The attitude of contemporaries to the interior of the Soviet era cannot be called unambiguous. There are apartments with sideboards, armchairs, floor lamps of the USSR period. In some they cause rejection, in others warm nostalgic feelings.
No matter how you evaluate the Soviet interior - this is a massive, multifaceted past. Its aesthetics is necessary for a correct judgment about the present, just as the current buildings and design will be evaluated after fifty years, with the same inevitable criticism, the desire to bring out all the attributes in the trash or admiration, the desire to preserve, restore or at least stylize ...
At the dawn of Soviet power, the profession of designer did not exist. Architects of that time were under the pressure of dogmas and schemes, and the concept of design was painted with two colors: capitalist and socialist. The first was an absolutely negative attitude.
Even adopting Western stylistics, proportions and forms, they were adapted to the revolutionary culture of those years, why the interiors did not shine with aesthetics, were somewhat clumsy, the main requirement for space and decor was functionality and cleanliness. The main attention of "art designers" was directed to the technical modernization of products, aesthetic discoveries came later.
By the 60-80s. a system of design organizations developed that promoted the promotion and development of this sphere, which later became a powerful competitive school among others in world culture.
The interior of the first decades of the union
After the revolution, “bourgeois” nests were settled, loafers and White Guards “con densed”, halls, dining rooms, living rooms were abolished in Soviet communal apartments. The new authorities left offices only for those who needed them to work — doctors, professors, and responsible party workers.
Aristocratic parquet floors, gilded frames, carved chairs were adjacent to the village paths and stools. The new owners quickly made the sewer and water supply system unusable. The front door had many buttons with last names, toilet walls were decorated with toilet seats, according to the number of families living. The shared kitchen was cleaned according to the schedule. Each of the tenants had their own ideas about cleanliness, so common areas were full of insects, fungus, and the notorious housing issue began to gain strength just then.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, design and architecture are subject to constructivism, dictating revolutionary restraint, utmost rationality,practicality in geometry and colors, but the wealth and riot of the inner world.
40s interior
The wartime did not allow the country's population to think about the style of their home. Many were happy to stay in a hut, in the liberated territories whole families lived in rooms with a minimum of home-made furniture, and sometimes just in dugouts. Those who returned to the middle of the decade from evacuation or from the front did not always make their apartments vacant; most of the families lived in communal apartments.
There was no particular frills; the decoration of the rooms consisted of metal beds on a grid, a turnkey wardrobe, bookcases, book shelves, a round table covered with a tablecloth, a cupboard for dishes. The room was decorated with a leather sofa with a shelf, a mirror, a table lamp recognizable by films on a massive table, with a green lampshade.
Fashionable textiles of that time were lace napkins on all horizontal surfaces, rugs with deers on the wall by the bed, tulle on the windows.
The interior of the selected houses was complemented by trophy furniture, painting, bronze. The luxury item was painted ceramics, crystal, carpets. In many houses, the "Stalinist Empire" was traced in stucco molding, impressive oak furniture decorated with carved details.
The interior of the 50-60s
The propaganda of traditional Soviet values acted not only in literature and painting. The ambitions and imperial scope of the leadership of the country of the 50s were reflected in neoclassicism style houses under construction on the main streets, with thick walls, high ceilings, made of good materials. Structures like Moscow high-rises, with all communications, spacious rooms, including for servants, can be found in many cities.
Interior decisions of apartments depended on the status of owners. On the floor - parquet or board, walls with wallpaper, on the ceiling - a lampshade or chandelier with tiers of "hanging", depending on the income of the family.In some families, in addition to the gramophone, a TV appeared, which all the neighbors came to watch. Tea with dryers was drunk behind a samovar, while only a select phone was available.
The beginning of the 60s is the era of individual housing. Tiny model apartments are gradually filled with color, ethnicity, hippies and modernism come into fashion. Tube radios, radio sets appear, the TV becomes the center of evening attraction.
