Russia houses the world’s most crowded apartment block, a place so gigantic it’s been nicknamed the ‘Human Anthill’ or ‘Cheloveiniki’.
Located in St. Petersburg, the colossal building houses 18,000 people across 3,708 apartments and 25 floors.
Most apartments are one or two beds and it averages around four to six apartments on each floor.
Of course, with a building so big, residents need an easy way of getting around and so each section of the complex contains four fast-traveling elevators.
Since its construction in 2015, the Human Anthill has gained a lot of popularity.
The block’s first floor is rented out to businesses which eliminates any kind of commute, making it a true city within a city.
According to one Russian resident on social media, the building includes seven food shops, three beauty salons, a private kindergarten, numerous cafes and a post office.
They also added that they ‘once spent half a year without leaving the premises’ due to having everything they needed inside the complex. Plus, parking is free.
Surprisingly for a place with people crowded together, there is reportedly ‘no disturbances or ruckus’ as the walls are thick between apartments.
One Reddit user says they’ve lived there for eight years and appreciates the environment and convenient location for working professionals. Plus, as many apartments in St. Petersburg apartments are ‘old’ and ‘too expensive’, another user believes the building makes an affordable option for commuters.
However, living in such a large building does come with challenges. For example, elevator lines can get long in the evenings, like public transport queues.
Originally, apartments in the Human Anthill were quite affordable at around £30,000. However, prices have since risen, with new two-bedroom units now costing about £76,000.
YouTuber Peterbruh did a tour of the residential building, showing everything from the outside to the inner lobby and the views from atop.
Some viewers were impressed at the clean state of the building given its size.
‘That was nice too see the inside of one of these huge apartment buildings. Its impressive how clean and organize the seems to be. With so many people living in one,’ one replied.
‘Those buildings are incredible. They must house so many people,’ another added.
Other Reddit users have been wondering how certain scenarios would pan out, say food deliveries or a fire evacuation.
‘imagine the group chat,’ another user remarked.