For many centuries, a wooden peasant hut was the predominant dwelling of 90% of the population of Russia. This is an easily worn building, and huts have come down to us no older than the middle of the 19th century. But in their arrangement, they preserved the ancient building traditions. They were usually erected from small-layer pine, and in some areas of the Mezen and Pechora rivers from larch.

Russian hut on a high basement with a gallery. The basement was used to store supplies. The hut is located in the Vitoslavitsa Museum of Wooden Architecture near Novgorod.

The hut is united under a common roof with outbuildings. The peasant dwelling consisted of a cage, a hut, a vestibule, a room, a basement and a closet. The main living space is a hut with a Russian stove. The interior of the hut: motionless wide benches tightly attached to the walls, shelves above them; wooden elements adjacent to the furnace; an open dish cupboard, a cradle and other details of home furnishings have a history of many centuries.

BAKE. Particularly interesting in the interior of the Russian hut is the arrangement of the stove. United by their wooden parts with the internal architecture of the hut in one piece, it embodies the idea of ​​a home. That is why so much love has been invested by folk craftsmen in the architectural processing of the stove and its wooden parts.

Sometimes a corner for cooking was arranged near the stove, separated by a brightly painted wooden paneled partition that did not go all the way to the top. Often this partition turned into a double-sided and painted built-in wardrobe. The painting was either geometric in nature (motif of the sun), or depicted flowers. The painting was dominated by green, white, red, pink, yellow, black colors.

STORE. Fixed benches were usually arranged along the walls of the entire room. On one side, they tightly adjoined the wall, and on the other, they were supported either by supports sawn from a thick board, or by carved and chiseled posts-legs. Such legs narrowed towards the middle, which was decorated with a round chiseled apple.

If the stand was made flat by sawing out of a thick board, then its design retained the silhouette of a similarly chiseled leg. To the edge of the bench they sewed a clew, decorated with some simple carving. A shop decorated in this way was called pubescent, and its legs were called stamiches. Sometimes sliding doors were arranged between the stalls, turning the wall benches into a kind of chest for storing household items.

A portable bench with four legs or with blind boards replacing them on the sides, on which the seat was approved, was called a bench. The backs could be thrown from one edge of the bench to the opposite. Such benches with a reversible back were called benches, and the back itself was called a bench. The carving was mainly used to decorate the backs, which were made deaf or through - carpentry-lattice, carved or turning work. The length of the bench is slightly longer than the length of the table. The benches in the upper rooms were usually covered with a special cloth - a bench. There are benches with one sidewall - a carved or painted board. The sidewall was a support for a pillow or it was used as a spinning wheel.

Chairs in peasant dwellings spread later, in the 19th century. The influence of the city was most noticeably reflected in the decision of the chair. Folk art is dominated by a stable symmetrical form of a chair with a square plank seat, a square through back and slightly curved legs. Sometimes the chair was decorated with a wooden fringe, sometimes with a patterned back. Chairs were painted in two or three colors, such as blue and crimson. The chairs are characterized by some rigidity, which makes them similar in shape to the bench.

TABLE- usually was of considerable size, based on a large family. The table top is rectangular, made of good boards without knots and carefully processed to a special smoothness. The underframe was solved in different ways: in the form of plank sidewalls with a notch at the bottom, connected by a proleg; in the form of legs connected by two prongs or a circle; without a tsarga or with a tsarga; with one or two drawers. Sometimes the edges of the table board and the edges of massive legs, ending in carved interceptors in their lower part, were covered with carvings.

In addition to dining rooms, kitchen tables were made for cooking - supplies that were placed near the stove. Postavtsy were higher than dining tables, so that it was convenient to work behind them while standing, and had shelves with lockable doors and drawers at the bottom. were also distributed small tables, on which there was a casket or a book lay, they had a more decorative solution.

CHESTS- obligatory affiliation of the hut. They kept clothes, canvases and other household utensils.

The chests were made large - up to 2 m long and small 50-60 cm (packing). Sometimes the chests were upholstered on all sides with short-haired animal skins (moose, deer). The chests were reinforced with metal parts, which also served as decorations.

A cut-out ornament was made in metal strips, clearly protruding against the background of a brightly colored (green or red) chest. The handles placed on the sides of the chest, the masks of locks and keys were intricately decorated. Locks were made with ringing, even with a melody and a cunning way of closing and master keys. The chests were also decorated with carvings and paintings inside, the most common theme was a floral pattern. Wedding chests were especially richly and brightly painted. Chests made of cedar wood were highly valued, the specific smell of which repels moths.

