Why was a window made from the bathroom to the kitchen in Khrushchev-era apartments?
Khrushchev-era apartments were actively built from the late 1950s to the early 1970s. They were meant to solve the housing problem after World War II. The large-scale program was initiated by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR, Nikita Khrushchev, which is why the characteristic five-story buildings bear his name. The idea was to give every family, albeit a small one, a separate apartment. The result was not the most outstanding architecture, design, and interior. Tochka.by studied all possible versions related to the small window between the kitchen and the bathroom, around which many myths also circulate today.
Some believe that the window appeared for safety purposes. If a person loses consciousness for some reason while locked in, they could be accessed from the kitchen. But an attempt to crawl through a small window would rather increase rescue time. It's easier to break down the door, even though it opens outwards.
Someone suggests that the built-in transparent barrier was invented to save electricity. But in the USSR, it wasn't that expensive.
As an idea, through the window, one could find out if it was occupied or not. So as not to tug the handle and not to scare the person inside. But this issue could be solved by voice or by looking at the light switch.
The most absurd version is related to protection in case of an explosion from a gas leak, which supplied Khrushchev-era apartments. The thin glass in the opening, as well as its very presence, was supposedly capable of absorbing the explosive wave, and the wall between the kitchen and the bathroom could survive. This is simply impossible according to the laws of physics and due to the approaches to cheap construction methods.
Also, in search of logic, it comes to mind that the window was made for natural ventilation. But it was initially conceived as blocked, meaning without the possibility of opening. Accordingly, free air circulation was not provided.
Another argument is the reduction of construction costs. The use of such window openings is considered a simple engineering solution that simultaneously solved lighting issues without complicating the structure. But it would be more logical to assume that constructing walls would actually be accelerated by a solid panel without any window cutout.
What was the bathroom window fighting against?
The installation of a window into the adjacent kitchen was regulated by the building norms and rules of that time. The norms specified that all rooms, including bathrooms (which were also toilets), must have natural light. According to the regulations, it was necessary for sunlight to enter the premises through windows for at least two hours a day.
In the 1950s and 1960s, there was a fight against tuberculosis. To prevent the bacteria from multiplying in a humid environment, a window was provided which, according to the idea, was supposed to let in ultraviolet light, which disinfects the air.
However, according to modern experts, the key role in overcoming tuberculosis was played not by the small window (its effectiveness is very doubtful), but by the development of medicine.
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