"The housing manager must be a trusted person": Moscow housing offices during the Great Patriotic War

One of the most important figures in the Stalin-era Soviet urban housing sector was an upravdom (housing manager), who served as the sole administrator of a domoupravlenie (housing office) and was responsible for maintaining the housing stock under their jurisdiction. During the Great Patriotic War, Moscow experienced a severe housing crisis. While German bombings contributed to the problem, its roots lay primarily in pre-war housing policies. Although Soviet authorities considered housing offices as instruments to alleviate the crisis, the role of housing managers was far from straightforward. This article examines the pre-war evolution of the housing office system and analyzes its role in Moscow’s wartime housing crisis. It investigates the functions of housing managers, the social background of housing office staff, informal practices, and strategies for tenant relations. The research is based on a wide range of archival documents and other sources.