The Cottages in Suburban Moscow: A New Lifestyle for the Wealthy

The success of the Russian economy since 1998 has led to the development of a strong market in homes on the periphery of Moscow, alongside a dilapidated housing stock in the city's residential areas. The new middle class, including migrants from the energy-rich regions, is sufficiently wealthy to own a car, which gives access to newly developed residential settlements close to the main arteries from the city and in the vicinity of the main ring road (beltway), the MKAD. Despite high prices, a trend towards ‘suburbanization’ is evident, embracing ‘cottages’, townhouses and individual houses, with particularly popular districts commanding premium prices, especially in the west, south-west and north-west, where prestigious mansions also form part of the housing stock. Amenities such as the availability of forests and other recreational facilities and the existence of upgraded transport infrastructure, plus a tendency towards the use of superior building materials and fitments, are leading to a distinct lifestyle in these wealthy suburbs.