What is the size of the kitchen in Khrushchev in meters?

Every fourth housewife in the countries of the former USSR lives in Khrushchev and complains about the tiny size of the kitchen. Why was this room designed just like that? Let's find the answer to this question. And also find out what size kitchen in Khrushchev is in meters and what are the ways to make it comfortable and practical.

What are Khrushchevs and how did they appear?

The people gave a similar name to the Soviet model multi-storey panel, brick or mixed buildings. They were massively built on the territory of the entire Union from the late 50s until 1985. Despite the many shortcomings that have to be tackled to this day, it was thanks to them that most of the country was provided with its own housing.

The father of Soviet Khrushchev (named so because of N. Khrushchev’s appearance during the period in power) is Vitaliy Pavlovich Lagutenko. Yes, it didn’t seem to you, he’s not the namesake, but the singer’s grandfather, Ilya Lagutenko. It is thanks to him that we have just such a kitchen size in Khrushchev. Brick, panel or mixed construction - there is no difference, all these types of buildings were built on the basis of the Lagutenko project. Although in later times already other builders, engineers and architects finalized its original design.

Today, residents of Khrushchev often criticize their creator. However, at the time of their appearance, they were a real industrial miracle and pleasantly differed from Stalin (houses designed and built at the time you guess who). The new prefabricated houses were not equipped with elevators and garbage chutes and also had low ceilings, narrow corridors, long car-like rooms, small bathtubs and kitchens. Despite this, in stalinkas (we are talking about housing for workers, and not about luxury apartments) often there could be no bathroom at all, as well as a water supply and gas pipeline. In addition to this, the floors were made of wood for economy.

The size of the kitchen in Khrushchev was only a meter different from that of Stalin, if it was not about 4-7-room apartments.

It is worth knowing that many ideas for his project Lagutenko took from French and German colleagues, who had previously thought of building houses from separate reinforced concrete parts to replace bricks. One of these borrowings was the size of the kitchen. Indeed, even in difficult post-war times, many German and French workers (namely, these houses were built for them) preferred to eat in a cafe. It was cheaper and easier than spending money to buy food and time to cook them, as rural people did. So there was no need for large kitchens. Therefore, such rooms were made with the expectation that a plate and a table could be placed there.

For Soviet citizens, the luxury of eating constantly in a cafe was available only on holidays or in the movies. As for the catering system, this topic has already been sucked up on all sides by comedians from different eras.

What is the size of the kitchen in Khrushchev?

How many square meters did the landlady need for happiness, according to Soviet and European architects? As a rule, the size of the kitchen in Khrushchev in meters (plan is below) ranged from 5.1 square meters. m to 6.8 square meters m. While in the workers' stalinka it began from 7 square meters. m

For example, all rooms of this kind in the five-story series 1-464 (1960-1967) were equal to 5.8 square meters. m

The same size was in 1-434 (1958-1964) for houses built in 1958, 1959 and 1961. While in 1960 the same series had slightly larger rooms - 6.2 square meters. m. And in 1964 - again 5.7 m.

According to the plan, the size of the kitchen in Khrushchev is 6 square meters. m (more precisely, 6.2) were in all apartments of the series 1-335, which arose in 1963-1967.

In 1-434C (1958-1964) the leapfrog began again and the footage could reach from 5.2 square meters. m to 6.1 square meters m

Thus, the difference in size in different years was very small. It ranged up to 1 square. m. And the location of the apartment did not particularly affect this. So, the dimensions of the corner kitchen in Khrushchev were equal to the footage of similar rooms located in the middle of the building.

Some modern apartments, traditionally called Khrushchev, are equipped with kitchens of 7 or more square meters. However, this size is not typical for classical dwellings of this kind.

Features of the layout of the kitchen

Although there are several options for planning apartments in such houses, the kitchens in them were built on the same principle in all years. To prove this, it is enough to consider any plan of the kitchen in Khrushchev. The size (in meters) in this case does not matter. And in five- and six-meter rooms, depending on the location of the whole house, the stove was placed either to the right or to the left of the window. This was done to ensure fire safety. Through a window, fire can be seen faster from the street and easier to put out.

Next to the stove was a gas column. Before its appearance, this place was occupied by various furnaces, etc. In the corner is a sink. Its similar placement was due to its proximity to the bathroom.

The table was supposed to be set against another wall, so there were batteries near it. It was both a place for food and a work surface.

Also, in a similar kitchen, it was supposed to place a cupboard, where dishes and something from food were to be stored. Nothing more was provided for here.