SHELVES. Shelves, fixed tightly to the wall, were widely used in the hut. Shelves adjoining the wall along the entire length were called pendulous (from the word hang), shelves resting only at the ends were called crows.

Vorontsy regiments divided the premises of the hut into independent parts. Shelves can also be attributed to the hanging flooring - floors, which were made above the front door; between stove and wall. Above the benches there was a shelf-top shelf, which was slightly higher than the windows. Such shelves were supported by curly-shaped brackets.

CABINETS-SUPPLIERS. Over time (XVIII-XIX centuries), cabinets begin to appear in a peasant dwelling various sizes and types. Small cabinets are varied decoration(carving, turning parts, profiles, painting). Patterns are geometric or vegetal in nature, more often a flowerpot. Sometimes there are images of genre scenes. Often through lockers were used in lockers, which was done to ventilate products.

The supply cabinets consisted of two parts: the lower one was equipped with shelves with lockable doors or drawers (two to five) and had a folding board, which was used as a table top. In the upper smaller part there were shelves closed with blind or glazed doors.

BEDS. For sleep, benches, benches, chests with a flat lid, built-in and mobile beds were used. The built-in bed was placed in the corner, tightly fastened to the walls on both sides and had one back. For infants, hanging cradles, cradles or cradles were intended, which were decorated with carvings, turning parts, painting, figured cutouts in boards.

The leading color scheme was golden ocher with the introduction of white and red. Golden-ocher tones are typical for the walls of the hut, wooden furniture, dishes, utensils. The towels on the icons were white, the red color sparkled in small spots in clothes, towels, in the plants on the windows, in the paintings of household utensils.

A modern version of the Russian house in the performance of the company "Russian House"

Interior in Russian style.

Hut, tower, estate -

interior of old russian style in modern life.

The interior in the style of a Russian hut can be fully recreated only in wooden house from a log house, chopped from a log. The interior in the style of a tower, a manor is appropriate in any wooden house from a log house. In other cases, when it comes to brick house, for example, or an apartment in a multi-storey building, one can only talk about stylization, about introducing some features inherent in a Russian hut or tower.

The center of the Russian hut has always been a stove, which was called the queen of the house. The stove in the tradition of the ancient Russians was a kind of reflection of the universe as a triune world: heavenly, earthly and afterlife. They slept on the stove, washed in it, and in addition, they considered it the abode of the brownie and the place of communication with their ancestors. She warmed and fed, and therefore was perceived as the center of the house. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the expression "dance from the stove." The hut was zoned into the female half, the male and the red corner. A woman was in charge in the oven corner. In the women's corner, there were shelves with various kitchen utensils and crockery. In their corner the women received, sewed and worked on various types needlework. Women's themes are generally quite widely represented in connection with the stove, and this is understandable: who is messing around near it, baking pies and cooking porridge! That's why they said: "a woman's road - from the stove to the threshold." And they also laughed: "a woman flies from the stove, seventy-seven thoughts will change her mind" (with fear).

The man spent more time in the men's corner, under the curtains.

The largest and most beautiful place in the peasant house, where they ate and met guests, was the upper room. It was both a living room and a dining room, and sometimes a bedroom. In the upper room, diagonally from the stove, a red corner was arranged - a part of the house where the icons were installed.

Near the red corner there was usually a table, and in the very corner on the goddess there were icons and a lamp. Wide benches near the table were, as a rule, stationary, built into the wall. They not only sat on them, but also slept on them. If extra space was needed, benches were placed at the table. Dinner table, by the way, was also stationary, adobe.

In general, stopping peasant life She was modest, rude, but not without embellishments. Shelves were placed above the windows, on which beautiful dishes, caskets, etc. were placed in plain sight. The wooden beds were with beautifully carved headboards, covered with patchwork quilts, on which feather pillows were located. In almost every peasant hut one could find chests for various purposes.

During the time of Peter the Great, new pieces of furniture appeared, which took their place in Russian huts, and even more so in towers. These are chairs, cabinets, partially replacing chests, slides for dishes and even armchairs.

In the towers, the furnishings were more varied, but on the whole the same principle was preserved: a large hearth, a red corner, the same chests, beds with many pillows, mounds of dishes, shelves for displaying various decorative items. Flowers were placed on windowsills in simple vases: wildflowers in the summer months and garden flowers in October. And, of course, there was a lot of wood in the towers: these were walls, floors, and furniture. Russian country style is a tree, only a tree and almost nothing but a tree.

