Homelessness in Russia Homelessness in Russia Homelessness in Russia has been observed since the end of the 19th century. After the abolition of serfdom in Russia in 1861, major cities experienced a large influx of former peasants who sought jobs as industrial workers in rapidly developing Russian industry. These people often lived in harsh conditions, sometimes renting a room, shared between several families. There also was a large number of shelterless homeless. Immediately after the October Revolution a special program of "compression" ("уплотнение") was enabled: people who had no shelter were settled in flats of those who had large (4, 5 or 6
What I Was What I Was What I Was is Meg Rosoff's third novel for young adults. The book was published in 2007, and was shortlisted for both the Costa Children's Book Award and the Carnegie Medal. "What I Was" tells the story of a secret friendship between two teenagers, one an unhappy public schoolboy and the other living an independent and isolated life on the beach near the school. It is set on the East Anglian coast in 1962. The book is framed as the reminiscence of an old man recalling the year he discovered love. It is written as a first-person