One room combined the functions of a bedroom, a living room and a dining room, furniture, respectively, was a sofa during the day, a bed at night, a wardrobe or sideboard acted as a delimiter of space. Headsets made of wood and plywood arose in the interiors, high legs gave them lightness, collections of glassware and glass were displayed behind glass facades. Folding tables, kitchen furniture were popular. Armchairs on wooden frames had a somewhat ascetic appearance, but the quality was not inferior to foreign counterparts.
70s interior
A typical apartment of the 70s is Brezhnevka, a more perfect version of Khrushchev, where the living room was equipped with a sofa with a pair of armchairs, a coffee table, a sideboard gave way to a wall. Chasing imported headsets and carpets, overcoming many months of queue, sets of crystal became a source of pride, dancing at parties was accompanied by accompaniment from a bobbin tape recorder.
The overwhelming majority of citizens did the repair of apartments with their own hands. Designers worked only on furniture or decorative art. The interior of a single dwelling was entirely on the conscience of the owner, equipped in accordance with his tastes and capabilities.
Revenues were significantly higher than demand, which explains the general shortage of everything: food, clothing, furniture. By no means the poverty of Soviet people was the reason for their modest life.
Color spectrum
A distinctive feature of Soviet design was that it served mainly the industrial, public sphere. It is worth recalling the subway, the atmosphere of cultural houses or government buildings. Typical apartments of ordinary citizens were distinguished by an ordinary whitewash with a pale color palette.
Often the “panels” (part of the wall to about shoulder level) were painted oppressive green or blue. The floor was traditionally brown, with shades of red or red, the ceiling was white, interior doors, radiators and window frames inside were covered with white oil paint.
Those wishing to make their housing more comfortable, individually contrived to “get out” modern bright fabrics for decorating window openings, independently sewing tablecloths, covers for sofa pillows. In the absence of high-quality wallpaper, they carried out a "funny" whitewash using stencils and improvised dyes. The neighbors could tell how to paint the ceiling or walls with a “water emulsion” vacuum cleaner, which was shaded with blue or green. It turned out to be very practical beauty.
Carpets in the interior of Soviet apartments
Carpets helped make family life more autonomous. At first they were painted, plush deer and cats looked from the walls. In richer Brezhnev times, patterned woolen carpets were hung on the walls, they covered the floor even under furniture. This item was an indicator of prosperity, was known as a good gift for the newlyweds, was inherited.
Products from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia of a reddish-brown gamut were in special demand. Although, when buying, no one was particularly harmful, they bought what was "thrown away" at the moment. On weekends, the yards were announced with characteristic sounds: the owners got rid of dust with the help of knockers. In winter, they waited for snowfall to make a cardinal cleaning. The reverse side of the carpets hanging on the wall was rubbed with scented soap from a moth that appreciated naturalness, but was an enemy of longevity.
Features of furniture
There is no need to talk about such-and-such a style in relation to Soviet apartments. They were furnished as necessary. Especially in the kitchens, one could often find objects still pre-revolutionary. Heavy cabinets, cupboards massively moved to the trash with the onset of the era of small-sized apartments.
The first decades of Soviet power were not marked by a special presentability of the interiors. Here met ornate old-mode objects, painted artel stools, home-made tables and bookshelves. All this diversity was located around the perimeter of the rooms, the table in the center.
The Soviet rich house was furnished with objects from a veneered massif in the spirit of art deco. Typical "square" furniture of small-sized apartments became multifunctional, contained a closet for linen, dishes and books, a chest of drawers, a secretary. A special chic - polished sideboards with ceremonial sets of services and crystal. One of the walls, or at least part of it, was framed in volumes of complete works, the piano. A necessary attribute was a dressing table, a clock on the wall, photographs behind the glass of the “wall”.
