Description of a village house. Russian hut: interior decoration
Purchasing or building a country house is the dream of many city residents. Clean air, lack of noise from transport, as well as the opportunity to acquire a spacious “palace” force many apartment dwellers to part with their square meters in high-rise buildings.
But, in addition to the positive qualities, such living space in the village also has its disadvantages, for example, bad roads, lack of gas supply, distance from the permanent place of work. But these disadvantages are not inherent in every village; you can choose a suburb where there are all communications, the roads are paved with asphalt, and work in the city is just a stone’s throw away.
If you have already decided to build a country house, the question arises in what style to decorate it. Professional designers and architects are always ready to offer you many interesting solutions, for example, the design of an old village house with a stove - inexpensive and original. You can choose any plan for a country house, and it doesn’t have to be in the Russian style; there are many more directions that are suitable for decorating a house in the village.
Basic Styles Suitable for a Country Home
Among the variety of style solutions for a country house, most often designers have to deal with such trends as country. This is a rustic style in the interior of a country house, which in turn is divided into several subtypes:
French Provence;
Swiss chalet;
English country music;
American Farmhouse;
Russian village.
Country style is incredibly diverse, because each country has its own national characteristics of rural style. Country style reflects the nuances of culture, lifestyle, climatic and natural features. The color palette of country style is different in each country; it carries the shades of the surrounding nature in its most diverse manifestations.
Some elements of a country-style house may seem a little rough at first glance, but with the right interior design, even freely protruding ceiling beams will look quite logical. The word “country” is translated as village, which is why the style is characterized by various antique rustic interior items, an abundance of textiles combined with natural materials used in the construction of the house and in decoration.
Village houses are also often decorated in Mediterranean and Japanese styles.
French Provence
The Provence style in the interiors of village houses has gained great popularity for its airiness, abundance of light in the rooms and romance, which is manifested in decorating the house with antique furniture and decorating with textiles with light floral prints. Provencal style harmoniously combines rustic simplicity and French luxury.
In the south of France there is a region of the same name, from which the name of the Provence style comes. Artists from all over the country have flocked there for several centuries to paint the colorful nature of Provence.
Endless lavender fields, vineyards, blooming nature, blue sea and bright sun - all this contributed to the formation of a cozy, bright, as close to naturalness as possible and even fragrant, due to the abundance of flowers in Provence style rooms.
The features characteristic of the French rustic style lie in a certain color scheme, an abundance of light and more.
Bright rooms. The Provencal style is characterized by large floor-to-ceiling windows that let a lot of light into the rooms. Decorative moldings are also used, which divide the double-glazed window into sections, thereby bringing its appearance as close as possible to the French one.
Color palette. The walls, floors and ceilings in the house should be light. They use white, beige, sand, cream, milk. Muted shades of green, blue, turquoise, and lavender are also often used.
Wall decoration. In houses decorated in Provence style, plaster or wooden boards are usually used to decorate the walls, and sometimes the walls are painted. Wallpaper is rarely used and only with small floral patterns.
Floor. For the floor, it is customary to use wooden boards painted white or gray. Terracotta slabs with cut corners or chips along the edges are also popular.
Ceiling. The main feature is the presence of wooden beams on the ceiling or stucco, all this should look old and shabby.
Furniture. According to the Provencal style, furniture in the house should be made only from natural materials. Usually this is solid wood or wicker pieces made of rattan or reed. Furniture should be shabby, have cracks and chips. Designers are hired to artificially age furniture. Provencal style also implies the presence of forged furniture - coffee tables, benches, tables and chairs.
To ensure that the decoration of the premises matches the Provençal style as much as possible, it is recommended to use handmade and antique items in the interior - porcelain dishes, various figurines, antique vases and flowerpots. An important feature of the Provence style is the use of textiles - light light tulle with a floral pattern or translucent, many pillows, bedspreads, lace napkins.
Many colors are an important feature of the Provence style. Ekibans, green plants in pots and blooming bouquets in flowerpots, fragrant with the pleasant aromas of wildflowers, should be placed everywhere in the house.
Swiss chalet
The trend in the construction of country houses in the chalet style arose in the mountainous regions of Switzerland. A country house in this style is characterized by simplicity and naturalness. For construction, as a rule, natural wood is used, mainly timber from Siberian larch.
The main distinguishing feature of a chalet-style house is a wide gable roof; wood is also used to decorate the interior space. The beams on the ceiling are not hidden under the cladding; the walls are lined with poorly processed boards or artificially aged. The floors are also made of wood, but they are not painted, they are left as is.
The presence of a fireplace in the house is a distinctive feature of the chalet-style interior. The fireplace must be lined with natural stone.
All objects in the interior seem durable, stable, massive, and reliable. It is these principles of the chalet style that have made it so popular when decorating country houses.
