Slums and Communism: (Un-)Slumming the (Post-)Soviet City

Ivan Nevzgodin*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volumeChapterScientificpeer-review

Abstract

A byproduct of the October Revolution of 1917 was a new Soviet type of slum. These slums were alien both culturally and ideologically to the communist regime. Therefore the slums were denied; they did not exist in the socialist city according to politicians, urban professionals, and scholars. They formed a hidden part of rapid Soviet urbanization. The Soviet government’s concentration on industrial development caused a deficit in good housing throughout the history of the Soviet Union. Post-Soviet Russia inherited the shantytowns from the communist period and has already given rise to new ones. This chapter discusses the fascinating history of urban resilience, official slum clearance projects, and unofficial town planning practices.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Oxford Handbook of the Modern Slum
EditorsAlan Mayne
Place of PublicationOxford/New York, NY
PublisherOxford University Press
Chapter19
Pages354-372
Number of pages19
ISBN (Electronic)9780197646991, 9780190879471
ISBN (Print)9780190879457
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Keywords

  • post-Soviet developments
  • slums
  • socialist city
  • Soviet Union
  • unofficial town planning
  • urban resilience

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