Fascinating riddles of the Soviet era. Photo

The most functional and just domestic puzzles

Reveal some of the secrets of high-rise buildings. We have selected some of the most interesting functional and just domestic mysteries.

Why is the ceiling in “Stalinka” very high?

Hint: it’s all in the air

Stalin’s house, which were built in the USSR from the late 1930s until the mid 50-ies., differ from their counterparts Khrushchev, Brezhnev and other periods primarily by the height of the ceilings. In “Stalinka” they reach 3-4 meters.

In the “nomenclature” and “the Director” houses, intended for the representatives of the Soviet elite, high ceilings consistent with the overall direction of the plan is in fact a spacious apartment with a study, a nursery and a library for senior party officials to have low ceilings.

Another thing – working “Stalinka.” Here the high ceiling was due to necessity. The fact that these houses were built, as a rule, communal. And according to the standards of the time, room, where several people have been provided with a certain amount of air – hence the famous three-meter ceilings.

Why on the roofs of houses white balls?

Hint: it relates to the weather and when

If you look carefully, you can see on the roofs of some buildings giant balls of white.

What no guesses were made about their origin. At one time the balls, for example, was attributed to contact with spy equipment KGB.

In reality the picture is much more prosaic. White ball – spherical coverage for the protection of various types of antennas. Installed on high-rise buildings, they in most cases represent weather radars for weather observations.

Why between the kitchen and the bathroom small window?

Hint: the whole point of saving and safety

Some mistakenly believe that to equip the wall between the bathroom and kitchen small window steel during the construction of “Khrushchev”. In fact, this phenomenon appeared much earlier – Stalin’s house in part also supplied with such Windows, and later the tradition was adopted by the builders of the era of Nikita Khrushchev.

The reasons for the appearance of such a window several.

First, it is additional coverage that allows you to use electricity in the bathroom during the day. The idea of designers, the light from the kitchen window, seeping into the bathroom should be enough for spravleniya hygiene.

Second, the window was raised, for security reasons. According to one version, in the event of an incident with a gas column (in some houses they are installed in the bathroom) blast wave could “go out the window.” According to another version, to have access to a bathroom if suddenly someone can not get out. A good example is the case of a stuck Ball companion “Dog heart”.

And the third reason – the visual expansion of space. This item applies more to apartments of the Khrushchev period, famous for obscenely tiny bathrooms. Through the window and reaching through it the light, the bathroom seemed a little larger tenants.

Why in the apartments set for 2 doors?

Hint: it has to do with the shortcomings of the house

In the homes of a new generation of double doors pop up less and less. However, in the former season the phenomenon met often.

The presence of two entrance doors in the apartment can be due to several reasons. First, the house is bad soundproofing and using two doors, the owners are trying to escape from unpleasant noise coming from the stairwell.

Second, with two doors in the apartment can be much warmer than one. In particular, if the entrance is strongly blows cold.

And thirdly, two doors – it is also an attempt to better protect their property. Often in the old Soviet houses of the first door was a native, it was set during the construction of the house, and the second, more reliable and more expensive, appeared after the entry of the residents.

Why are some Windows in the tenements glow purple light?

Hint: the owners of the apartment have some hobby

In almost every residential area you can meet the house “purple” window.

On the highlight window is built a lot of guesswork. For example, some tend to think that the owners keep in the apartment stash and the purple light plays the role of a signal for potential customers. For example red light street in Amsterdam or Brussels.

It is possible that in some cases the way it is (anything can be found), but most of the Windows are lit with violet light still for a different reason. Prostitutes had nothing to do, it all comes down to it is a harmless hobby landlords – breeding plants.

The fact that this light can provide illumination for the flowers. The same led fitolamp, for example, which is often used to maintain the health of vegetable seedlings or flowers, gives a purple light. From the street it looks very catchy.

Why some Soviet five-story building was built with the additional sixth floor?

Hint: it’s all in the economy and “beauty”

These homes really are in some Russian cities. For example, this five-storey building, with “towers” is located in Barnaul on Krasnoarmeisky Avenue.

Reception with the add an additional sixth floor was quite common in the Soviet Union – it was simple and did not require large expenditures. Architects have used it to simply diversify the building, not allowing it to “kill” the space.

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