russia for 2 years from 2013-2015 and this brought back so many memories. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you Svetlana, this is a most informative video not just about typical life in Russia but also how it evolved. I love your style of presentation too, very genuine and human, and presenting it as it is. I’ve travelled a bit in Russia (Moscow, Samara & St Petersburg,) also extensively in Ukraine, plus Belarus (Minsk & Pinsk) Latvia & Lithuania, so for me it was especially interesting to learn how and why these buildings came to exist. Many people think of Russia and it’s neighbouring countries as cold and inhospitable places, and have no idea how lush and green it is in the summer, with beautiful forests and lakes, and how nature transforms even the residential areas. I look forward to seeing more of your videos. Best wishes for 2022!

Very interesting, especially for me. I am from the USA where the vast majority of people live in a single family house rather than an apartment. Of course in New York City, Chicago or parts of Los Angeles people live in apartments and high-rise apartment buildings but outside of New York, the single-family home is much more prevalent.

I love this video it was so heartwarming, home is where the heart is. And naturally you look gorgeous as always.

i know this is an older video but i just found your channel. enjoyed the tour of where the russian's live :) I like the court yards with their own playground and schools. how convenient for parents! And it's so pretty in the spring and summer with all the green.

You might mention the environmental benefits that go with large apartment blocks. For example, a single water heating plant will produce hot water and heat for all the surrounding blocks. It's more efficient to heat an apartment with one outward facing wall than it is to heat a house surrounded by freezing air. Dense populations more easily support efficient public transportation. People can easily purchase food and other necessities because they're certain to find many stores along the way home from a bus stop. They don't need to own or power American-sized refrigerators - just small ones for a few perishable items like milk. Buses run more frequently because many people ride them. People don't need to own cars or pay to fuel or park them. The extra walking to bus stops and stores is very healthy and a nice way to meet people. I visited Saint Petersburg, Moscow, and Ryazan in 2005, and it's great to see open spaces and parks looking a little more clean and neat.

You know, I actually like the dreary gray look, it is beautiful in its own way. I like the fact that the view changes throughout the seasons. I live in a place where the weather is mostly uniform year round and nothing changes, so I never get to experience the blossoming of spring or the vivid colors of autumn. St. Petersburg is beautiful!

Thankyou for posting this 🌷

Love all your postings ,thank you for your time and Presentation ❤️🙏

Love your video where you live. You kept it natural, simple and honest, very nice. I’ve been watching these kind of videos from different countries, since I can’t be there, kinda educational for me. Thanks 😉 girl

Fantastic video! Thank you for showing your town, its amazing how much the seasons can change the environment and in turn our moods. Even so the winter can be beautiful aswell in it's own way! But summer is still best🕺🏾🕺🏾👍🏽👍🏽😁

wonderful tour, really enjoy the seemingly small customs and stories such as the blooming bush signifying coming cold..., would love to see more of foods that are common, great hostess, thank you for sharing...

I visited St. Petersburg about 7 years ago. What a beautiful city! It was truly one of the highlights of our visit to the Baltic Sea. Thanks for giving us a tour of the rest of the city. As foreigners, we were only allowed to visit government approved areas of the city.

This is so deja vu ! I lived 9 months in SP in the Kirovsky district overlooking a park. I miss it so much! I really liked the nature all around, ponds, etc. It was a walk or bus to the underground and not so long to the city center. I also really loved Gatchina. It was a romantic time that sadly passed after an 8 year relationship. I wish I could return one day. I experienced all seasons there. Drinking beer in minus zero temperatures in the snow is something I will always miss!! Thank you for the video! ❤️

I really enjoyed this video. It’s so interesting to see how/where people in other corners of the world live. This video gives a natural, not forced and highly edited vibe.

That was informative and very well narrated!

Very charming and personalized. Different views than on a formal tour like we had through the cruise. Enjoyable tour provided by you!

Learned a whole lot from this video. Loved the change of seasons part. Thank you for sharing!

This is one of the most balanced videos about real Russia, I really enjoyed the content you covered. It's great to know the difference not just the fancy city centres we always see here:) Thank you!!! Personally, I would live outside the city centre as long as it's easier to commute to the centre!

Very informative and expressive, thank you!

great video. i really like how you showed the difference between the seasons. did anyone else notice the guy flipping off the camera at 11:02. lol. i started laughing when i saw that! keep up you awesome work! i will keep watching. thanks for all you do to show everyone normal living in Russia. i watch several different vlogger in Russia, and it is so awesome to see the different area of the country from different perspectives!

subscribed for your lovely sincerity nowadays i notice some russian youtubers are clickbaiting us with contents that shows bad sides of russia but i love how you educate us by showing us two sides of the same coins. love from west Africa

I would never want to live inside a city center…..Living Outside The city is the best……You made the best choice.

Terrific video, very informative and well organized...Keep up the great work and your beautiful smile:)

Svetlana, Thank you for the educational talk on St. Petersburg, especially on areas that I never got to see. In 2006, my wife and I took a cruise to Northern Europe, which included St. Petersburg. Of course we were more or less taken to historical museums and grandiose churches. Your insight on the other side of the city was appreciated. Being an educator on World History, I know each city has its good and not so good, this according to American standards. I look forward to your next adventure. Sqasibo ya tebya lyublyu "I learned that in my military service in1965."