Design of a modern apartment in the Soviet style
Now not everyone seeks to get rid of the "ancient" bookcase or sideboard. After a little repair, these items again become worthy elements of the interior. Uncomplicated forms are again in trend, and the preserved elements of the Soviet decor increase the value of the apartment. Even convinced minimalists leave stucco molding on the ceiling, it will play its role as a retro accent, and Soviet lamps will become the most fashionable art objects.
A modern apartment should not repeat the Soviet style in all details. The simplicity and conciseness of the situation will reflect several characteristic elements. Otherwise, the rooms will breathe muse, not comfort.
Hall
If the floor is "herringbone" parquet, even if it has faded or cracked in some places, it can be restored. Scraping will cost much cheaper than the new coating.The walls are covered with colorful wallpaper, characteristic of that time.
Fashionable upholstery of an old chair will transform it beyond recognition, emphasize family continuity. These things blend very well with modern furniture. The lace tablecloth is bleached, laconic modern dishes are placed on it.
In a dynamic eclectic interior, an extraordinary art deco or a new classic, the emphasis will be on a vintage carpet, no Ikea will give so much energy to the house. Grandmother’s thing will emphasize the Scandinavian country style, will soften the interior of the city loft.
Rarity porcelain figurines, tea service of the Leningrad Porcelain Factory will complete the style.
Bedroom
A good background for rare furniture is a wall peeled to a brick and coated with a special varnish, where a collage of family photos, modern posters, a mirror from a grandmother's collection are placed.
On the chest of drawers and bedside tables they update the varnish layer or paint them, the handles on the drawers and doors are replaced with new ones. The old wall is transformed in a closet, removing extra shelves, replacing doors, constructing hangers. A bedspread with an ornament is thrown onto the bed.
From the Soviet carpet, you can imagine a kind of podium that will peek out from under the bed. Variegated sliced squares from the same carpet will fulfill the role of a cape for a chair or chair.
Kitchen
Vintage elements are most appropriate in the kitchen, where, thanks to them, home comfort appears. An easy way to change old furniture, household appliances is to repaint them in bright colors. The main thing is to make sure that the paint lies evenly.
Wooden Soviet chairs fit into the interior by painting them in rich colors. They look good in the surroundings of the kitchen, if there are several.
The old sideboard or wall element is completely transformed by replacing varnished facades with painted or glued with a special film, colored wallpaper, decorated with decoupage.
Shabby wooden stools are pasted over or painted with imitation patchwork technique.
Hallway / hallway
The mezzanines from the old wall are turned into a bench with drawers for shoes. The style will be supported by thematic campaign posters, statuettes from the grandmother’s collection somewhere near the mirror, a large ficus, mother-in-law's tongue in a tub.
In the free corner they put a stylized hanger with horns, and at its foot there is a suitcase with memorable stickers from the times of the USSR. If the size of the hallway allows, they will organize a kind of museum here, occupying the walls with pennants and portraits of leaders, and a free shelf with cups reminiscent of past sports records.
Bathroom
A mandatory attribute of a retro bathroom will be an oval font on the legs. Of course, no acrylic, but copper or brass, with a stationary watering can.
The square tile, which surrounds only the area where there is contact with water, looks cute and neat in this style of small size. Walls free of tiles are pasted over with wallpaper or imitate clinker masonry, plumbing is artificially aged.
This room will look more residential and cozy with a voluminous ceiling chandelier, the use of a mirror in a simple wooden frame, bright textiles, and antiques will add authenticity.
Conclusion
The Soviet space was rather closed, which affected the aesthetics of all cultural trends. But global ideas still penetrated the artists, in tandem with their talents they received new development. The USSR produced good furniture, dishes, and ceramics. Many models can be recognized as works of art, their ergonomics were very thought out.
Modern interiors with unexpected antique details work in the spirit of retro-futurism, are aimed at the future, but at the same time they are nice quotes from the past. They breathe easily, live comfortably thanks to a combination of new trends and elements of the old.
The Soviet interior will be of interest to those who are nostalgic for the past or do not want to use serious financial resources to furnish the apartment.
