“I’m Home”: “Russian” Houses in Germany and Their Objects

Abstract

Abstract In this article, I will focus on the study of the living space in houses of Russian-speaking emigrants in 1990s–2000s in Germany. I will discuss the “home” in several aspects: in a wide sense as a place on Earth where people’s life goes on, as physically built environment where a family dwells, and as objectified everyday life in the interiors. The choice of objects and furnishings for a “Russian” house in Germany cannot be classified, but it is unique and is associated with the biographies of the owners, the history of each individual family, as well as the history of moving to Germany. The “Russian” house in Germany turns out to be a complex phenomenon: it can be seen as a safe space, escape from the outside world, and offering emotional comfort. It is a place for representation of family and personal values, the owners’ identity, and preferences. It is also a scene where scenarios of relationships between a person and objects unfold. The objects that a person places in his/her house appear as objectified memories of life events and other people, reflecting the importance of family and interpersonal relationships expressed in gifts, photos, children’s drawings, and crafts. In a new place, people are no longer limited to a set of typical furnishing patterns that were dictated by a shortage of goods and ideas in the country of origin. House owners show their personality, trying to make their home different from that in the place of origin and introduce a non-standard style of European interiors in their homes, yet unwittingly they often reproduce stereotypes and fragments from their previous houses where they lived before migrating.