After the USSR fell apart, in Russia you could turn state-owned apartment that you occupied into your own ownership. Once per person, but basically for free. This means people who "rented" apartments will now own them.<p>Fast forward 25 years, and that gave enormous amount of apartment ownership. Yes, rent market is chaotic since you almost always rent from a private person. And yes, there's enormous divide between people who inherited an apartment in a large city and people who for some reason do not have an apartment of their own and have to rent.