It is such a layout that determines the impractical size of the kitchen in the Khrushchev panel, brick or combined. It is worth noting that for its time it was an incredible breakthrough. After all, the inhabitants of communal apartments with shared bathrooms and kitchens, as well as immigrants from villages, settled in such apartments. And those and other amenities in the house, plumbing, central heating and electrics were new.

Essential kitchen items in Khrushchev

The size of this room is not its only integral attribute. Although the design of Lagutenko has changed slightly over the years, almost all kitchens in Khrushchev have a number of distinctive features:

• Fridge table under the window. Depending on the year of construction, its depth also fluctuates. The minimum wall thickness in this place is half a brick. In some cases, the refrigerator was supplemented with a through-hole vent.
• Window to the bathroom under the ceiling. Despite its small size (40 cm), its location (exactly opposite the street window) allowed a little illumination of the bathroom, even without turning on the light there. In addition to this purpose, it served to ventilate the room. Because of this, it was made opening.
• Mezzanine over the door. This usually consisted of stocks of cereals, salt and matches for a rainy day or conservation for the winter. In fact, the mezzanine was a very stripped-down version of the pantry.
• Gas water heater. Unlike bedside tables and windows, this attribute was characteristic of later periods. Columns were installed only in those houses that were gasified or did not have hot water. Despite the many inconveniences, such devices and today remain cheaper and practical than electric water heaters. Therefore, they are in no hurry to part with them.

Problem devices

Even proud owners of the kitchen in Khrushchev with a size of 6 square meters. m, as well as less lucky colleagues with 5 square meters. m, they are still complaining about the impossibility of placing large household appliances like a refrigerator there. Theoretically, it can be put, but in practice it turns out a dilemma: either store a refrigerator in the kitchen, or eat it here. And if you put both a table and a refrigerator, there is very little space left, even just to stand for one person, not to mention the whole family.

The trouble is that when the unforgettable Lagutenko designed his panel houses, honestly "borrowed" from European colleagues, no one expected that such a device would be placed in such apartments. Instead, refrigerator cabinets under the windows were designed, where builders of later periods gladly stuffed batteries.

Another problem device that is often installed today in kitchens is a washing machine. The fact is that the dimensions of Khrushchev's bathrooms do not allow placing this equipment there. And not everyone wants to knock out the wall between the toilet and the bathroom in order to win a few meters and in this way “settle” the “washer” here. And as an option, the kitchen remains.

In recent years, another voluminous appliance has appeared, the placement of which in the kitchen requires special ingenuity - a dishwasher. Although there are similar devices of small size, pushing them into the aforementioned quadrature is also not easy.

Practical or beautiful?

Despite the tiny footage, if you approach wisely, Khrushchev’s cuisine can be made comfortable and beautiful. However, it is often difficult to fit both of these requirements into one project. After all, a tiny footage allows you to either make the kitchen functional or stylish. Why is that? Question to fashion. Now everyone is striving for the stylish minimalism characteristic of Japanese homes.

Trying to be in trend, they forget that the kitchen is primarily a workroom. So, its functionality should be in the first place. Therefore, throwing out most of the lockers from it, leaving a beautiful table, stove, microwave and tiny refrigerator, may be fashionable, but not very practical. And you have to make sure of this after the first arrival from the store or an attempt to cook something. It suddenly turns out that what was bought / cooked does not fit in such a stylish, but a small-sized refrigerator or work surfaces is simply not enough.

On the other hand, if you focus only on functionality, it often turns out that although it’s convenient to cook and store food in the kitchen in Khrushchev, you don’t want to eat there.

Is it possible to somehow combine both practicality and beauty? Definitely yes, the truth for this will have to try hard.

Below are the most popular options, how to place everything you want in the kitchen in Khrushchev and keep your comfort.

Kitchen Studio

In the last decade, this design solution is gaining more and more popularity. Its essence is that the door to the corridor is walled up and the passage becomes a niche for the refrigerator. At the same time, the wall or part of it is removed between the kitchen and the room. So the living room begins to fulfill the role of the kitchen.

Pros:

• Fridge, washing machine, dishwasher.
• There is no need to put a table in the kitchen, because it is transferred to the living room.
• It is convenient to combine communication with the family and cooking.
• You do not need a separate TV in the kitchen, with the correct layout from this room you will see the one in the living room.

Minuses:

• To combine both rooms, you will have to tear down the wall and figure out how to rearrange what relied on it.
• Without a door, the living room and furniture in it can smell like kitchen aromas.
• Due to this proximity, more rubbish will appear in the room.