This looks more like Montreal, Canada. However, thank you showing us the beauty through your eyes.

I've moved from Croatia to the country where this type of building is not popular...and I have to say that's one of the rare things I miss. Heating system in that apartments was amazing, it was always warm in the winter, a lot of green areas around and there was a great community spirit. Where I live at the moment it also looks and feels great but I still find living in the 'socialistic' building more convinient.

Thank you for showing us around it's nice to see other people's culture and living area. I hope to visit someday soon

I would love to see inside of an apartment!

Great work! So much information to be had. I love how humble your people live, it doesn't matter if the home is right at the city center or in some suburban place. Both have their conveniences and the important thing is that the person feels comfortable. Home is where the heart is. Cheers to you!

Very informative video. I have visited this city in 2016 and was very impressed by all grandouse and monuments. I had interacted with few locals there who were from downtown. All were pretty happy and content. Thanks for sharing. They all liked Goa a lot and wished to visit it sometime.

This was so beautiful, thank you!

Thanks for the tour! I haven't been in your city since 1985. It's interesting to see what has changed and what has not. It's also a bit sobering to hear you describe things as having been built "back in the 1980s" since that means the buildings would have been new for me, had I seen them. And now they are old. One of these days I'll get back to Leningrad St. Petersburg.

Спасибо Светлана. I have come to understand why housing is densely concentrated in such a huge country....also why Dacha time is cherished 😊. No doubt its been a challenge for many people transitioning from Soviet Union times, it seems many older Russians miss it, and I can understand. Best wishes from America 😊.

I love your videos, Svetlana! They make my day better. I was born in Lithuania and grew up there. The neighborhoods there look exactly the same as the one's you just showed us in this video. I agree with you that during winter if there is no snow it can look a bit scary and depressing but during summer and fall it's really beautiful. I miss having 4 seasons. I live in San Francisco now we only have 1 season basically... weather doesn't change much here, which is nice but also can get a little bit boring. Thank you for your videos, they remind me of my childhood and teen years. Love from SF 💖

Молодец! Informative on so many levels. And I really enjoyed the music.

Very informative. Thank You!

What a lovely and elegant beauty, nice to see a Russian city brought to life by such a beautiful woman 🌹... 🖤👽

Thank you for your videos! It’s pretty cool to see more of Russia and how you all live and thrive.

This was very interesting. Thank you for sharing!

I have been to St.Petersburg four times. Love the city. And the Russians are really friendly and helpful. Subscribed to your channel!

What an excellent video. Interesting to see a city thriving 70 years later after suffering one of the worst battles of the war.

As an admirer of Dostoevsky seeing his city is very interesting. Keep up the great work Svetlana, greetings from Pakistan

Nice work! I love your videos and all that show in them! Congrats!

Keep up the good work, by making these videos! well done! Greetings from Belgium.

Terrific video. Nice to see other cultures from a local point of view. You are a great narrator and I feel like I am getting a great personal tour. Thank you . Look forward to learning more of the russian people and their styles and culture.

Everything about you is just perfect! Your English, your mannerism and the journalist ability. I lived in Ukraine in late 80s and early 90s and I still have a fond memories of this beautiful and massive country.

I just found your channel! This video is so good. I live in a similar type area and buildings in Denmark. Built in the 60’s and recently modernized and renovated.

Спасибо что показала интересные места. Я уехала советского Союза 89-м году. И вот именно таким местам приводит у меня ностальгия. Мне было 15 лет, я окончила школу, и вот по таким улицам ходила. Извиняюсь за мой поломаные русский язык. Честно сказать при забыла как говорить правильно по-русски. Светлана большое спасибо за прекрасное видео.

19:25 I like where you live because its relatively quiet and I love the trees. Its beautiful in Spring. Its the season I love most because all the trees blossom which makes it very pretty.👍🏻😀🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌼🌻🌼🌻

Thanks for sharing this video I really enjoyed watching it. I would like to visit Russia as I know some Russian people through work ( in Uk) and good friends. 😃👍

Just discovered your channel. Always fascinated how Russians live. Thank you so much for your channel. So very informative and educating. Would love to learn more and will be watching your other videos.

Wow this is awesome to see . I was born in Russia Moved to America in 1992 with my family, I was only 2 years old.. Planning on visiting Russia sometime next year!! Thank you for your videos

Beautiful parks and lakes. Beautiful city. Beautiful country. Yes, I learnt a lot about Russian living. Thanks for sharing.

In the USA, we don't say "yard" to describe an area with several houses...we call them "blocks". For instance, my block has 8 houses. We say "yard" to describe the property one's house is build on. My front yard faces the street. The back yard faces a neighbor's "yard". I hope I said this well enough for you to understand! Thank you for showing us what your residential areas are like!

Nice to watch videos from your channel. Very informative! Also the prices in the stores and how everything is organized in your country. Kind regards from the Netherlands.