Features of interior design in a chalet style lie in a certain palette of colors, furniture and decor.
Color spectrum. Interior design in Swiss country style implies the presence of natural shades:
dark brown;
vanilla;
cream;
chocolate;
terracotta;
brick;
caramel.
Furniture. It should be massive, aged and rough. But living rooms are often furnished with simple leather furniture.
Artificial lighting. Designers, when decorating a country house in the chalet style, use heavy, massive floor lamps. In addition, the abundance of forged candlesticks with candles is welcome.
Decor. The walls of the house are decorated with ancient paintings, and bunches of fragrant dried herbs are hung everywhere. Rural embroidery, clay and forged items, and any items related to hunting - animal skins, deer antlers - are also used to decorate the premises.
In houses decorated in the chalet style, they do not use plastic, chromed metal, or fancy fittings. Plastic windows are not appropriate here, but if you still choose them, then the frame should imitate wood. Instead of elaborate curtains, wooden blinds or curtains made of natural fabric, not dyed, are used.
On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer house design services. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.
English country
An English style country house typically has 2 floors, large segmented windows and a very low level foundation. A distinctive feature of the English style is also very low attic spaces.
The rustic house design inside consists of expensive wooden furniture in mahogany or cherry color. Massive bookcases, secretaries, tables, upholstered furniture upholstered in floral or checkered fabric are welcome; leather upholstery is also allowed.
A mandatory attribute, as in the chalet style, is a massive stone fireplace.
English country is similar to the Provençal style - an abundance of textiles: curtains, pillows, tablecloths, rugs, rugs with ornaments.
Porcelain figurines, large paintings with landscapes, and hunting attributes - guns, animal skins - are used as decoration.
Russian rustic style
Wooden huts were built in Rus', so a modern country house in this style can be made using logs or beams. As was the case in old Russian huts, the rafters and beams on the ceiling are left open. The floors are made from artificially aged boards.
The main element of a Russian-style country house is a large stove. The design of a country house with a stove is in demand, even when it is possible to use gas or electricity to heat the house.
Wood in the interior of the Russian rustic style predominates not only in materials for house construction and decoration, but even in furniture and utensils. A rocking chair and an antique chest will not be out of place.
The furniture should be light, without being too chic. For lighting, lamps with lampshades or imitation kerosene lamps are used. The dishes chosen are only glass, wood or clay.
Japanese style in a country house
A Japanese-style house is a structure made of wood with numerous sliding structures. External walls can also be made of bamboo and clay. In this case, it is possible to achieve a perfect resemblance of the house to the original structures. The roof of a Japanese village house can be made in the form of a gable or hipped structure.
The interior of the interior is decorated with low pieces of furniture - bamboo tables and soft ottomans. Upholstered podiums, traditional tatami, and an abundance of small cushions will not be out of place in the interior.
The color scheme of all items in a rustic Japanese house should reflect the natural colors of wood and bamboo.
A small fireplace is often installed in the living room, bringing peace and comfort to the interior of the house. Hieroglyphs drawn on walls and objects and chandeliers made of rice paper are suitable as decoration.
Mediterranean rustic style
Mediterranean style originates in Italy. The house itself, decorated in this style, is a building with whitewashed walls; brick is used only to decorate the fireplace and the adjacent walls. An Italian style home may also have plaster walls that are predominantly olive in color.
The interior design of a village house involves the use of mosaics and frescoes. Ceramic tiles are used to cover kitchen floors and countertops. The ceilings are finished with beams. The floor must be made of solid wood.
For lighting, it is preferable to use luxurious pendant lamps.
Do not forget that fresh flowers are an essential attribute of Italian style. You can hang several flowerpots or place pots on the windowsill.
Mandatory elements of a wooden village house
Houses in the suburbs are often built of wood, and if not, then it is sure to be present in the interior of any rustic style. It is worth highlighting three main features characteristic of a house in a village:
a real fireplace, stove or decorative versions thereof;
the presence of an attic or second floor;
a lot of light, mostly natural.
All rustic styles are characterized by the use of only natural materials, so at the design stage it is necessary to eliminate plastic, synthetics and artificial materials.
If the house in the village is small, you need to properly plan it. Each residential building must have the following premises:
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living room;
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veranda, terrace or at least porch;
If a country house is being built with a Russian stove, then it should be located mainly in the kitchen, but the stove can also be placed in the living room, as well as the fireplace. When a stove or fireplace performs a purely decorative function, gas or electric heating will be required; these nuances must be taken into account at the stage of designing the house.
Video description
Watch the video for a selection of photos of the design of houses in a rustic style:
A village house must have a cellar for storing vegetables, fruits and canned goods.
Living room in a country house - design features
In a country house, a classic version of the living room design is used using only natural materials. A small fireplace or wood-burning stove is installed in the room, next to which there are chairs and a small table.