Alignment with a balcony

This tip will be a real lifesaver. However, it does not suit the inhabitants of the first floors, since in most Khrushchev they have no balconies. Also, its implementation is problematic for those buildings in which access to the loggia is not from the kitchen, but from another room.

In other cases, combining the kitchen with a balcony will solve many problems. Moreover, there are two design options: remove the doors and the window between the kitchen and the balcony or leave as is, moving some of the furniture there.

There are options in which a stove and a crane are transferred to the balcony. However, with such experiments you need to be extremely careful.

Pros:

• More footage, you can place everything you need.
• The balcony can be turned into a dining room.
• The best room lighting and ventilation.

Minuses:

• This method is not available to everyone.
• If the balcony is not sufficiently insulated, it will be cold in winter. So you have to take care of installing an extra battery.
• Laundry drying on the balcony may smell like a kitchen.

Window sill

Unlike the previous ones, this method will not add extra meters, but it will allow more rational use of the available ones. Its essence is that the window sill is lengthened and it turns into a table-rack and an additional work surface.

Pros:

• The need to make room for the dining table disappears.
• An additional work surface appears with good natural light.

Minuses:

• Such a window sill table requires additional support.
• Do not use curtains - only fabric blinds, blinds or a short tulle.

Zoning

This method can be the most affordable for any kitchen in Khrushchev. In addition, zoning is perfectly combined with all of the above options.

Its essence is in dividing the kitchen into a working part and a place to relax. As a rule, the first zone occupies 3 walls (including the one with the window). For compactness, cabinets and household appliances are distributed as much as possible over the entire surface of the walls, from the floor to the ceiling, often even occupying the space above the window, where curtains are traditionally placed.

The free wall (opposite the corridor) is equipped with a small table. Sometimes a TV shelf.

Pros:

• Everything fits.
• No need to make drastic changes in the repair (hammering walls, changing the water supply, sockets, digesting batteries).

Minuses:

• In the first place - functionality, less beauty.
• There is very little space left. In the kitchen it is convenient to be only one person.

Bad advice that should not be followed when drawing up a design project

At the end of the discussion about the size of the kitchen in Khrushchev, as well as how to arrange it, it is worth paying attention to some design decisions that will do more harm than good.

Even at the design stage of these same notorious houses, many ideas, and the very construction of buildings from finished parts were borrowed from colleagues from near and far abroad (USA, France, Germany). As often happens, borrowing was made without taking into account the peculiarities of Soviet realities. For example, the climate in Germany and France is significantly warmer than in most republics of the USSR. Therefore, the inhabitants of their "Khrushchev" with bare panel walls did not freeze in the winter as much as their Soviet colleagues.

Even the appearance of a tiny kitchen in Khrushchev (the size of which is still considered quite acceptable for many Europeans) is the result of such blind copying. Therefore, when creating your own project for arranging this room, you should try to avoid following trends.

What are some of these tips for arranging a kitchen in Khrushchev’s size of 5-6 square meters. m should be classified as harmful?

• Placement of the washbasin by the window. At first glance, such a layout seems successful. Her followers claim that, my dishes, the hostess will admire the view from the window (apparently, to the neighboring Khrushchevs). In practice, to move the washbasin to the window, you need to rebuild the entire plumbing system in the kitchen. Because of this, it will pass under the window. And there the wall is thinner because of the Khrushchev’s refrigerator. So in cold winter there is a high probability of freezing water in the pipes or just their quick wear.
• Disguise the column cabinet. Despite the fact that modern Chinese industry produces a wide variety of designs for such accessories, not all housewives like to put them on public display. Therefore, they are often hidden in hinged cabinets, not considering that the air circulation in the heating element of the device is disrupted in a similar way. As a result, the column ignites poorly and quickly goes out.
• Battery clutter. Such a design decision leads to a decrease in the amount of heat emitted by them. At the same time, gas / electricity consumption will be at the same level.
• Long curtains / tulle in the kitchen is beautiful. But not just impractical, but fire hazard. After all, the stoves are located to the right or left of the window, which means the potential for fire. It would be prudent to limit yourself to short curtains, blinds or fabric blinds.
• Lack of doors in the kitchen. This is practical only when a kettle is boiled on it or food is warmed up. If you cook soups, borscht, fry potatoes, fish or, God forbid, drown lard, the whole atmosphere smells of these flavors. So, if you want to pamper yourself with arches, you should either equip them with sliding doors, or put a very, very powerful hood.