I recall my ex-wife's family flat in Krasnodar. No air conditioner, One single 220 volt 20 amp circuit breaker for the entire flat. Bathroom door always kept closed to bottle up the stench. Her father always warned me that too often the walls of these buildings were made of "gyp" or gypsum, plaster of paris type stuff I guess. Cockroaches running everywhere. I finally brought a bunch of roach baits on one trip over.

He also warned me that some of the babushka's sitting together on benches outside were reporting back directly to the KGB, so keep quiet.

All the window AC's were blowing hot air at our wedding reception held at a local restaurant.