I really enjoyed your video. Very interesting! Your country is very beautiful. Thank you for sharing.❤️

I would not mind living in the outskirts of St Petersburg. But it is such a beautiful city that if one had the opportunity to live in the centre, one could not resist.

Many things in your city resemble mine - São Paulo, Brazil. I'm interested in anything related to Russia, and finding your channel for me was a prize!😍

Good presentation, very informative. forgive me, I will add that your hair is just fantastic!

Thank you very much for sharing these information with us. ❤️🤓

You have very beautiful long hair! Thanks Svetlana for sharing this with us. It is nice to see a different part of the world and learn more about Russia 🇷🇺…

Svetlana, excellent.. you will find similar housing and apartment areas here in the states. And that pretty much goes for every state. Every country has its pros and cons. It's up to us to change our venue and status of life. Sometimes not all that easy! Great video keep up the great work:-). Personally I live out in the country, far away from cities. That's the way I grew up and so I prefer it

Just discovered your channel and fell in love with it! Russia is so mysterious and I'm so glad to learn more about it from you. One question - in such cost efficient neighbourhoods, is it safe for a single girl like you to be walking by yourself at night, i.e. going home after work? You didn't mention safety concerns and I should've just assumed it wasn't an issue, but I'd still prefer to have a confirmation. Many thanks in advance. 🙂

[14:36] In the USA we use the word "TRACT" in the same way you're using the word "YARD". So we would say "there's a school in every tract". However, since a lot of the housing in the US is made up of single family homes, the tract is very spread out, with rows and rows of detached (separate) houses. Every house has its own small "yards": the back yard and the front yard. This type of houses are also called "tract homes". The problem with this type of housing is that you have to own a car because the distances are so big. The nice thing about high rise buildings is that they're much more walkable, since the high density of residents can support more stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and other gathering places within a smaller area. I prefer high rise residential buildings because I like to walk and talk to people. The depressing atmosphere of the winter months can be alleviated by installing a lot of LED lampposts along the walkways, better paving, park benches, bike trails, better landscaping, and allowing people to open and operate kiosks and small stands along these walkways to sell tea, coffee, snacks, and other merchandise.

Купчино - юг!) Светлана, у вас замечательный канал. Вы красотка!)

Great video. I found it quite interesting. In my country, Malta, numerous apartment buildings were also constructed by the government mostly in the 70s and 80s. Although they're not huge, they were also three-bedroom (although it may not be the case for every apartment), and were of great help to many people. They're kept very well too. Many of these apartment blocks which were constructed without a lift back then, have nowadays been improved by a lift also. I honestly think that at times, the blocks built back then gave a better residential experience to the new neighborhoods of today, since they were spaced (like it is there in Russia too) with areas for children to play or for people to just relax, more green spaces and parking. In contrast, modern buildings are being built entirely for profit by private investors and they make sure they use every bit of land for the buildings themselves, making them more crammed, increasing problems such as lack of green areas or open spaces, as well as a lack of privacy. The designs aren't better either, in fact, the old ones may look even better since they were built from local limestone rather than concrete. One must add that to buy an apartment nowadays, it costs a fortune (although it depends on the city/town/area). Well, that is a result of our population density problem then. Cheers. :)

Thank you for the tour. Greetings from Missouri, USA

Thank you for posting this. I enjoy history and this is very interesting.

Just found your video I am surprised just how similar our two countries are as far as people trying to live their lives. I wish politicians could just get along. Ohio in America is like that in many ways. Especially the change of the seasons. Winter here is a gray cold and gloomy time for the most part.

14:00 my dear you look spectacular! I can look into those beautiful green eyes all day long. You are definitely a great catch. Those soviet era building all look the same. Cuba, Romania, Ukraine is where i seen them. Russia is definitely better in the spring and summer. Winter is so depressing. Thank you for the Pleasure. Great video.

Thank you for this interesting video with all the historical information! In spring it looks very nice and I like the concept to have everything nearby the housing. The city of St. Petersburg is so beautiful! I did not know that and I've seen it in your video for the first time. I really like it with all the buildings and the water. Greetings from Germany.

I spent 40 years working on elevators. High rises all look the same. The finish might be a bit more shiny on one than another. The conveniences of an urban life has many positive aspects. I worked there and lived in a rural area. In the middle of 8 hectares of peace and tranquillity. No cable TV, no need to lock the door. My idea of heaven on earth.

Hi, Beautiful Svetlana and thank you for sharing the housing situation, and America has places that look the same. Living outside the center city is best for there is not as much pollution and you are closer to nature.

You are a lovely lady making wonderful videos! I learn so much from them. I wish I could speak Russian but your English is fantastic including the word kindergarten. Thank you 😊 so much !!!

Wonderful video. Informative and artistic. True to life. Thank You.

Thank you for explaining everything around you 🌹may love be with you 🌎🌍🌏 and your family

Off-center neighborhoods have lots of charm, especially for kids! But, in my dream cities, I much prefer living in the center, if I could afford it! And I would settle for less room because the center becomes my one glorious living room:)