Creating the style of a Russian hut or a Russian estate in the interior of your home.

To create the style of a Russian hut or a Russian estate in the interior of your home, you first need to decide on the style of the era ... Will it be a stylization of an old Russian hut or a hut of the first half of the 20th century? And someone prefers the colorful and elegant atmosphere of Russian towers, almost like from a fairy tale or wooden landowner houses of past centuries, which was sometimes described in the works of the classics, when features of other styles were brought into typical village life: classicism, baroque, modern. After choosing a certain direction, you can also choose suitable furniture, interior items, textiles and decor.

Main. wooden walls better left unfinished. A massive board is suitable for the floor - matte, possibly with the effect of aging. Under the ceiling - dark beams. You can do without a stove, but the hearth is still necessary. Its role can be played by a fireplace, the portal of which is lined with tiles or stone.

Doors, windows. Plastic double-glazed windows will be completely inappropriate here. Wood-framed windows worth adding carved platbands and wooden shutters. Doors should also be wooden. As platbands for doorways, you can use boards that are uneven and deliberately roughly processed. In some places, instead of doors, you can hang curtains.

Furniture. Furniture, of course, is preferably wooden, not polished, but possibly aged. Cabinets, slides and numerous shelves can be decorated with carvings. In the dining area, you can arrange a red corner with a shrine, a massive, very heavy table and benches. The use of chairs is also possible, but they should be simple and solid.

The beds are high with carved headboards. Instead of bedside tables, you can put chests in the Russian style. Patchwork bedspreads and numerous pillows are perfect - folded in piles from largest to smallest.

No sofas in modern interior not indispensable, although, of course, they were not in the huts. Choose a simple sofa with linen upholstery. Upholstery color - natural natural. Leather furniture will be out of style.

Textile. As already mentioned, it is worth giving preference to bedspreads and pillow covers made in patchwork technique. There can be quite a lot of textile products: napkins on pedestals and small tables, tablecloths, curtains, etc. All this can be decorated with embroidery and simple lace.

By the way, you can’t spoil the interior of the hut with embroidery - women in Russia have always loved to do this needlework. Embroidered panels on the walls, curtains decorated with embroidery, embroidered bags of herbs and spices hanging from the kitchen beam - all this will be in place. The main colors of textiles in the style of a Russian hut are white, yellow and red.

Lighting. For an interior in the style of a Russian hut, choose lamps in the form of candles and lamps. Lamps with simple lampshades would also be appropriate. Although lampshades and sconces are more suitable for a house, the interior of which is stylized as a Russian estate.

Kitchen. It is impossible to do without household appliances in a modern hut, but technical design can ruin the integrity of the picture. Fortunately, there is a built-in technique that helps with the housework, but does not violate the harmony of the Russian style.

Massive furniture is suitable for the kitchen: a kitchen table with pull-out shelves and cabinets, open and closed sideboards, various hanging shelves. Furniture, of course, should not be polished or painted. Kitchen structures with facades finished with glossy enamel, pvc film, glass inserts, aluminum frames, etc. will be completely inappropriate.

In general, in the interior in the style of a Russian hut there should be as little glass and metal as possible, and plastic would be completely inappropriate. Choose furniture with simple wooden facades- they can be decorated with Russian folk style painting or carving.

As a decor for the kitchen, use a samovar, wicker baskets and boxes, onion braids, barrels, earthenware, wooden products of Russian folk crafts, embroidered napkins.

D decor for the interior in the style of a Russian hut. Decorative linen textiles with embroidery, many wooden items. Will fit perfectly wooden wheel, a spinning wheel and fishing nets if the house is located near a river, lake or sea. Knitted round rugs and self-woven paths can be laid on the floor.

Creating the style of an old wooden manor

A simple peasant hut and a rich old manor have much in common: this is the predominance of wood in the interior, and the presence of a huge stove (in the estate it is always lined with tiles), and a red corner with icons and candles, and linen and lace textiles.

However, there were also numerous differences. The rich actively borrowed something new from foreign styles. This is, for example, a bright upholstery upholstered furniture, porcelain plates and clocks on the walls, graceful wooden furniture in the English or French style, lampshades and sconces, paintings on the walls. In the interior in the style of a Russian tower, stained-glass windows will be very useful as interior windows, partitions or veranda glazing. In a word, everything is quite simple here, as in a hut, but there is a slight touch of luxury.

