In Russia, as in many other countries, one main measure of living conditions is the number of "squares" — square meters — in a flat.
For example, "normal" for a modern middle-class nuclear family of two adults with a child is regarded as a flat that consists of three — preferably separate — rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom with an overall living space between 70 and 120 sq. meters. A small bedroom usually contains between 9 and 12 sq. meters — a rough equivalent of a bedroom of six to eight tatami in Japanese homes.
However, for many Russian city dwellers and town folk, normal residential conditions remain an unattainable ideal. In many cases, obtaining a self-sufficient flat with no need to rely on a communal kitchen and bathroom, represents the main family goal for up to decades. Its realization may involve a prolonged frustrating wait.