The Cost of Living in the Soviet Union

Alexander Petushkin's mother Natasha lived near bits a park which is a large area of forest with creeks and clearings. Surrounding the park are blocks and blocks of rundown apartment buildings standing side by side where tens of thousands of people live. This area was described as grim, rusted and called zopa mirror or asshole of the world. People who lived in these public housing buildings rarely left and for the most part there were far too many people stuffed into each apartment.