I’d like to think that I grew up in yards of blockhouses. My friends lived in these houses, and our free time we spent in the yards so that at least one of our mums could call for us if needed. We climbed concrete walls and pipes. They were like imitations of modern-day playgrounds. Sat on stairs playing games. It seemed as though real life was in the courtyard. And “real” life observations! Since adults solved their relationship problems behind closed doors, however, the yard was available for everyone, even for people like me, who lived one street further in a two-story wooden house with so few neighbours that you could count them on one hand. In the yard, I saw a lot, and that always was so enticing for me to return there.
Elina
You could bring out Baltic billiards, play music, and learn Russian.
Ieva
Once I almost fell from the roof when we were fixing the roof. I got stuck in the lift. Sometimes some drunk was sleeping in the elevator. My friends and I figured out how to break into the basement, etc., but nothing special. Although if you live in the district, you get sucked in strelka*, bicycle thefts, bullying of weird residents, etc. I mostly remember childhood.
*strelka – organised fights between districts
Anastasija
Letters were passed via thread from the balcony.
Kristina
Sometimes my girlfriends and I chatted in the stairwell for about an hour. Every morning I couldn’t wait for the bell to ring and go outside with my friends.
Raimonda
Many friends. Every day in the yard was wonderful.
Vladislav
We called people from the phone booth with an option for the receiver to pay. And our neighbour caught us. She came and cursed us because she had to pay 20 santims* for the call from the booth.
*santīms – Latvian currency before EU, meaning cents
Agnese
I don’t have nice memories of Riga. I have them from Jēkabpils, where in childhood all kids from block houses were friends. There were rowan trees. Football. All summer was an adventure.
Vineta
The whole floor caught fire, dad jumped from our balcony to the balcony of the neighbouring flat. On the eighth floor…
Olga
One boy in the yard slapped me on the butt, and I complained to my dad. There was a little action scene, where my neighbour hit my dad’s nose. Then we went looking for him in the city in the police car.
Una
In childhood, a chubby pug named Ādams lived two floors up. When he saw any person he would run to them grunting to get cuddles. So nice and it made your day.
Alise
In the mornings we ran to other friend’s poģīši* and banged the door, to invite them outside to play. Or even better – yelled from the street, so that we don’t have to climb the stairs. And the brightest memory from my grandma’s house, she also lived in a block of flats, is how every summer we went visiting old ladies, who never stopped wondering how years are passing and kids are growing.
*poģīši – stairwell
Dita
Childhood memories, something familiar, even if it is a blockhouse in Kyiv.
Agnese
In my yard, everyone always, literally always played hide and seek or kick the can, or traffic lights. Not long ago I was thinking about how cool the block houses are because kids from private houses came to our yards. Everyone was gathering there and knew that you can always come to us if you have nothing to do.
Baiba
On the morning of Mother’s day, I picked my neighbour’s tulips under the window and I was caught.
Alina
In winter we played hockey between cars. We kicked the ball against the wall of a building and played foursquare and 21.
Martins
I remember how we were running away from a “flasher”, who had wandered into our yard.
Olga
You never know what waits for you around the corner.
Anya
You feel safe when you’re surrounded by blockhouses. I learned Russian together with my peers. We played tennis against the walls of the buildings. Old ladies didn’t quite like it, because it disturbed their naps. Now I feel sentimental. My block house was near a lake. It was quite beautiful.
Una
Childhood friends and lots of fresh air!
Arturs