Housing, or lack thereof, shapes the everyday life of every person on earth. This course looks at the largest experiment in reimagining housing, the socialization of housing in the USSR, through the lens of comparative cultural studies. We read about the history of Soviet housing, the experiences of individuals, utopian and dystopian visions of socialist housing, and their realization throughout the Soviet and post-Soviet eras. Learning about the cultural history of Soviet housing will help us think critically about how we imagine, experience, and plan housing in capitalist societies today. Is the ideal place to live a city or a suburb? An apartment complex, a co-op, or a detached family home? Writers, artists, architects, and planners have devised at times fantastical visions of mass housing development. Across the world, societies still debate whether housing should be a commodity, an investment, or a human right—and their governments make policies accordingly. By reflecting on creative visions of housing in socialist and capitalist societies, this course aims to connect students’ everyday experiences of housing with Soviet history, comparative cultural studies, and literature. Students will have options to undertake creative projects, conduct independent research, or focus on traditional assignments.