Video description
For an overview of the interior of a village house, watch the video:
The living room perfectly combines wooden products with textiles. The design should be done in the same color scheme, avoiding large contrasts. If the living room is in an antique style, then all items in the room should be handmade to order, or you can use restored antique furniture in the room.
Country bedroom interior
To recreate a rustic style in the bedroom, you need to adhere to the following rules when decorating it:
Use natural materials.
Install antique or artificially aged furniture.
Do not use dark colors in the design; the bedroom should be light.
Metal should only be used as accessories.
It is advisable not to clutter the bedroom with furniture; a bed and several bedside tables will be enough.
Decorating a kitchen in a rustic style
A distinctive feature of decorating a kitchen in a rustic style is the use of textiles, which can be used not only to decorate windows, but also instead of an interior door. Thick curtains do an excellent job of this function, separating the kitchen space from the living part of the house.
If the kitchen is decorated in the Russian style, then you cannot do without a samovar, modern models of which may have a heating element in their design for heating water.
Lamps in the kitchen can be used electric, but of a special design that will imitate candles and lamps. You can add similarity to the kitchen in a Russian hut by placing bundles of onions and garlic in its corners.
The dishes in the kitchen should also correspond to the old style. In pots you can cook very tasty food directly in a Russian oven or install a gas or electric oven.
The walls in the kitchen are usually whitewashed with lime, but you can line them with natural wood. Windows, doors and floors are also made of wood.
Russian stove in the interior
The laying of a real Russian stove must be carried out by a qualified craftsman.
Advantages of using a Russian stove:
It runs on inexpensive solid fuel, which in the village can be obtained by cutting down old and unnecessary trees in a garden or forest located near the house.
After prolonged heating, the stove retains heat for a very long time. This quality can also be used to simmer various dishes in a pot inside the hearth.
Quickly warms up the room. If the firewood is dry and the fuel density is high, then even a completely cooled house can be heated within a few hours.
Made from relatively inexpensive, durable materials that will last for many years.
These are the main advantages of the Russian stove, but in addition to the listed positive qualities, there are many more advantages of placing such a “heating device” in a private home.
The stove is usually placed in the middle of the room. This option is used when the house is divided into two parts: utility and residential. In some cases, the stove can be installed in the corner of the hut, but with this arrangement the heating efficiency will be significantly reduced.
Ways to design a stove in a kitchen interior
Typically, a Russian stove is whitewashed with lime over the entire surface area, but to make it more impressive in the interior, it is painted with special high-temperature-resistant paints.
The following materials are used to decorate the kitchen:
Tiles - a heat-resistant material is used, which can be either plain or with any pattern suitable for the interior.
Stone - the process of finishing a stove with this material is quite labor-intensive, but the result is worth it. A stove with this type of cladding fits perfectly into the old style, looks very aesthetically pleasing and retains heat well.
The listed materials are used for cladding both modern and country-style stoves.
It is prohibited to place textile products in the immediate vicinity of the oven due to the strong heating of its surface.
Photo examples of interior design of a village house
Interior of a closed veranda in a village house
Video description
For an overview of the interior of a village house with a bathhouse, watch the video:
Conclusion
The design of a village house with a stove is a great option to go back to those very times when heating was only by stoves, feel the pleasant warmth of childhood, and remember the taste of pies from a Russian stove. And for those who want to plunge into the romance of France, we advise you to choose the Provence style to decorate your country house. Experienced designers will definitely take into account all your wishes when decorating any interior of a house in the village.
Russian house of five walls in central Russia. Typical gable roof with light. Five-wall with a cut along the house
These examples, I think, are quite enough to prove that this type of house really exists and is widespread in traditionally Russian regions. It was somewhat unexpected for me that this type of house prevailed until recently on the White Sea coast. Even if we admit that I am wrong, and this style of houses came to the north from the central regions of Russia, and not vice versa, it turns out that the Slovenes from Lake Ilmen have nothing to do with the colonization of the White Sea coast. There are no houses of this type in the Novgorod region and along the Volkhov River. Strange, isn't it? And what kind of houses did the Novgorod Slovenes build from time immemorial? Below I give examples of such houses.
