Living in a large housing estate: Insider perspectives from Lithuania

Abstract

This chapter explores the concept of a particular type of living environment—a large socialist housing estate—and its daily life in Soviet times through the memories and narratives of its residents. The analysis compares experiences of those who moved into and lived in three Vilnius mikrorayons: Lazdynai (awarded the Lenin prize in 1974), Žirmūnai (awarded the State prize in 1968) and Karoliniškės, built when the euphoria of getting a new apartment of one’s own was already dampened by increasing general criticism of mass housing. The research relies upon 29 in-depth qualitative interviews with people who, at the time, were newcomers to the newly built districts and who still reside there. Findings suggest differences in opinions about living environments between residents of Lazdynai and residents of the other estates, the former being strongly influenced by the Lenin prize and its echoes in public discourse. The analysis examines the shift in attitudes over time concerning this model of living environment together with particular aspects of it, starting with the earliest, often highly optimistic impressions back in the late 1960s and culminating in the defensive nostalgia prevailing in contemporary opinions.