Housing in St. Petersburg

During communism these high-rise apartment buildings were built in St. Petersburg, and other places in Russia. This type of architecture is still being built to suit the needs of the dwindling Russian population. Many families originally owned apartments in the pre-soviet block houses, which were built much better, but as communal housing was on the rise and private ownership was minimal in that era, people were exchanging their smaller apartments for bigger apartments and families moved from the sturdy and the now prestigious neighborhoods to these modern multi-storied suburbias. Here's an impressive view of the concrete jungle from my friend's 9th story apartment near the Primorskaya metro station.