Slovenian type of houses
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In this photo we see a gable roof, which allows us to attribute this house to the Slovenian type. A house with a high basement, decorated with carvings typical of Russian houses. But the rafters lie on the side walls, like a barn. This house was built in Germany at the beginning of the 19th century for Russian soldiers whom the Russian Tsar sent to help Germany. Some of them remained in Germany completely; the German government, as a token of gratitude for their service, built houses like these for them. I think that the houses were built according to the sketches of these soldiers in the Slovenian style |
This is also a house from the German soldiers' series. Today in Germany these houses are part of the open-air museum of Russian wooden architecture. The Germans make money from our traditional applied arts. They keep these houses in such perfect condition! And we? We don't value what we have. We turn our noses up at everything, we look at everything overseas, we do European-quality renovations. When will we take up Russ Repair and repair our Russia? |
In my opinion, these examples of Slovenian-type houses are enough. Those interested in this issue can find a lot more evidence of this hypothesis. The essence of the hypothesis is that real Slovenian houses (huts) differed from Russian izbas in a number of ways. It’s probably stupid to talk about which type is better and which is worse. The main thing is that they are different from each other. The rafters are placed differently, there is no cut along the house near the five-walls, the houses, as a rule, are narrower - 3 or 4 windows in the front, the platbands and linings of Slovenian-type houses, as a rule, are not sawn (not openwork) and therefore do not look like lace . Of course, there are houses of a mixed type of construction, somewhat similar to Russian-style houses in the arrangement of the rafters and the presence of cornices. The most important thing is that both Russian and Slovenian types of houses have their own areas. Houses of the Russian type are not found or practically never found in the Novgorod region and the west of the Tver region. I didn't find them there.
Finno-Ugric type of houses
The Finno-Ugric type of house is, as a rule, a five-walled building with a longitudinal cut and a significantly larger number of windows than houses of the Slovenian type. It has a log gable, and in the attic there is a room with log walls and a large window, making the house seem to be two stories high. The rafters are attached directly to the wall, and the roof overhangs the walls, so this type of house does not have eaves. Often houses of this type consist of two joined log houses under one roof |
The middle course of the Northern Dvina is above the mouth of the Vaga. This is what a typical house of the Finno-Ugric type looks like, which for some reason ethnographers persistently call northern Russian. But it is more widespread in the Komi Republic than in Russian villages. This house has a full-fledged warm room in the attic with log walls and two windows |
And this house is located in the Komi Republic in the Vychegda River basin. It has 7 windows along the facade. The house is made of two four-walled log cabins connected to each other by a log frame. The gable is made of logs, which makes the attic of the house warm. There is an attic room, but it has no window. The rafters are placed on the side walls and overhang them. |
The village of Kyrkanda in the southeast of the Arkhangelsk region. Please note that the house consists of two log cabins placed close to each other. The gable is made of logs, and there is an attic room in the attic. The house is wide, so the roof is quite flattened (not steep). There are no carved platbands. The rafters are installed on the side walls. There was a house consisting of two log buildings in our village of Vsekhsvyatskoye, only it was of the Russian type. As a child, playing hide and seek, I once climbed out of the attic into a gap between the log houses and barely crawled back out. It was very scary... |
House of Finno-Ugric type in the east of the Vologda region. From the attic room in this house you can go out onto a balcony. The roof overhang at the front is such that you can be on the balcony even in the rain. The house is tall, almost three stories high. And in the back of the house there are three more of the same huts, and between them there is a huge story. And it all belonged to one family. This is probably why there were many children in families. Finno-Ugric people lived luxuriously in the past. Today, not every new Russian has a cottage of this size |
The village of Kinerma in Karelia. The house is smaller than the houses in the Komi Republic, but the Finno-Ugric style is still visible. There are no carved platbands, so the face of the house is more severe than that of Russian-type houses |
Komi Republic. Everything suggests that this is a house built in the Finno-Ugric style. The house is huge, it contains all the utility rooms: two winter living huts, two summer huts - upper rooms, storage rooms, a workshop, a canopy, a stable, etc. To feed livestock and poultry, you don’t even have to go outside in the morning. In the long cold winter this was very important. |
Republic of Karelia. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the type of houses in Komi and Karelia is very similar. But these are two different ethnic groups. And between them we see houses of a completely different type - Russian. I note that Slovenian houses are more similar to Finno-Ugric ones than to Russian ones. Strange, isn't it? |
Houses of the Finno-Ugric type are also found in the northeast of the Kostroma region. This style has probably been preserved here since the times when the Finno-Ugric Kostroma tribe had not yet become Russified. The windows of this house are on the other side, and we can see the back and side walls. You could drive a horse and cart into the house on the paved road along the flooring. Convenient, isn't it? |
On the Pinega River (the right tributary of the Northern Dvina), along with houses of the Russian type, there are also houses of the Finno-Ugric type. The two ethnic groups have lived together here for a long time, but still maintain their traditions when building houses. I draw your attention to the absence of carved platbands. There is a beautiful balcony, a small room in the attic. Unfortunately, such a good house was abandoned by the owners, who were drawn to the city couch potato life. |
There are probably enough examples of houses of the Finno-Ugric type. Of course, nowadays the traditions of building houses have been largely lost, and in modern villages and towns houses are built that differ from the ancient traditional types. Everywhere in the vicinity of our cities today we see ridiculous cottage developments, indicating the complete loss of our national and ethnic traditions. As you can understand from these photographs, which I borrowed from many dozens of sites, our ancestors lived unconstrainedly, in environmentally friendly, spacious, beautiful and comfortable houses. They worked joyfully, with songs and jokes, they were friendly and not greedy, there are no blank fences near houses anywhere in the Russian North. If someone’s house in the village burned down, then the whole world would build him a new house. Let me note once again that there were and still are no high fences near Russian and Finno-Ugric houses, and this says a lot.
