Saint Petersburg Real Estate Market Overview

wall cracks

wall cracks

World War II dealt a heavy blow to the population of St. Petersburg as well as its houses and supply lines. During the blockade from 1941 to 1944 approximately 700,000 people (not including those killed on the frontline) died of hunger, cold, disease, bombing and shelling.

For 3 years, the majority of buildings were without electricity, heating, water and sewerage connections. This heavily influenced the condition of the houses. Some houses were destroyed by shelling or fire and many were damaged. When the war was over, the houses which could not be reconstructed were torn down.

After the blockade the city authorities started an active urban renewal program in order to bring life in the city back to normal.

People coming back from the war were eager to start rebuilding and to get on with their lives. During this period metro construction began as did the construction of entire new districts. The social structure was also starting to fall back into place: a new intelligentsia was forming. Doctors, teachers and engineers were transforming St. Petersburg into a cultural center once again. Buildings constructed during this period were called Stalin buildings getting their name from…Stalin.

During this period, a huge renovation process was implemented - named capital renovation. Buildings located in the historical center of the city were the main target of the renovation. This process had both its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, a buildings lifespan was prolonged due to the replacement of floor beams and piping. The buildings also became more fire proof and lifts were constructed. On the other hand, internal decorative elements of the apartments were for the most part destroyed.

Capital renovation entailed reinforcing bearing partitions and renewing the buildings' interior while at the same time keeping the outer walls intact. During the process the flat layout, ceiling height, stairway size, etc. all were changed. In some cases, the apartments located in the historic center that underwent capital renovation suddenly came to resemble standard-type flats that one could find in the newer regions of the city.