A similar style distinguishes any room from everyday life, fills with the specific spirit of the country, a particular family.
The attitude of contemporaries to the interior of the Soviet era cannot be called unambiguous. There are apartments with sideboards, armchairs, floor lamps of the USSR period. In some they cause rejection, in others warm nostalgic feelings.
No matter how you evaluate the Soviet interior - this is a massive, multifaceted past. Its aesthetics is necessary for a correct judgment about the present, just as the current buildings and design will be evaluated after fifty years, with the same inevitable criticism, the desire to bring out all the attributes in the trash or admiration, the desire to preserve, restore or at least stylize ...
Content
History and features of the Soviet interior
At the dawn of Soviet power, the profession of designer did not exist. Architects of that time were under the pressure of dogmas and schemes, and the concept of design was painted with two colors: capitalist and socialist. The first was an absolutely negative attitude.
Even adopting Western stylistics, proportions and forms, they were adapted to the revolutionary culture of those years, why the interiors did not shine with aesthetics, were somewhat clumsy, the main requirement for space and decor was functionality and cleanliness. The main attention of "art designers" was directed to the technical modernization of products, aesthetic discoveries came later.
By the 60-80s. a system of design organizations developed that promoted the promotion and development of this sphere, which later became a powerful competitive school among others in world culture.
The interior of the first decades of the union
After the revolution, “bourgeois” nests were settled, loafers and White Guards “con densed”, halls, dining rooms, living rooms were abolished in Soviet communal apartments. The new authorities left offices only for those who needed them to work — doctors, professors, and responsible party workers.
Aristocratic parquet floors, gilded frames, carved chairs were adjacent to the village paths and stools. The new owners quickly made the sewer and water supply system unusable. The front door had many buttons with last names, toilet walls were decorated with toilet seats, according to the number of families living. The shared kitchen was cleaned according to the schedule. Each of the tenants had their own ideas about cleanliness, so common areas were full of insects, fungus, and the notorious housing issue began to gain strength just then.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, design and architecture are subject to constructivism, dictating revolutionary restraint, utmost rationality,practicality in geometry and colors, but the wealth and riot of the inner world.
40s interior
The wartime did not allow the country's population to think about the style of their home. Many were happy to stay in a hut, in the liberated territories whole families lived in rooms with a minimum of home-made furniture, and sometimes just in dugouts. Those who returned to the middle of the decade from evacuation or from the front did not always make their apartments vacant; most of the families lived in communal apartments.
There was no particular frills; the decoration of the rooms consisted of metal beds on a grid, a turnkey wardrobe, bookcases, book shelves, a round table covered with a tablecloth, a cupboard for dishes. The room was decorated with a leather sofa with a shelf, a mirror, a table lamp recognizable by films on a massive table, with a green lampshade.
Fashionable textiles of that time were lace napkins on all horizontal surfaces, rugs with deers on the wall by the bed, tulle on the windows.
The interior of the selected houses was complemented by trophy furniture, painting, bronze. The luxury item was painted ceramics, crystal, carpets. In many houses, the "Stalinist Empire" was traced in stucco molding, impressive oak furniture decorated with carved details.
The interior of the 50-60s
The propaganda of traditional Soviet values acted not only in literature and painting. The ambitions and imperial scope of the leadership of the country of the 50s were reflected in neoclassicism style houses under construction on the main streets, with thick walls, high ceilings, made of good materials. Structures like Moscow high-rises, with all communications, spacious rooms, including for servants, can be found in many cities.
Interior decisions of apartments depended on the status of owners. On the floor - parquet or board, walls with wallpaper, on the ceiling - a lampshade or chandelier with tiers of "hanging", depending on the income of the family.In some families, in addition to the gramophone, a TV appeared, which all the neighbors came to watch. Tea with dryers was drunk behind a samovar, while only a select phone was available.
