A communal flat is a type of shared housing that has become widely spread in Russia since the times of the Soviet Union. Saint Petersburg is considered to be the capital of Russian communal housing. I went to some of the most famous communal apartments there to find out what it feels like to share your life with 5-10 flatmates and a bunch of bed bugs and cockroaches, and how some communal flats managed to keep the luxury vibe of their first owners.