The Multiple Uses of the Allotments Dacha in Russia
Allotments are to be found everywhere in Russia’s urban landscape. They are an inevitable aspect of collective living. Their past is intimately interwoven with all the economic and agricultural crises that the USSR and post-soviet Russia have undergone. Allotments offer an ideal vantage point from which we can observe the economic and social transformation in Russian society. The dacha and the pleasure gained in spending time there form part of a quest for a better lifestyle combining physical activity, healthy eating and reunions with family and friends. Not only a valuable source of food for the Russians, these allotments also fulfil other functions such as recycling objects, the pleasure of working outside and a break from routine.