Contrary to popular belief, the home of the Russian peasant was not limited to just a hut. This concept included the courtyard, which was necessarily fenced, and outbuildings, and a barn. What is a barn, today, alas, far from all of our contemporaries know.
Key to well-being
So, the meaning of the word barn and its definition. The barn is translated from the Persian dialect - a cold warehouse. In Russia, it was a separate building, which was located at a distance from the hut, but always in full view of the household.
What does a barn mean for peasant life? In those days, they said, they say, how full the barn is, the pockets of the peasant are so full. And that was the pure truth!
Wheat, barley, rye and oats - in general, the entire grain stock for a year was stored in a barn. What is a crop for a peasant family? This is their life, their confidence in the future and the hope of a full life. That is why the barn was located at some distance from the hut.
If a fire suddenly occurs, the family will lose their homes, but the products will remain intact, which means that starvation victims are not afraid of deaths.
For the same reason, a castle was hung on the barn. Inside were hangers, with which a barn was arranged around the entire perimeter. What are suseki? It's simple, these are large cereal storage boxes.
Cellar: construction and purpose
Under the barn they arranged a cellar. Perishable products were stored in it, as well as vegetables: carrots, potatoes, beets, radishes ... The main thing is that the cellar and barn should be above the level of spring flood, otherwise they could not avoid flooding.
For the cellar, at first they dug a deep foundation pit. The deeper the hole turned out, the better the reserves were kept in it. In the winter, vegetables did not freeze in the cellar, and in the summer milk did not turn sour.
So that the earthen walls of the cellar do not crumble over time, they were laid out with oak logs. Ceiling was also built from them - not without reason in Russia oak was considered and is still considered the most reliable and strong material.
Outside, the cellar's roof was covered with dry earth. To pass into its internal part, a manhole was equipped, behind which steps cut into the ground were carried into the womb of the storehouse. In anticipation of the onset of severe frosts, the hole in the cellar was additionally insulated with straw and hay.
The atmosphere of the cellar was practically no different from how the barn looked. All products were also stockpiled in hangers, which were placed along the walls.
On the peasant farmstead, in addition to the cellar, there were also sheds and a riga, a stable for cattle, a bribe hunter, a bathhouse, an exit and a barn. What is a bum? This is a shed in which the cracks are covered with moss. The richer the compound was, the greater the number of outbuildings housed on it.
Peasant Compound
The lion's share of structures was chopped with an ax. The saw was used extremely rarely. In addition to buildings, the term peasant's yard included such concepts as a vegetable garden, a threshing floor, an orchard, and, of course, a large or small, but mandatory allotment of land.
The most important buildings were erected from oak logs. Of these, in addition to the cellars, wells and mills were built. For everything else, alder, birch and aspen wood were used.
As such, the peasant buildings did not have a foundation. The huts were additionally strengthened by supports, in which huge stone boulders or stumps were used.