Polovtsian (Kypchak) type of houses
I hope that these examples of houses built in the Polovtsian (Kypchak) style are quite enough to prove that such a style really exists and has a certain distribution area, including not only the south of Russia, but also a significant part of Ukraine. I think that each type of house is adapted to certain climatic conditions. There are a lot of forests in the north, it’s cold there, so the residents build huge houses in the Russian or Finno-Ugric style, in which people live, livestock, and belongings are stored. There is enough wood for both walls and firewood. There is no forest in the steppe, there is little of it in the forest-steppe, which is why the residents have to make small adobe houses. There is no need for a big house here. Livestock can be kept in a pen in summer and winter, equipment can also be stored outside under a canopy. A person in the steppe zone spends more time outdoors in the open air than in the house. That’s how it is, but in the floodplain of the Don, and especially Khopra, there is a forest from which it would be possible to build a stronger and larger hut, and make a roof with a horse, and build a light in the attic. But no, the roof is made in the traditional style - hipped, so it’s more familiar to the eye. Why? And such a roof is more resistant to winds, and the winds in the steppe are much stronger. The roof here could easily be blown away by the next snowstorm. In addition, it is more convenient to cover a hipped roof with straw, and straw in the south of Russia and Ukraine is a traditional and inexpensive roofing material. True, poor people covered their houses with straw in central Russia, even in the north of the Yaroslavl region in my homeland. As a child, I also saw old thatched houses in Vsekhsvyatskoye. But those who were richer roofed their houses with shingles or planks, and the richest roofed with roofing iron. I myself had the opportunity, under the guidance of my father, to cover our new house and the house of an old neighbor with shingles. Today, this technology is no longer used in villages; everyone has switched to slate, ondulin, metal tiles and other new technologies.
By analyzing the traditional types of houses that were common in Russia quite recently, I was able to identify four main ethno-cultural roots from which the Great Russian ethnic group grew. There were probably more daughter ethnic groups that merged into the Great Russian ethnic group, since we see that the same type of houses was characteristic of two, and sometimes three related ethnic groups living in similar natural conditions. Surely, in each type of traditional house, subtypes can be identified and associated with specific ethnic groups. Houses in Karelia, for example, are somewhat different from houses in Komi. And houses of the Russian type in the Yaroslavl region were built a little differently than houses of the same type on the Northern Dvina. People have always strived to express their individuality, including in the arrangement and decoration of their homes. At all times there were those who tried to change or improve traditions. But exceptions only emphasize the rules - this is well known to everyone.
I will consider that I wrote this article not in vain if in Russia fewer ridiculous cottages will be built in any style, if someone wants to build their new house in one of the traditional styles: Russian, Slovenian, Finno-Ugric or Polovtsian. All of them have today become nationwide, and we are obliged to preserve them. Ethno-cultural invariant is the basis of any ethnic group, perhaps more important than language. If we destroy it, our ethnic group will degrade and disappear. I saw how our compatriots who emigrated to the USA cling to ethno-cultural traditions. For them, even making cutlets turns into a kind of ritual, which helps them feel that they are Russians. Patriots are not only those who lie down under tanks with bunches of grenades, but also those who prefer the Russian style of houses, Russian felt boots, cabbage soup and borscht, kvass, etc.
In the book by a team of authors edited by I.V. Vlasov and V.A. Tishkov's "Russians: History and Ethnography", published in 1997 by the Nauka publishing house, has a very interesting chapter on rural residential and economic development in Russia in the 12th - 17th centuries. But the authors of the chapter L.N. Chizhikova and O.R. For some reason, Rudin paid very little attention to Russian-style houses with a gable roof and a light in the attic. They consider them in the same group with Slovenian-type houses with a gable roof overhanging the side walls.
However, it is impossible to explain how Russian-type houses appeared on the shores of the White Sea and why they are not in the vicinity of Novgorod on the Ilmen, based on the traditional concept (stating that the White Sea was controlled by the Novgorodians from Ilmen). This is probably why historians and ethnographers do not pay attention to Russian-style houses - they are not in Novgorod. In M. Semenova’s book “We are Slavs!”, published in 2008 in St. Petersburg by the ABC-Classics publishing house, there is good material about the evolution of the Slovenian-type house.
