Life in Russian Countryside (Visiting a Dacha in Siberia 2022).

Russia actually has one of the highest home ownership rates on Earth. Over 84% of Russians own their own home, usually flats in the hearts of big cities. What is even more astonishing is nearly 60% of them own second homes too. These second homes are often in the form of dachas, a uniquely post-Soviet phenomenon where tens of millions of citizens own their own pieces of land and country homes. You may be asking why is this? What on earth are they? Well, let's head off and find out. And actually my cousin and his wife recently bought dacha and they've been doing it up ever since and apparently it's in the middle of nowhere near forest. I haven't been there yet and I'm super excited to see it. He's actually picking us up in a minute so let's go and check Who is this? Yes, we will need to film you. Of course. So, what's here? There will be a toilet, right? Yes, yes. It's a nursery. It's a nursery, right? Great. What about you, did you have any plans for a bathhouse? To be honest, we haven't built a bathhouse yet. So... Maybe a pool? Well, a pool, yes. I just think we should. I like it. Come and build it, please. We have a lot of space. That's the idea. They bought this place in May and all they had is basically the land plot and the foundation for the building. And they managed to build this by June and that's it for now. They have big plans but winter is coming and the baby is arriving soon so now is not the time but eventually they are going to try and change the place and do everything how they like. Basically, what my brother said is that the best thing about this place is that they literally just had the plot and they have the opportunity to do everything how they want it and I just love this because if I was to buy that this is the ideal place because it's really far from the city it's really nice and quiet there are just the trees around here it's not overcrowded so the neighbours are not over the top of each other and apparently there is a village over there and apparently they have disco parties not every evening but some weekends sounds fun, should definitely come back here in the summer and experience that but yeah, it's just ideal. My brother was telling me that the neighbours over there are selling their plot as well but it costs like 600 000 So we're just going to chill here have some food and just enjoy being in the nature I think if my gran saw this space and that there is nothing growing here she'd be very upset No? Why? Just so we don't have to cook and we don't have to eat and we don't have to waste time As you wish And you like to ask questions and then do it your way I always do it Let's go show you the toilet Proper tray I know that What is this? A shower? Wow Proper shower No, I'm washed Let's have a quick rundown of what a dacha actually is A dacha is often translated into English as summer residence or cottage Apparently there is a theory that the word dacha comes from the Russian word which means to give During the tsar's period a dacha was once something gifted to high-ranking members of the nobility by the tsar After the revolution of 1917 the larger dachas were nationalized and turned into houses of rest for the working class During the 60s in the Khrushchev era the authorities introduced programs to give small pieces of land to citizens These lands, as hoped, were used to grow food to alleviate food shortages across the USSR Later on people were granted permissions to build houses on these given lands A new dacha boom began after communism collapsed and private land ownership returned to the former Soviet states during the 90s Nowadays having a dacha is a means for city people to escape into the countryside and be closer to the nature Some people still love to grow their own produce there but I would say that in general the younger generation prefer to use these country homes as a place to relax and unwind from the stress of our modern world As it is late September it's starting to get a bit cool so we're getting ready to head back into town and my brother told me that actually their neighbour is literally right there apparently they live in their house but this one would be a bit cool to stay over so we're starting to get ready to head back We just got to my brother's apartment we decided to move our party here and we just got in and we actually found some amazing travel vloggers and we're just watching their videos I just thought I would share it with you We just got back home and are staying around our brothers last night and yeah this is one type of dacha that we showed you we're gonna see the progress of it what they're gonna do eventually and build up and if they're gonna grow anything there but yeah if I manage to sneak into anyone else's dacha I'll bring you along and thanks for watching this video see you in the next one