I was watching a video on TikTok about the property market in Mariupol (a Ukrainian city that is temporarily occupied by the Russians). I was enriched by the term razrushka (it is a diminutive form of the word combination “ruined or destroyed flat / house”. The newspeak term was used in the context like “is it worth investing in razrushka” (destroyed house)?”

The video report itself is struck by the crystal simplicity of the reporter. Together with a regional property agent, she walks through a broken-down, once very nice apartment, where various cute household items and children’s clothes are scattered and mixed in. The dialogue is frankly surreal. Just for instance, the property agent enters the kitchen, the camera shows broken windows and crashed ceiling, and she comments like: “Here is a wonderful, very large kitchen. And here, you see – she leads the reporter into another ruined room – and here is a playroom, a wonderful kids’ room!”

Photo – Freeradio

The reporter gives a short evil laugh. She is even a bit indignant. She says like the owners should have cleaned up at least a little, and they should’ve taken out the rubbish! To which the property agent, who is a little more human, explains that some people find it morally difficult to do this.

Text – Tatiana Kremen

Incidentally, the channel on TikTok is called Мирный, which translates as Peaceful. Cool, isn’t it?

Warning

The transcription of the dialogues in the video was created with an automatic translator and only slightly edited

Reporter:

How to buy an flat in Mariupol? Is it more profitable to invest in a ruin [razrushka] in order to sell it at a higher price when it is rebuilt? How can you rent premises for a business here? How much does it cost? Which apartments are for sale and what does the price depend on? Broken buildings stand next to new and restored ones. The real estate market is very unconventional. We have studied it in detail and will now tell you all about it.

Real estate agents:

They are in a hurry to get out of their houses. There are very few properties that have survived. The demand is very high.

Reporter:

While we were preparing this issue, we saw so many interesting and even surprising things!

Real estate agents:

That’s nonsense, that’s specific. People can’t come back and see everything they own in such a state. The apartment is being renovated, and the price goes up immediately. The flat costs 5 million rubles ( 55 700 CHF).

Reporter:

Business from the Russian regions is starting to pick up.

Real estate agent:

This will be a priceless investment.

Real estate agent:

My name is Natalia. I work as a real estate agent in the city of Mariupol.

Reporter:

Now is this the first floor or the third floor? I am confused.

Real estate agent:

This is the first floor. Why don’t you come in? Three-bedroom apartment.

Reporter:

Come on, tell us, show us. Wow!

Real estate agent:

It’s a big flat with two bedrooms. 86 square meters. All the rooms are separate.

There is a balcony, a loggia and a large living room. The living room has access to the loggia and a view of the courtyard. Come with me, I’ll show you around.

Reporter:

Well, the view from the balcony may be great, but here….

Real estate agents:

Yeah, the apartment needs repairs after….

Reporter:

Major.

Real estate agents:

Major, yes.

Reporter:

Let’s see what’s on the balcony.

Real estate agents:

Look! You can see our famous towers from here, the centre of the city, a historic place. These buildings have survived more than one war and, as you can see, are still standing. It’s a big bedroom. Yes, the flat needs investment because the house was very badly damaged after the fighting, but it is being rebuilt. As you can see, the facades are already being restored. Here is the kitchen.

Reporter:

Is there light here or is it cluttered?

Real estate agents:

No, there is no light here. The light is not connected because the electrics have not yet been replaced and it is dangerous to turn the light on at the moment. Yes, a large, comfortable kitchen and a shared bathroom.

Reporter:

A very “comfortable” kitchen. Do you understand? If you tell me that “big comfortable kitchen” and I’m standing….

Real estate agents:

Well, look. What you need to look at here is not what this flat has been through, but the perspective. The apartment has a large living space, a very smart layout. If you invest in it and fix it up, it’s going to be a priceless investment.

Reporter:

And how much does it cost?

Real estate agents:

The apartment is worth 5 million (rubles, or 48 576.61 CHF).

Reporter:

But all the documents are in order, you can buy the apartment immediately.

Real estate agent:

All documents are in order, all documents are re-registered in Rossreestr from Ukrainian to Russian, registered in a single register, and accordingly, after this registration, we can safely go to the transaction in any MFC. Here we have already replaced… the double-glazed windows are new. In all the rooms, everywhere they were broken, everything has been replaced.

Reporter:

The repairs here will … more, probably, the cost of the apartment.

Real estate agents:

Well, yes. The apartment requires some investment, but I think it’s worth it, this apartment. Let’s take another look at the bedroom. This is the children’s bedroom, which is the right square shape. The double-glazed windows have also been replaced.

Reporter:

But this apartment at least doesn’t look like it’s been on fire. Yes? There was no fire.

Real estate agents:

Yes. Nothing burned here, but the roof was broken. You can see that there was damp, rain and mold, but now the roof has been renovated, the house is being restored, rebuilt, so all these things can be safely removed. In this modern age, that’s not a problem.

Reporter:

The apartment has not been prepared for sale, not even the garbage has been removed. So to increase the price even more, you could at least remove the garbage and sell the bare walls.

Real estate agent:

Yes.

Reporter:

And when you walk in here, the impression is like….

Realtor:

We see that the owners of the apartment left in a big hurry and left everything behind: personal belongings and the children’s things. We also see the playpen. For some people, it’s a big tragedy to go back and clean up. People can’t go back and see everything in such a state. So they are prepared to sell it as it is. The new tenants have to accept that and make their choice.