12 WEIRDEST balconies in Russia (PHOTOS)

Lifestyle
ELEONORA GOLDMAN
Russians often use the balconies in their ordinary panel apartment buildings as sites for drying clothes or warehouses for unnecessary things. But sometimes true masters of interior design show up in unexpected places. These balconies, which demonstrate an incredible level of creativity, have been turned into bathrooms, banyas and even...a castle.

1. A big balcony is for people, and a small one is for pets. Your cat needs its own balcony too after all, right?

2. This construction in Samara was also built for cats. Now they can walk straight from the balcony on the second floor down to the street. 

3. In Moscow, however, such stairs can be used by people too. No more waiting for someone to ring you in!

4. In the Russian south, locals especially like to make something great from their balconies. Sometimes such extensions are bigger than the flat itself. Just take a look at this balcony in Astrakhan. How is it even standing?

5. Dagestan’s capital of Makhachkala is famous for its enormous balconies. Can you believe that these houses used to be simple Soviet panel buildings? Now they look completely upgraded.

6. Not far from the center of Sochi, there is a whole district called “Favela” that is filled with all sorts of giant balconies. Many of them are used as hostels.

7. An introvert’s balcony.

8. You probably know that Russians are fond of the banya. But take a look at these balconies that have been outfitted with banyas and saunas, and you will begin to understand the enormous intensity and scale of this fondness.

9. A BBQ on a balcony.

10. They said that in the Middle Ages nobles had toilets on their balconies. Turns out this tradition is still alive and well.

11. Some even build wooden eco-friendly versions of the bathrooms.

12. In the small Siberian town of Berdsk, this balcony in the shape of a castle became a local attraction. How did the owner come up with this idea? No, really. How?