Yard in Russian style

And the interior itself, and the windows in it, and the “outside the window” space should be in harmony. To protect the territory, it is better to order a fence about 180 cm high, assembled from pointed logs.

How is a Russian-style courtyard created now? It is unequivocally impossible to answer, since in Russia the court was organized in different ways, depending on the area. However, designers have found common features that are recreated in landscape design. A path (often winding) is laid from the gate to the entrance to the house. Often it is covered with a board. Along the edges of the path is a flower border. In the old days, peasants set aside any free plot of land for beds, but they still tried to decorate the front yard with flower beds.

Now grass for the lawn is used for the backyard of the hut. This area is shaded with pine trees planted around the perimeter. However, currant or raspberry bushes will also be very in the spirit of the Russian court. Elements landscape design in the Russian style are various wooden items: a gazebo, a wooden children's slide, a stationary table with benches, Russian swings, etc. And, of course, all buildings in the yard should be made of wood.

A child is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.

The table is decorated by guests, and the house is decorated by children.

He does not die who does not leave children.

Be truthful even in relation to a child: keep your promise, otherwise you will teach him to lie.


— L.N. Tolstoy

Children need to be taught to speak, and adults to listen to children.

Let childhood mature in children.

Life must be disturbed more often so that it does not turn sour.

— M. Gorky

Children need to be given not only life, but also the opportunity to live.

Not the father-mother who gave birth, but the one who made him drink, nurtured, and taught good.

Interior arrangement of the Russian hut

The hut was the most important keeper family traditions for a Russian person, a large family lived here, and children were brought up. The hut was a symbol of comfort and tranquility. The word "hut" comes from the word "heat". The firebox is the heated part of the house, hence the word "fire".

The interior decoration of a traditional Russian hut was simple and comfortable: a table, benches, benches, capitals (stools), chests - everything was done in the hut with their own hands, carefully and with love, and was not only useful, beautiful, pleasing to the eye, but carried its own protective properties. In good owners, everything in the hut sparkled with cleanliness. On the walls are embroidered white towels; floor, table, benches scraped.

There were no rooms in the house, so the entire space was divided into zones, according to the functions and purpose. Separation was carried out using a kind of fabric curtain. In this way, the economic part was separated from the residential part.

The central place in the house was given to the stove. The stove sometimes occupied almost a quarter of the hut, and the more massive it was, the more heat it accumulated. It depended on its location. interior layout Houses. That's why the saying arose: "Dance from the stove." The stove was an integral part of not only the Russian hut, but also the Russian tradition. It served at the same time as a source of heat, and a place for cooking, and a place to sleep; used in the treatment of a variety of diseases. In some areas, people washed and steamed in the oven. The stove, at times, personified the entire dwelling, its presence or absence determined the nature of the building (a house without a stove is non-residential). Cooking in a Russian oven was a sacred act: raw, undeveloped food turned into boiled, mastered food. The oven is the soul of the house. The kind, honest Mother-stove in whose presence they did not dare to say a swear word, under which, according to the beliefs of the ancestors, the keeper of the hut lived - Brownie. Rubbish was burned in the stove, since it could not be taken out of the hut.

The place of the stove in the Russian house can be seen from the respect with which the people treated their hearth. Not every guest was allowed to go to the stove, and if they allowed someone to sit on their stove, then such a person became especially close, welcome in the house.

The stove was installed diagonally from the red corner. So called the most elegant part of the house. The very word "red" means: "beautiful", "good", "bright". The red corner was placed opposite front door so that everyone who enters can appreciate the beauty. The red corner was well lit, since both of its constituent walls had windows. The decoration of the red corner was especially reverent and they tried to keep it clean. He was the most honored place in the house. Especially important family values, amulets, idols were located here. Everything was placed on a shelf or table lined with an embroidered towel, in a special order. According to tradition, a person who came to the hut could go there only at the special invitation of the owners.

As a rule, everywhere in Russia there was a table in the red corner. In a number of places it was placed in the wall between the windows - against the corner of the stove. The table has always been a place where the unity of family members took place.

In the red corner, near the table, two benches meet, and on top - two shelves of a bench. All significant events family life marked in red. Here, at the table, both everyday meals and festive feasts were held; many calendar rituals took place. In the wedding ceremony, the matchmaking of the bride, her ransom from her girlfriends and brother were performed in the red corner; from the red corner of her father's house they took her away; brought to the groom's house and also led to the red corner.

