How was a typical Soviet courtyard organized?

1. Grandmothers on benches at the entrance

It only seems that sweet old ladies were only busy looking after their grandchildren and discussing news and gossip. In reality, they performed the duties of modern-day smart CCTV cameras, who spent most of the day scanning the neighborhood and keeping a watch out. The result of their relentless supervision was a reduction in burglaries, disorderly conduct and serious crimes and, in the event of lawbreaking, they would act as witnesses.

2. First floor residents looking out of windows

Often, they were grandmothers or grandfathers who had been separated from the collective, who did not have time or, for some reason, could not join their friends on the bench or at the game tables. Yet, they still wanted to feel they belonged to the courtyard community. It was also convenient for moms to keep an eye on their children without taking time off from the household.

3. Poles with ropes for drying bed linen, iron pipe “gates” for beating carpets

This was a strictly “adult” place in the courtyard, which the above mentioned grandmothers vigilantly guarded against the presence of children. Dirty children's palms or a ball could stain freshly washed laundry and cause a localized conflict between the tenants of the house.

4. Dog owners walking along the perimeter of the yard

In Soviet times, there was no practice of collecting dog feces in bags, so animal lovers were banished to the periphery of the courtyard territory, so as not to pollute the places where kids play.

5. Swings & merry-go-rounds

An inquisitive child's mind tried to turn safe-looking amusements into tools for extreme training. On the swings, they would attempt to swing 360 degrees. If it didn't work out, they would jump from the swinging swings to see who could jump farther away. And the merry-go-round would be spun at such a speed that it was as if they were practicing to become astronauts.

6. Motorists/motorcyclists around their steel favorites

Middle-aged men and the curious boys and young men who joined them spent evenings and weekends hanging around their personal vehicles. Usually, the whole yard would recognize them by their legs sticking out from under the hood or the bottom of the car.

7. Pigeon House (dovecote)

Although the structure itself was considered a public building, the birds usually belonged to one of the residents of the house. They were often beautiful pedigreed carrier pigeons. The owner of the dovecote would climb up to the roof of the house (3rd-5th floor) every day and, with the help of a long pole with a ribbon and a two-finger whistle, “chase the pigeons”, that is, make the bird flock make a few laps around the neighborhood, preventing them from being lazy and returning home early.

8. A sandbox with fungus

There was one in almost every courtyard. In the summer heat, it sheltered kids from the sun, in bad weather, from the rain and, in the late evenings, it served as a place for romantic get-togethers for teenagers. Sometimes, local drunks flocked there in the evenings, but they were usually chased away by vigilant citizens.

9. Sports equipment for adults, a “climbing frame” for children

In the mornings and evenings, they were used by men and the occasional woman, who considered themselves adherents to a healthy lifestyle. In the afternoon, children would hang on them in bunches, using them as high benches or as a tumbling projectile.

10. Young moms with strollers

These were yet another inhabitant of the outskirts of the yard. They were prevented from walking near the playground by the screams of teenage children – they could wake up a sleeping infant. And, in the area of the dog walk, there was constant barking. So, they would search for a place where it was quieter, but not far from home, so that they could go right back when their own child woke up and began to scream.

11. Grandpas with dominoes, chess, checkers, backgammon & cards

Unlike grandmothers, this strictly male collective could occasionally include middle-aged men and teenagers. But, again, unlike grandmothers, they were exclusively preoccupied with board games and the conversations around them. Keeping an eye on their grandchildren or their surroundings was an impossible task for them.