I live in this building. Really, I do. I’m still having a hard time believing it. The glavnoe zdanie (main building) is a massive, beautiful Soviet-era structure that houses thousands of students, a concert hall, cafes, cafeterias, a hairdresser’s, a laundry service, a flower shop, several small grocery shops, a pharmacy… the list goes on. The entirety of Carleton could probably fit inside.
A little bit about what it’s like to live in the dorms: each floor has what I call “floor moms” – older women who are on duty in a room adjacent to the lounge for most of the day. They are responsible for signing us in and out of our rooms at the beginning and end of our stay, as well as maintaining floor rules and dealing with any problems we may have.
What’s in our lounge? Many potted plants, some armchairs, and an antique table. Frequently seen in the lounge – Klaus, the floor cat. He’s pretty shy, but very cute. Also spotted somewhat often – one of the residents’ toddler, who carries a toy shovel and hates to get in the elevator. One of his favorite phrases is “Не хочу!!!!”/ “I don’t wanna!!!!”
Each room on the floor is really a block, with two single bedrooms, an entryway, a toilet-room, and a shower-room. The floor kitchen is directly across the hallway from my block, and several days out of the week I’ll smell boiling dumplings and drool a little bit.