Opposite the red corner there was a furnace or “baby” corner (kut). There, women cooked food, spun, wove, sewed, embroidered, etc. Here, near the window, against the mouth of the furnace, hand millstones stood in every house, so the corner is also called a millstone. On the walls were observers - shelves for tableware, cabinets. Above, at the level of the benches, there was a stove beam, on which kitchen utensils were placed, and a variety of household items were stacked. The stove corner, closed with a wooden partition, formed a small room, which had the name "closet" or "prilub". It was a kind of women's space in the hut: here women cooked food, rested after work.

The relatively small space of the hut was organized in such a way that a rather large family of seven to eight people was located in it with the greatest convenience. This was achieved due to the fact that each member of the family knew their place in the common space. Men worked, rested during the day on the men's half of the hut, which included a front corner and a bench near the entrance. Women and children were during the day in the women's quarters near the stove. Places for night sleep have also been allocated. Sleeping places were located on benches and even on the floor. Under the very ceiling of the hut, between two adjacent walls and the stove, a wide plank platform was laid on a special beam - “platy”. The children especially liked to sit on the floorboards - and it was warm and everything was visible. Children, and sometimes adults, slept on the beds, clothes were folded here, onions, garlic and peas were dried here. Under the ceiling, a baby cradle was fixed.

All household belongings were kept in chests. They were massive, heavy, and sometimes reached such a size that it was quite possible for an adult to sleep on them. Chests were made to last for centuries, so they were strengthened from the corners with forged metal, such furniture lived in families for decades, being inherited.

In a traditional Russian dwelling, benches ran along the walls in a circle, starting from the entrance, and served for sitting, sleeping, and storing various household items. In old huts, benches were decorated with "edge" - a board nailed to the edge of the bench, hanging from it like a frill. Such shops were called "pubescent" or "with a canopy", "with a view. Under the benches they kept various items that, if necessary, were easy to get: axes, tools, shoes, etc. In traditional rituals and in the sphere of traditional norms of behavior, a shop acts as a place that not everyone is allowed to sit in. So, entering the house, especially strangers, it was customary to stand at the threshold until the owners invited them to come in and sit down. on the bench by invitation only.

There were many children in the Russian hut, and the cradle was just as necessary attribute Russian hut, like a table or oven. Bast, reeds, pine shingles, linden bark were common materials for making cradles. More often, the cradle was hung in the back of the hut, next to the firebox. A ring was driven into a thick ceiling log, a “rocker” was hung on it, on which a cradle was attached to the ropes. It was possible to rock such a cradle with the help of a special strap with a hand, and in case of busy hands, with a foot. In some regions, the cradle was hung on an ochep - a rather long wooden pole. Most often, a well-bending and springy birch was used for the ochepa. Suspension of the cradle to the ceiling was not accidental: the warmest air accumulated near the ceiling, which provided heating for the child. There was a belief that heavenly forces guard a child raised above the floor, so it grows better and accumulates vital energy. Gender was perceived as the boundary between the world of people and the world where evil spirits live: the souls of the dead, ghosts, brownies. To protect the child from them, amulets were necessarily placed under the cradle. And on the head of the cradle they carved the sun, in the legs - a month and stars, multi-colored rags, wooden painted spoons were fastened. The cradle itself was decorated with carvings or paintings. A canopy was a mandatory attribute. The most beautiful fabric was chosen for the canopy, it was decorated with lace and ribbons. If the family was poor, they used an old sundress, which, despite the summer, looked smart.

In the evenings, when it got dark, the Russian huts were lit with torches. Luchina was the only source of illumination in the Russian hut for many centuries. Usually birch was used as a torch, which burned brightly and did not smoke. A bundle of splinters was inserted into special forged lights that could be fixed anywhere. Sometimes they used oil lamps - small bowls with upturned edges.

The curtains on the windows were plain or patterned. They were woven from natural fabrics, decorated with protective embroidery. white lace self made all textile items were decorated: tablecloths, curtains and a sheet valance.

On a holiday, the hut was transformed: the table was moved to the middle, covered with a tablecloth, festive utensils, which had previously been stored in crates, were put on the shelves.

As the main color scheme for the hut, golden-ocher was used, with the addition of red and white. Furniture, walls, dishes, painted in golden-ocher tones, were successfully complemented by white towels, red flowers, and beautiful paintings.

The ceiling could also be painted in the form of floral ornaments.

Thanks to the use of exclusively natural materials in construction and interior decoration, the huts were always cool in summer and warm in winter.