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According to the concept of M. Semenova, the original dwelling of the Ilmen Slovenes was a semi-dugout, almost completely buried in the ground. Only a slightly gable roof, covered with poles on which a thick layer of turf was laid, rose above the surface. The walls of such a dugout were made of logs. Inside there were benches, a table, and a lounger for sleeping. Later, in the half-dugout, an adobe stove appeared, which was heated in a black way - the smoke went into the dugout and came out through the door. After the installation of the stove, the house became warm even in winter, and it was no longer possible to bury oneself in the ground. The Slovenian house “began to crawl out” from the ground to the surface. A floor of hewn logs or blocks appeared. This house became cleaner and brighter. The earth did not fall from the walls and ceiling, there was no need to bend over backwards, it was possible to make a higher door.
I think that the process of turning a half-dugout into a house with a gable roof took many centuries. But even today the Slovenian hut bears some of the features of an ancient half-dugout; at least the shape of the roof has remained gable. |
A medieval house of the Slovenian type on a residential basement (essentially two-story). Often on the ground floor there was a barn - a room for livestock) |
I assume that the most ancient type of house, which undoubtedly developed in the north, was the Russian type. Houses of this type are more complex in their roof structure: it is three-sloped, with a cornice, with a very stable position of the rafters, with a light heated by a chimney. In such houses, the chimney in the attic made a bend about two meters long. This bend of the pipe is figuratively and accurately called a “hog”, on such a hog in our house in Vsekhsvyatsky, for example, cats warmed themselves in winter, and it kept the attic warm. In a Russian-type house there is no connection with a half-dugout. Most likely, such houses were invented by the Celts, who penetrated the White Sea at least 2 thousand years ago. Perhaps the descendants of those Aryans lived on the White Sea and in the basin of the Northern Dvina, Sukhona, Vaga, Onega and upper Volga, some of whom went to India, Iran and Tibet. This question remains open, and this question is about who we Russians are - aliens or real natives? When an expert in the ancient language of India, Sanskrit, found himself in a Vologda hotel and listened to the women’s conversation, he was very surprised that the Vologda women spoke some kind of corrupted Sanskrit - the Russian language turned out to be so similar to Sanskrit. Houses of the Slovene type arose as a result of the transformation of semi-dugouts as the Ilmen Slovenes moved north. At the same time, the Slovenes adopted a lot (including some methods of building houses) from the Karelians and Vepsians, with whom they inevitably came into contact. But the Varangians of Rus' came from the north, pushed the Finno-Ugric tribes apart and created their own state: first North-Eastern Rus', and then Kievan Rus, moving the capital to warmer regions, ousting the Khazars. But those ancient states in the 8th - 13th centuries did not have clear boundaries: those who paid tribute to the prince were considered to belong to this state. The princes and their squads fed themselves by robbing the population. By our standards, they were ordinary racketeers. I think that the population often moved from one such racketeer sovereign to another, and in some cases the population “fed” several such “sovereigns” at once. Constant clashes between princes and atamans, constant robbery of the population were commonplace in those days. The most progressive phenomenon in that era was the subjugation of all petty princes and chieftains by one sovereign, the suppression of their freedom and the imposition of a flat tax on the population. Such salvation for the Russians, Finno-Ugric, Krivichi and Slovenians was their inclusion in the Golden Horde. Unfortunately, our official history is based on chronicles and written documents compiled by princes or under their direct leadership. And for them - the princes - to submit to the supreme power of the Golden Horde king was “worse than a bitter radish.” So they called this time the yoke. |
What does home mean to each of us? A place to sleep and shower? Or maybe the smell of vanilla buns is associated with a warm homely atmosphere? We all have a place where we grew up and a dream of an ideal home. Therefore, if you are asked to tell a few words about your home, then you should become familiar with the vocabulary on this topic.
Before talking about furniture, you can start nicely with distant or introductory phrases. This will help you construct a logical statement while still intriguing your listener. All the vocabulary on this topic is quite extensive, but not complicated. Let's start with the big, general stuff, and finish with the small details.
Types of houses
Some people like high-rise buildings, while others prefer private country houses. This is a matter of taste and personal preference. And now we’ll tell you what all this is called in English.
The English call an apartment building or multi-storey building apartment building / block of flats. Each apartment (flat or apartment) is on a certain floor (floor) in a separate entrance ( porch). Some of them have balcony , some are under the most roof . A required element is a window ( windows ), looking into which you can see a drainpipe ( gutter) . Well, no home can do without doors ( doors), what can you say about the basement ( basement) and stairs ( staircase/stairs ).
Unlike our country, the British and Americans are a little more picky about the names of houses. IN Detached house one family lives, this is private property. A similar style, but slightly different in purpose, has duplex (semi-detached house). This two-story building consists of two apartments and different entrances. They have one common wall. Cottage this is a more luxurious country house with a garden. Well, very wealthy people live in mansion- mansions. Many families have vacation house, which we used to call dacha, American version bungalow or ranch (ranch). A room with not just many floors and apartments, but a lot, is today called a skyscraper (skyscrapers or multi-story buildings ). If the houses are located in a row and connected to each other (very popular in America), then in English we will call them terraced house or row house. Although many cannot afford to live in the listed types, so they live in barracks (hut).