The beginning of the 60s is the era of individual housing. Tiny model apartments are gradually filled with color, ethnicity, hippies and modernism come into fashion. Tube radios, radio sets appear, the TV becomes the center of evening attraction.
One room combined the functions of a bedroom, a living room and a dining room, furniture, respectively, was a sofa during the day, a bed at night, a wardrobe or sideboard acted as a delimiter of space. Headsets made of wood and plywood arose in the interiors, high legs gave them lightness, collections of glassware and glass were displayed behind glass facades. Folding tables, kitchen furniture were popular. Armchairs on wooden frames had a somewhat ascetic appearance, but the quality was not inferior to foreign counterparts.
70s interior
A typical apartment of the 70s is Brezhnevka, a more perfect version of Khrushchev, where the living room was equipped with a sofa with a pair of armchairs, a coffee table, a sideboard gave way to a wall. Chasing imported headsets and carpets, overcoming many months of queue, sets of crystal became a source of pride, dancing at parties was accompanied by accompaniment from a bobbin tape recorder.
The overwhelming majority of citizens did the repair of apartments with their own hands. Designers worked only on furniture or decorative art. The interior of a single dwelling was entirely on the conscience of the owner, equipped in accordance with his tastes and capabilities.
Revenues were significantly higher than demand, which explains the general shortage of everything: food, clothing, furniture. By no means the poverty of Soviet people was the reason for their modest life.
Color spectrum
A distinctive feature of Soviet design was that it served mainly the industrial, public sphere. It is worth recalling the subway, the atmosphere of cultural houses or government buildings. Typical apartments of ordinary citizens were distinguished by an ordinary whitewash with a pale color palette.
Often the “panels” (part of the wall to about shoulder level) were painted oppressive green or blue. The floor was traditionally brown, with shades of red or red, the ceiling was white, interior doors, radiators and window frames inside were covered with white oil paint.
Those wishing to make their housing more comfortable, individually contrived to “get out” modern bright fabrics for decorating window openings, independently sewing tablecloths, covers for sofa pillows. In the absence of high-quality wallpaper, they carried out a "funny" whitewash using stencils and improvised dyes. The neighbors could tell how to paint the ceiling or walls with a “water emulsion” vacuum cleaner, which was shaded with blue or green. It turned out to be very practical beauty.
Carpets in the interior of Soviet apartments
Carpets helped make family life more autonomous. At first they were painted, plush deer and cats looked from the walls. In richer Brezhnev times, patterned woolen carpets were hung on the walls, they covered the floor even under furniture. This item was an indicator of prosperity, was known as a good gift for the newlyweds, was inherited.
Products from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia of a reddish-brown gamut were in special demand. Although, when buying, no one was particularly harmful, they bought what was "thrown away" at the moment. On weekends, the yards were announced with characteristic sounds: the owners got rid of dust with the help of knockers. In winter, they waited for snowfall to make a cardinal cleaning. The reverse side of the carpets hanging on the wall was rubbed with scented soap from a moth that appreciated naturalness, but was an enemy of longevity.
Features of furniture
There is no need to talk about such-and-such a style in relation to Soviet apartments. They were furnished as necessary. Especially in the kitchens, one could often find objects still pre-revolutionary. Heavy cabinets, cupboards massively moved to the trash with the onset of the era of small-sized apartments.
The first decades of Soviet power were not marked by a special presentability of the interiors. Here met ornate old-mode objects, painted artel stools, home-made tables and bookshelves. All this diversity was located around the perimeter of the rooms, the table in the center.
The Soviet rich house was furnished with objects from a veneered massif in the spirit of art deco. Typical "square" furniture of small-sized apartments became multifunctional, contained a closet for linen, dishes and books, a chest of drawers, a secretary. A special chic - polished sideboards with ceremonial sets of services and crystal. One of the walls, or at least part of it, was framed in volumes of complete works, the piano. A necessary attribute was a dressing table, a clock on the wall, photographs behind the glass of the “wall”.