In the atmosphere of the hut there was not a single superfluous random object, each thing had its strictly defined purpose and a place illuminated by tradition, which is a distinctive feature of the character of the Russian dwelling.

Some people associate the Russian hut with a hut in which there are chests and wooden furniture. The modern interior decoration of the Russian hut differs significantly from this image, it is quite comfortable and modern here. Despite the fact that the house has a rustic style, modern technology is used here.

Historical roots of the Russian house

If earlier, when building a house, peasants were guided by practicality, for example, they built huts near rivers, they made small windows that overlooked fields, meadows, forests, now special attention is paid to interior decoration. In addition, people used to set up a Russian bath near a river or lake, and in the yard they built barns for storing grain, a barn for cattle. But at all times, a red corner in a Russian hut was always distinguished, in which icons were placed, a stove was installed. At that time, the interior of the Russian hut was chosen so that all items were multifunctional, there was no talk of any luxury.

They tried to locate the Russian house on the site so that it was closer to the north. To protect the house from the winds, trees and shrubs were planted in the garden.

Attention! To increase the level of illumination of a Russian house, it should be placed with windows facing the sunny side.

In the old days, for the construction of a Russian house, they chose the place that cattle chose for their rest.

Interesting facts about the Russian house

In the swamps, as well as near them, no one had built houses before. Russian people believed that a swamp is a “frosty” place, and in a house built on a swamp there will never be happiness and prosperity.

The felling of the Russian house began in early spring, necessarily in the new moon. If a tree was cut down on the waning moon, it quickly rotted, the house fell into disrepair. The Russian house was considered the embodiment of stability, constancy, tranquility, so it was never placed at crossroads, on the road. It was also considered a bad omen to build a hut on the site of a burned-out house. The peasants treated their houses as if they were living beings.

She singled out her brow (face), they considered the pediment of the Russian house. Decorations on windows were called platbands, and boards used in the construction of walls were called foreheads.

The well at the Russian hut was called the “crane”, and the boards on the roof were called the “horse”.

The interior decoration of the Russian hut was rather modest, and corresponded to the interior style, which today is called Provence.

By the appearance of the house, it was easy to determine the religion, material well-being of the owner, the nationality of its owner. It was difficult to find absolutely identical houses in one village, each Russian hut had its own individual characteristics. The interior of the Russian hut also had some differences, with the help of certain household items, people tried to talk about their interests and hobbies.

It was believed that a child who grew up in a clean and good house has bright thoughts and intentions. From childhood, the child was formed an idea of ​​​​the structural features of the Russian hut, he studied and memorized household items in the Russian hut. For example, a red corner in a Russian hut was considered a holy place.

Features of the interior decoration of a Russian house

A woman has always been involved in the interior decoration of the house, it was she who picked up household items, monitored comfort, and put things in order. For the state of the facade, as well as for personal plot the owner always followed. In the interior of the Russian house, the male and female half stood out, their design had some distinctive features.

The decoration of a Russian hut is the task of a woman. It was she who was engaged in the manufacture of home textiles, in some Russian huts there were even looms on which women wove rugs, canvas for decorating windows.

Polats in the Russian hut were replaced by modern sofas and beds, linen curtains were used to separate them from the rest of the room. Already in those distant times, zoning was carried out in the hut, separating the living room from the sleeping part. The techniques of interior art used in the design of Russian huts have now become the basis of Russian Provence.

Some distinctive features were in the interior of Russian houses located in the Russian North. Due to the difficult climatic conditions characteristic of this region, both the residential part and the outbuildings were located in one hut, that is, cattle and people lived under the same roof. This was reflected in the interior of the house, there were no frills, only solid and simple furniture elements were used. One of the corners of the room stood out for the chests in which the dowry for the girl was collected.

Some traditions associated with the external decoration of the house, used in Russia, have been preserved in our time. For example, a carved wooden sun was attached to the upper part of the facade. This decorative element was considered a kind of amulet, its presence was a guarantee of happiness, health, well-being of all the inhabitants of the house. Carved roses on the walls of the hut were considered a symbol of a happy and prosperous life, and the owners still use them in the external decor. country houses. Lions were considered symbols of pagan amulets, which appearance were supposed to scare away evil spirits from the house.

The massive ridge on the roof of the hut is a sign of the sun. Despite the fact that quite a lot of time has passed since then, the tradition of installing a ridge on the roof has survived to this day. Among the obligatory elements of the ancient Russian hut, it is necessary to note the goddess. The construction of the house was erected according to the law, the proportions were strictly observed so that the hut not only had an aesthetic appearance, but also remained a solid and durable structure, withstood strong gusts of wind.

