Russian Housing Authorities Create Weirdness

Since the late fifties, Housing Authorities (ЖЭК) are responsible for maintenance and landscaping of Russia’s neighborhoods. Each block used to have a housing office with its own maintenance crew and office workers. During the Soviet times, Housing authorities or Upravdom also were responsible for public and social work. They used to put up street billboards “The Shame Boards” where photos of drunks and thugs were displayed for public condemnation. Today, housing authorities or Upravdoms continue their maintenance and landscaping responsibilities, but they don’t do the billboards anymore. Also, because of the limited funds, Upravdoms have to come up with cheap ways to decorate the neighborhoods.