What will happen to Khrushchev-era buildings in Belarus?

Marina Yaromenka, Head of the Research Department for Housing Policy and Information Systems Support at the Institute of Housing — Research and Design Institute for Town Planning named after Atayev S.S., Candidate of Economic Sciences, shared her vision of the problem with "Minsk-Novosti".

— How to deal with such housing is not yet systematically defined in Belarus, — the expert noted the problem. — However, the concept of renovation, meaning the comprehensive renewal of Khrushchev-era buildings, appeared in the Housing Construction Concept for 2026-2030. This same document recognizes the comprehensive renewal of residential buildings from the 1960s-1980s as one of the priority tasks of housing policy. As for specific implementation mechanisms, they are adopted and will be discussed by an interdepartmental commission established under the Union of Builders of Belarus, and then — approved by the government.

The Institute of Housing studied Moscow's experience with mass demolition and concluded that Belarusians should not blindly imitate it.

— In the Russian capital, land is very expensive, and there are many private investors ready to invest in demolition and new construction, — Yaromenka argued. — We do not have such financial opportunities, especially in the regions, and budget funds will also not be enough.

Moreover, the expert is convinced that total demolition is very costly for Belarus.

— According to our approximate estimates, the demolition of 1 sq. m of total apartment area costs approximately 660 rubles, and if we consider that mandatory compensation (provision of equivalent housing) is provided for residents, then about 4,470 rubles, — the researcher argues. — As a result, demolition with compensation alone will cost more than 5,100 rubles per 1 sq. m.

This is more than double the cost of constructing new housing of typical consumer quality (about 2,150 rubles per 1 sq. m). Demolishing all five-story buildings would require tens of billions of rubles. In addition, significant expenses are also expected for the disposal of a huge amount of construction waste.

Therefore, according to Yaromenka, it is more expedient to carry out comprehensive renovation. This involves modernization, reconstruction of buildings with additional floors, and expansion of blocks.

Selective demolition is justified only in individual cases. This applies to buildings recognized as unsafe, as well as cases where an investor is found who is willing to finance the dismantling of a Khrushchev-era building and the construction of new housing with a larger area in exchange for the one from which people were resettled.

And one more case that requires a radical solution — when the house has no running water, sewerage, or their restoration is economically unfeasible.

According to Yaromenka, considering Khrushchev-era buildings unpromising is completely wrong from a technical point of view.

— Although the projected service life of the buildings was indeed short — 25-30 years, practice has shown that the main load-bearing structures (foundations, columns, internal walls) are in satisfactory condition, — the expert noted. — Their wear is 10-35%. However, the external enclosing structures (facades, panel joints), engineering systems, and balconies are worn by 50-70%. These are what require major repair or replacement. It is necessary to insulate facades, seal joints, replace roofs, engineering communications, and balconies. If renovation is carried out qualitatively, such houses can serve for another 50-100 years.

The expert clarified which buildings are called Khrushchev-era buildings. In the narrow sense of the word, it refers to panel houses built between 1955-1975. There are 890 of them in the capital. The total area is about 3 million sq. m. In a broader sense, it refers to residential buildings from the 1960s-1980s. And there are significantly more such buildings.

Distinctive features of such housing are small corridors, walk-through rooms, and a combined bathroom. And in the vast majority of Khrushchev-era buildings, the kitchen area is less than 6 sq. m. For comparison, the modern standard for social housing is 9 sq. m.

According to experts' estimates, residential buildings constructed before 1975 should fall into the first wave of renovation. For them, the 50-year design life has either already expired or is nearing its end. Later, buildings from 1976-1990 will be addressed.

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