Favorite room
Each of us has places in the house that we love more, in which we feel more comfortable and calm. Food is usually prepared in the kitchen (kitchen), although some have a dining room (dining room), where do they like to eat? . In the evening the family gathers in the living room (living room), where he discusses pressing issues. It's better to relax in the bedroom (bedroom). Opening the front door, you find yourself in the hallway (entrance hall), then into the corridor (corridor). Today it is rare to find modern amenities: baths (bathroom) and toilet (lavatory). But not everyone has a storage room (closet) where they store supplies for the winter or other non-essential items.
Everyone strives to make their home convenient and comfortable ( comfortable - about the atmosphere\ convenient - about amenities). That is why houses are equipped with amenities (modern conveniences) such as garbage chute (chute) heating (central heating), water pipes (cold and hot running water), electricity (electricity), telephone (telephone). Some of them have air conditioning (air conditioning).
Create comfort
Furniture items that make our existence easier help make our lives comfortable. What do you have in your bedroom, kitchen or living room? Find all the expressions in the table.
| TV set | TV | carpet | carpet |
| computer | computer | chandelier | chandelier |
| freezer | freezer | coffee table | coffee table |
| plug | socket plug | cupboard | kitchen cabinet |
| DVD player | video player | curtain | curtains |
| refrigerator/fridge | fridge | desk | desk |
| stereo system | stereo system | desk lamp | desk lamp |
| socket | socket | dining table | dinner table |
| armchair | armchair | drawer | dresser |
| sofa/coach | sofa | dressing table | dressing table |
| wall unit | wall | dishwasher | Dishwasher |
| built-in furniture | Built in furniture | gas cooker | gas stove |
| bookshelf | shelf | mirror | mirror |
| sofa-bed | sofa bed | puff | ottoman |
| bookcase | bookshelf | plant pot | a flower pot |
| piano | piano | microwave | microwave |
| cushion | small pillow | sink/basin | sink |
| bedside table | bedside table | wardrobe | wardrobe |
| put-out sofa | pull-out sofa | hall-stand | hanger |
Some useful expressions
To describe that something is somewhere, the phrase used in English is . If we want to show the position relative to the sides, then use the expression to be located on the right/ on smb’s right/ to the right of smth. We place some items on hand (to be at hand). If you are attracted to life in a metropolis or the very center of the city, then say it like this: to live in the town centre/ downtown. And if you like fresh air, then move to the suburbs (in the suburbs) or to the outskirts (on the outskirts).
Home, sweet home. - -Home Sweet Home.
An Englishman's home is castle. - My home is my castle.
Make yourself at home. - Make yourself at home.
It's home from home. “It’s as good here as at home.”
It's not in my backyard. - My hut is on the edge.
Men make houses, women make homes. - Men build walls, and women create comfort.
There is no place like home. “There’s no place like home.”
East or West home is best. - Being a guest is good, but being at home is better.
Have you figured out what your house is called in English? Have you chosen your favorite room and furnished it with beautiful and cozy furniture? Then all this should be seasoned with a proverb, which will add brightness and richness. By connecting individual words and expressions, you get a logical text. You will find examples of such topics in the articles “Description of a house in English”, “Description of an apartment”, “Description of a room”. You will definitely need them.
The building of the Ancient Mansion is located in Arkhangelsk. It was built in 1786. The fate of this house was not easy: it burned down several times, was rebuilt several times, corrected, reconstructed, and was never used for its intended purpose. At first there was a Bank office here, then a Exchange office, a Commercial Bank and, finally, a city customs office.
In 1964, the building was transferred to the Museum of Fine Arts. For several years, an exhibition of ancient Russian art was located here, and later - museum collections. Since the early 1980s, the Mansion has been restored. The opening of the museum took place in September 1998. The first exhibition – “Portrait in an ancient interior” – provided an opportunity to see the transformation of artistic styles in the interior of the late 18th – early 20th centuries. The formation of the ensemble, which, in addition to portraiture, includes furniture, mirrors, and porcelain, made it possible to create a special atmosphere in which works of fine art seem to awaken when they find themselves in an environment close to them. The house has a permanent exhibition “Portrait in an ancient interior”.
Since the Mansion on the Embankment was never in the possession of a specific family, the authors of the exhibition decided not to reproduce the original interior. But on the other hand, the museum’s funds contained furnishings and household items from the 18th - early 20th centuries. Therefore, it was decided to restore the living environment, into which the museum exhibits would fit organically.
