The Russian hut symbolizes Russia in the small. Its architecture represents the persistence of traditions that have come down to us thanks to the fidelity of the peasants to the commandments of the past. For several centuries, the style, layout and decor of the Russian hut were developed. The interior of all houses is practically no different, it contains several elements: several living rooms, a canopy, a closet and a room, as well as a terrace.
Izba in Russia: History
The hut is a wooden structure, which, up to a third of its part, goes underground, resembling a semi-dugout. Those houses where there was no chimney were called chicken. Smoke from the stove went outside through the front doors, so during the firebox it hung over the ceiling. To prevent soot from falling on people, special shelves were built around the entire perimeter of the walls. A little later, they began to make holes in the wall, and then in the ceiling, which was closed by a valve. The decor of the Russian hut was unremarkable. There were no floors as such, they were earthen, the house also had no windows, there were only small windows for lighting. At night, they used a torch to illuminate the room. After several centuries, white huts began to appear, in which there were stoves with pipes. It is such a house that is considered a classic Russian hut. It was divided into several zones: a stove corner, separated from the others by a curtain, a female corner was located at the entrance right, and a male one near the hearth. On the east side of the horizon, the house housed the so-called red corner, where the iconostasis was placed in a certain order on the special shelf under embroidered towels.
Interior decoration
The ceiling in the house was made of poles that had previously been split in half. The bars were laid out on a powerful beam, the cracks were covered with clay. Ground was poured over the ceiling. A cradle was hung from a beam on a special ring. Such a decor of the Russian hut inside suggested covering the inner walls with linden boards. Near the walls were placed benches on which they slept, and chests where they stored things. Shelves nailed to the walls. There was no particular luxury inside the hut. Every thing that could be seen there was needed on the farm; there was nothing superfluous. In the female corner placed items necessary for cooking, there was also a spinning wheel.
Decor Elements of the Russian Hut
In the huts everything shone with purity. Embroidered towels were hung on the walls. There was little furniture, beds and wardrobes appeared only in the nineteenth century. The main element was the dining table, which was located in the red corner. Each family member always sat down in his place, the owner sat under the icons. On weekdays, no tablecloth was set on the table; no decorations were hung on the walls. During the holidays, the hut was transformed, the table was put forward in the middle of the room, covered with a tablecloth, and festive dishes were put on the shelves. Another element of the decor was a large chest, which was in every hut. It contained clothes. It was made of wood, covered with strips of iron and had a large castle. Also, the decor of the Russian hut suggested the presence of shops where they slept, and a hanging cradle for infants, which was passed down from generation to generation.
Threshold and canopy
The first thing they encountered when entering the hut was the canopy, which was a room between the street and the heated room. They were very cold and used for household purposes. There was a rocker and other necessary items. Stored in this place and food. Before entering the warm room, a high threshold was built where the guest had to bow to the owners of the house. Over time, the bow was supplemented with a sign of the cross in front of the icons.
Russian stove
When they got into the main room, the first thing they paid attention to was the stove. So, the decor of the Russian hut implies the presence of such a major element as the Russian stove, without which the room was considered non-residential. Food was also prepared on it, garbage was burned in it. It was massive and kept warm for a long time; it had several smoke gates. It housed many shelves and niches for storing dishes and other household items. For cooking, cast irons were used, which were put into the oven with the help of stag beetles, as well as pans, clay pots and jugs. Here stood a samovar. Since the stove was in the center of the room, it heated the house evenly. She placed on a couch, which could fit up to six people. Sometimes the structure was of such a size that it could be washed.
Red corner
An integral part of the interior decoration of the hut was considered the red corner, which was located in the eastern part of the house. It was considered a sacred place, embroidered towels, icons, holy books, candles, holy water, an Easter egg and so on were placed here. Under the icons was a table where they ate food; bread always stood on it. The icons symbolized the altar of the Orthodox church, and the table - the church throne. The most honored guests were received here. Of the icons in each hut, the faces of the Virgin, Savior, and Nicholas the Pleasant were obligatory. The head of the bed was facing the red corner. At this place, many ceremonies were performed that were associated with birth, wedding or funeral.
Shops and chests
The chest was also an important element of the decor. He passed from mother to daughter and was located near the stove. All the decoration of the house was very harmonious. Several types of shops were present here: long, short, coarse, ship, and the so-called beggars. Various household items were placed on them, and an uninvited guest or a beggar who entered the house without an invitation could sit on a “beggar” shop. Shops symbolized the road in many old rites.
Thus, we are presented with a cozy Russian hut, the unity of design and decoration of which is a wonderful creation, which was created by the peasant. There was nothing superfluous in the house, all the interior items were used in the daily life of the owners. During the holidays, the hut was transformed, it was decorated with items made by hand: embroidered towels, woven tablecloths and much more. This must be remembered if you need to bring a drawing on this topic to school. In the 5th grade at the arts, the “decor of the Russian hut” is one of the tasks provided for in the program.
People equipped their huts, comparing them with the world order. Here, every corner and detail is filled with special meaning, they show the relationship of a person with the outside world.