The courtyard of an apartment building, being communal, is a special socio-cultural space that has undergone changes throughout the development of pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet Russian cities. This article is a sociological analysis of the changes in the modern Russian courtyard in relation to the Soviet one, which were accompanied not only by a decrease in its functional role, but also by a direct impact on the deformation and disintegration of neighboring practices. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was work devoted to the courtyard as a socio-cultural phenomenon, and not just an architectural and planning solution in the urban space. The focus of the study is on such historically established functions of the courtyard as socialization, communication, and protection, which have been undergoing changes in recent years. The sense of security in the courtyard directly affects the intensity and nature of neighborly relations, which can be reduced to zero, which turns yards into “places of absence”. The dysfunctionality of the courtyard is also caused by the transformation of the courtyard space associated with the redistribution of adult areas in favor of playgrounds, and the reduction of green areas and the use of lawns. Despite this, there are fewer and fewer children in Russian courtyards, which is also associated with the development of the internet. Particular attention is paid to various courtyard communities (grandmothers, motorists, etc.) in conjunction with neighborhood communication, which has its own specifics in high-rise apartment buildings. Separately, the problem of the virtualization of the courtyard (the development of neighbor chats), which also leads to its “emptiness”, is considered. It is concluded that the gradual absorption of the yard (as a neighboring community) by a city street (actually by society) will not contribute to the development of neighborly relations.

Keywords: housing sociology, apartment building, Soviet courtyard, Russian courtyard, yard community, yard communication, neighborhood

Site As (APA): Litvintsev D.B. (2023). Courtyard of an Apartment Building as a Socio-Cultural Phenomenon and Its Impact on Neighborhood Practices. Urban Studies and Practices, vol. 8, no. 1, p. 89-96. (In Russ.).

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