This paper discusses the transformation of the dacha, the "holiday home" of Russian city dwellers, in the post-Soviet period. In order to understand the connection between dacha dwellers (dachniks); their built environment; and the social, economic, and political conditions in which they operate, the authors examined the Meshersky settlement near Moscow and closely studied 14 of the settlement dachas, including interviews with dachniks and observations of their homes. Analysis focused on the ways in which individuals create their material world according to their perceptions of daily realities and personal preferences. The findings convey dachniks' hopes and expectations in a completely changed reality. They present the improvised materiality of the dacha, negotiated between economic and bureaucratic limitations and a personal desire for freedom and self-fulfillment.