Features of the Russian house

The Russian house is usually divided into three tiers (worlds):

• basement serving as the bottom;
• living quarters make up the middle part;
• attic and roof are top

For the construction of the hut, logs were used, they were tied together in crowns. For example, in the Russian North, nails were not used in the construction of huts, while obtaining durable and solid houses. Nails were needed only for fastening platbands and other decorative elements.

The roof is an element of protecting the house from the outside world, precipitation. In Russian huts, gable types of roofs were used, which are still considered by architects to be the most reliable structures for wooden buildings.

The upper part of the house was decorated with solar signs, and those items that were rarely used in everyday life were stored in the attic. Russian huts were two-story, in the lower part of the house there was a basement that protected the inhabitants of the hut from the cold. Everything living rooms placed on the second floor, allocating minimal space for them.

They tried to make the floor double, at first they had a “black” floor, which did not let cold air into the hut. Next came the "white" floor, made of wide boards. The floorboards were not covered with paint, leaving the wood in its natural form.

Red corner in ancient Russia considered the place where the furnace was located.

Advice! At the cottage or country house instead of a stove in the interior of the living room, a fireplace will harmoniously look.

The stove was installed in the direction of sunrise (to the east), associated with light. Icons were placed on the wall next to it, and in temples this place was given to the altar.

The doors were made of natural wood, they were massive, associated with reliable protection of the house from evil spirits.

A horseshoe was placed above the door, which was also considered a symbol of protecting the house from troubles and misfortunes.

Windows were made from natural wood, they were small so that heat did not leave the hut. It was the windows that were considered the “eyes” of the owner of the house, so they were located on different sides of the hut. For decoration window openings used natural material, which was woven by the hostess herself. In the old days, it was not customary to hang windows with thick curtain fabrics that did not let sunlight into the room. Three window options were chosen for the hut:

Modern interior of a Russian hut

Currently, many city dwellers dream of their own log cabin, furnished in a rustic style. The desire to be alone with nature, escape from the bustle of the city and problems.

Among those interior items that still exist in the decoration of the Russian hut, let's single out the stove. Some owners of suburban real estate prefer to use a modern fireplace instead. Of particular interest is the design of the walls and ceiling in a modern wooden Russian house. Nowadays, more and more often you can see carved wooden decorations on the facade of the house, which are a typical manifestation of Provence.

Advice! When decorating the walls of a Russian hut, you can use light wallpaper with a small pattern. For Provence it is undesirable to use in wall decoration artificial materials, since the style implies maximum harmony, unity with nature.

Professional stylists involved in the design of wooden Russian huts advise choosing neutral colors for decoration. They propose to pay special attention to home textiles, which are calling card rustic style.

The Russian hut has always been fine, solid and original. Its architecture testifies to the fidelity to centuries-old traditions, their durability and uniqueness. Its layout, design and interior decoration have been created over the years. Not many traditional Russian houses have survived to this day, but they can still be found in some regions.

Initially, huts in Russia were built of wood, partially deepening their foundation underground. This provided greater reliability and durability of the structure. Most often, it had only one room, which the owners divided into several separate parts. An obligatory part of the Russian hut was the stove corner, to separate which a curtain was used. In addition, there were separate zones for men and women. All corners in the house were lined up in accordance with the cardinal points, and the most important among them was the eastern (red), where the family organized the iconostasis. It was the icons that the guests should have paid attention to immediately after entering the hut.

Russian hut porch

The architecture of the porch has always been carefully thought out, the owners of the house devoted a lot of time to it. It combined excellent artistic taste, centuries-old traditions and the ingenuity of architects. It was the porch that connected the hut with the street and was open to all guests or passers-by. Interestingly, the whole family, as well as neighbors, often gathered on the porch in the evenings after hard work. Here guests and owners of the house danced, sang songs, and children ran and frolicked.

In different regions of Russia, the shape and size of the porch were radically different. So, in the north of the country, it was quite high and large, and the southern facade of the house was chosen for installation. Thanks to this asymmetric placement and the unique architecture of the facade, the whole house looked very peculiar and beautiful. It was also quite common to find porches placed on poles and decorated with openwork wooden posts. They were a real decoration of the house, making its facade even more serious and solid.