The Portrait Gallery of the Old Mansion features works that come from local institutions and old houses. Among them you can see a portrait of I.K. Bazhenin (a person related to Arkhangelsk) and royal portraits: Peter the Great, Elizaveta Petrovna, Pavel Petrovich (II half of the 18th century). The portrait gallery characterized the owner’s taste and was the subject of his pride and vanity.
The owner's office was one of the main rooms of the noble house and represented, in a way, its intellectual and economic center. The main place in the cabinet exhibition is occupied by portraits of Arkhangelsk governors of the 18th century: T.I. Tutolmina, P.P. Konovnitsyn and others. The interior recreates the decoration of an office from the late 18th – early 19th centuries.
In the living room of the Old Mansion you can feel the atmosphere of a town house from the first quarter of the 19th century. The living room of the 19th century was a place where they read and empathized out loud, did handicrafts, “explained themselves,” and played music. Of course, it is difficult to imagine a living room without a piano. In addition, marble sculpture and bronze items occupy the main place in the interior decoration. The heart of the living room is her portraits, which at the beginning of the 19th century served as an indicator of her standard of living and position in society. Most often, the portraits were anonymous: not only the author, but also the people depicted in them are unknown. A group of such portraits was placed above the sofa.
The house contains a room with a women's boudoir (mid-19th century), where the mistress of the house took a break from social duties, read, did handicrafts, and carried out the obligatory correspondence, as evidenced by the elegant bureau-secretary. Also here you can see a dressing table and a table for needlework. The picturesque paintings of this room convey a variety of moods, in tune with the world of a woman. Here you can see romantic paintings by Aivazovsky, Sudkovsky, Bogolyubov, a sentimental idyll of a Western artist in the Rococo style, “Family Scene” by the artist Charles van den Dele and, of course, portraits of children. The pearl of the women's boudoir is “Portrait of an Unknown Woman,” donated to Arkhangelsk by the Russian Museum in 1929, and it came to the museum from the artist’s studio.
The final hall of the Mansion is the dining room. It was usually a bright, comfortable room. The main place in the interior is occupied by the extendable “centipede” table, around which all family members gathered. It was necessary in the dining room to have glass cabinets in which various items made of porcelain, glass, and earthenware were displayed. A special place in the decoration was given to porcelain. At the end of the 19th century, it was not just an object of collecting and representation, but was a necessary part of table setting. On the wall you can see “Portrait of a Woman in a White Dress” by A.I. Vakhrameev, portrait of N.D. Vidyakina by an unknown artist.
The old mansion on the Embankment lives a bright, active life. Thematic exhibitions and excursions are regularly organized here, arousing genuine interest among local residents and tourists. In the halls of the mansion you can hear chamber music, balls for children, social events, receptions and presentations are held.
My grandmother's house (essay describing the house)
How many of you have seen the house where your parents’ grandparents were born? It’s a pity if you didn’t see it, since several generations of our ancestors lived among these walls, and in each of the buildings they put something of their own, treasured, which they probably wanted to leave us as an inheritance. I saw the house where my grandparents live, and I even visit them, in their very old house.
You can get to the village where my grandmother lives by train and bus. The bus takes longer, but my parents and I prefer this type of transport. The highway passes by black forest, and the aroma of pine needles bursts into the bus windows.
Along the route there are wells with artistically decorated cranes. The bus always stops near one of these wells in the heat, and passengers drink cold spring water with pleasure.
Here we are. An ordinary rural street. Grandmother's house, like many others, is built of white brick. It's under a tiled roof. Three windows face the street. The house is just a house, nothing special about it. Nevertheless, everyone who comes to the village to stay and passes by our house involuntarily slows down their pace near it. Why? It is impossible to take your eyes off the house. The miracle windows are amazing. They are ornately carved. The window frames are decorated with wooden ornaments with a complex interweaving of stems, foliage and rosette flowers. Fairy-tale characters, flowers, foliage, and birds are depicted on the eaves under the roof. There are also beautiful wooden carvings on the double-leaf shutters.
And what a miracle the porch is! It is located asymmetrically to the house, on the right side. Asymmetry gives the whole room a special appeal. carved
the columns support the roof of the porch, decorated with openwork carvings. Grandfather explained why these posts were made of oak; oak is not afraid of water.
This house, although built of brick, has a lot of wood. Fir, which is less resistant to moisture than other wood species, was used for internal processing.
Most of the wood decorations outside the house are pine. Pine is the most common tree species in the Kharkov region. Some parts of the house are made of larch, for example, the steps of the porch. All wooden decorations are the work of my grandfather. He is a jack of all trades: carpenter, joiner, wonderful blacksmith. The fence near the house is not high, next to the gate there is a bench; Grandfather built a canopy over it. He is planning to do something else extraordinary, but I will see it next summer, since now my grandfather has a lot of work in the field, and he has no time to take care of the house.