Communal Living in Russia: Photos
Archive: Kitchens: Sonya with a cigarette, table, cabinet
  Summary
  Sonya smokes a cigarette, standing next to her kitchen table and wall cabinet. 2006.
  Basic Facts and Background
  When: 2006

Where: A large communal apartment in the prestigious historical center of St. Petersburg. The apartment is home to 20 people.

Who: Sonya and her brother Savva have lived in this apartment since they were born, though their parents now live elsewhere. She is standing by her table in the kitchen.

What: Smoking in the apartment usually takes place in the hallway next to the kitchen or in the kitchen itself; nobody objects to this. Some residents smoke in their rooms.

Behind Sonya is her family's kitchen space. Pots and pans are stored in the drawers and on cabinet shelves. The wall cabinet holds not only spices and groceries but also toothbrushes and toothpaste. The bathroom can always be occupied, and you don't want to wait to brush your teeth. For that reason, people usually brush their teeth in the kitchen.

As we can see, not all dishes are kept in the cabinet. A lot of dishes take up space on the table, along with a Turkish coffee-maker, cups, and sunflower oil. Sonya doesn't do a lot of cooking and the absence of space doesn't bother her: if necessary, she can always move something.

For credits, copyright, and contact information please see the "About" page at Communal Living in Russia: A Virtual Museum of Soviet Everyday Life, http://kommunalka.colgate.edu/.