In the south of Russia, the porch was installed from the front of the house, attracting the attention of passers-by and neighbors. openwork carving. They could be both on two steps, and with a whole staircase. Some home owners decorated their porch with a canopy, while others left it open.

canopy

In order to keep the maximum amount of heat from the stove in the house, the owners separated the living area from the street. The canopy is exactly the space that the guests immediately saw at the entrance to the hut. In addition to keeping warm, the canopy was also used to store the yoke and other necessary things, it was here that many people made closets for food.

To separate the hallway and the heated living area, a high threshold was also made. It was made to prevent the penetration of cold into the house. In addition, according to centuries-old traditions, each guest had to bow at the entrance to the hut, and it was impossible to go inside without bowing before the high threshold. Otherwise, the guest just hit the bare bare.

Russian stove

The life of the Russian hut revolved around the stove. It served as a place for cooking, relaxing, heating and even bathing procedures. Steps led upstairs, there were niches in the walls for various utensils. The furnace has always been with iron barriers. The device of the Russian stove - the heart of any hut - is surprisingly functional.

The stove in traditional Russian huts was always located in the main zone, to the right or left of the entrance. It was she who was considered the main element of the house, since they cooked food on the stove, slept, she warmed the whole house. It has been proven that food cooked in the oven is the healthiest, as it retains all the beneficial vitamins.

Since ancient times, many beliefs have been associated with the stove. Our ancestors believed that it was on the stove that the brownie lives. Garbage was never taken out of the hut, but burned in an oven. People believed that in this way all the energy remains in the house, which helps to increase the wealth of the family. Interestingly, in some regions of Russia, they steamed and washed in the oven, and also used it to treat serious diseases. The doctors of that time claimed that the disease can be cured simply by lying on the stove for several hours.

Furnace corner

It was also called the "woman's corner", since all the kitchen utensils were located exactly to make it. It was separated by a curtain or even a wooden partition. The men from their family almost never came here. A huge insult to the owners of the house was the arrival of a strange man behind a curtain in the stove corner.

Here, women washed and dried things, cooked food, treated children and told fortunes. Almost every woman was engaged in needlework, and the stove corner was the most calm and convenient place for this. Embroidery, sewing, painting - these are the most popular types of needlework for girls and women of that time.

Benches in the hut

In the Russian hut there were movable and fixed benches, and already from the 19th century chairs began to appear. Along the walls of the house, the owners installed fixed benches, which were fastened with supplies or legs with carved elements. The base could be flat or taper towards the middle; its decor often included carved patterns and traditional ornaments.

There were also mobile shops in each house. Such benches had four legs or were installed on blank boards. The backs were often made so that they could be thrown to the opposite edge of the bench, and carved decor was used for decoration. The bench was always made longer than the table, and was also often covered with thick cloth.

Male corner (Konik)

It was to the right of the entrance. There was always a wide shop here, which was fenced on both sides. wooden planks. They were carved in the shape of a horse's head, so the male corner is often called "konik". Under the bench, the men kept their tools intended for repairs and other men's work. In this corner, men repaired shoes and utensils, as well as wove baskets and other wickerwork.

All the guests who came to the owners of the house for a short time sat down on a bench in the men's corner. It was here that the man slept and rested.

Women's Corner (Wednesday)

This was an important space in the fate of women, because it was from behind the stove curtain that the girl came out during the bride in elegant attire, and also waited for the groom on the wedding day. Here, women gave birth to children and fed them away from prying eyes, hiding behind a curtain.

Also, it was in the women's corner of the house of the guy she liked that the girl had to hide the overcast in order to get married soon. They believed that such a wrap would help the daughter-in-law to make friends with the mother-in-law and become a good housewife in the new house.

red corner

This is the brightest and most important corner, since it was he who was considered a sacred place in the house. According to tradition, during construction, he was allocated a place on the eastern side, where two adjacent windows form an angle, so the light falls, making the corner the brightest place in the hut. Icons and embroidered towels hung here, as well as faces of ancestors in some huts. Be sure to put a large table in the red corner and eat. Freshly baked bread was always kept under icons and towels.

To this day, some traditions associated with the table are known. So, it is not advisable for young people to sit on the corner in order to create a family in the future. It's a bad omen to leave dirty dishes on the table or sit on it.

Our ancestors kept cereals, flour and other products in senniks. Thanks to this, the hostess could always quickly prepare food from fresh ingredients. In addition, additional buildings were provided: a cellar for storing vegetables and fruits in winter, a barn for cattle and separate facilities for hay.