Design of a modern apartment in the Soviet style
Now not everyone seeks to get rid of the "ancient" bookcase or sideboard. After a little repair, these items again become worthy elements of the interior. Uncomplicated forms are again in trend, and the preserved elements of the Soviet decor increase the value of the apartment. Even convinced minimalists leave stucco molding on the ceiling, it will play its role as a retro accent, and Soviet lamps will become the most fashionable art objects.
Hall
If the floor is "herringbone" parquet, even if it has faded or cracked in some places, it can be restored. Scraping will cost much cheaper than the new coating.The walls are covered with colorful wallpaper, characteristic of that time.
Fashionable upholstery of an old chair will transform it beyond recognition, emphasize family continuity. These things blend very well with modern furniture. The lace tablecloth is bleached, laconic modern dishes are placed on it.
In a dynamic eclectic interior, an extraordinary art deco or a new classic, the emphasis will be on a vintage carpet, no Ikea will give so much energy to the house. Grandmother’s thing will emphasize the Scandinavian country style, will soften the interior of the city loft.
Rarity porcelain figurines, tea service of the Leningrad Porcelain Factory will complete the style.
Bedroom
A good background for rare furniture is a wall peeled to a brick and coated with a special varnish, where a collage of family photos, modern posters, a mirror from a grandmother's collection are placed.
On the chest of drawers and bedside tables they update the varnish layer or paint them, the handles on the drawers and doors are replaced with new ones. The old wall is transformed in a closet, removing extra shelves, replacing doors, constructing hangers. A bedspread with an ornament is thrown onto the bed.
From the Soviet carpet, you can imagine a kind of podium that will peek out from under the bed. Variegated sliced squares from the same carpet will fulfill the role of a cape for a chair or chair.
Kitchen
Vintage elements are most appropriate in the kitchen, where, thanks to them, home comfort appears. An easy way to change old furniture, household appliances is to repaint them in bright colors. The main thing is to make sure that the paint lies evenly.
Wooden Soviet chairs fit into the interior by painting them in rich colors. They look good in the surroundings of the kitchen, if there are several.
The old sideboard or wall element is completely transformed by replacing varnished facades with painted or glued with a special film, colored wallpaper, decorated with decoupage.
Shabby wooden stools are pasted over or painted with imitation patchwork technique.
Hallway / hallway
The mezzanines from the old wall are turned into a bench with drawers for shoes. The style will be supported by thematic campaign posters, statuettes from the grandmother’s collection somewhere near the mirror, a large ficus, mother-in-law's tongue in a tub.
In the free corner they put a stylized hanger with horns, and at its foot there is a suitcase with memorable stickers from the times of the USSR. If the size of the hallway allows, they will organize a kind of museum here, occupying the walls with pennants and portraits of leaders, and a free shelf with cups reminiscent of past sports records.
Bathroom
A mandatory attribute of a retro bathroom will be an oval font on the legs. Of course, no acrylic, but copper or brass, with a stationary watering can.
The square tile, which surrounds only the area where there is contact with water, looks cute and neat in this style of small size. Walls free of tiles are pasted over with wallpaper or imitate clinker masonry, plumbing is artificially aged.
This room will look more residential and cozy with a voluminous ceiling chandelier, the use of a mirror in a simple wooden frame, bright textiles, and antiques will add authenticity.
Conclusion
The Soviet space was rather closed, which affected the aesthetics of all cultural trends. But global ideas still penetrated the artists, in tandem with their talents they received new development. The USSR produced good furniture, dishes, and ceramics. Many models can be recognized as works of art, their ergonomics were very thought out.
Modern interiors with unexpected antique details work in the spirit of retro-futurism, are aimed at the future, but at the same time they are nice quotes from the past. They breathe easily, live comfortably thanks to a combination of new trends and elements of the old.
A similar style distinguishes any room from everyday life, fills with the specific spirit of the country, a particular family.