Thursday, March 3, 2011
building small
in the spirit of building small, here are some examples of dacha-esque structures from all over the world.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
shashlik and dacha: together forever
it's good to see some young russians enjoying grilled shashlik. is that a dacha in the background?
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| photo by uliana gabi on photobucket.com |
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
the samovar
the samovar is a tea vessel common to most households across the former soviet union and parts of the middle east. typically made of metal, the samovar consists of a spout, key, handles, legs, heating shaft and chimney. this hefty "kettle" is clearly designed for some hardy tea drinkers and my guess is that it's a key component of the dacha experience.
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| still life by soren emil carlsen (artistsandart.org) |
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samovar with chimney attachment    soviet stamps from 1989 depicting various samovar styles (wikipedia.com) |
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
dacha interiors
dacha interiors are proving to be a bit elusive at this point in the process-- when my primary research source is the internet. i stumbled upon an excellent photo album here: which gives a great glimpse into a recent summer spent at a russian dacha. hopefully, i will get a chance to see some dacha interiors first hand during my trip to eastern europe, scheduled to take place in march.  |
| horademoscu.blogspot.com |
dacha: self expression
now that i've had some time to collect dacha images from the web, i'd like to make some observations about their various physical features. to keep it simple, i'll stick to a list:
-bright colors
-primarily wood construction
-steeply pitched roofs
-foot paths
-fencing
-decorative trim
-flower beds
-locally available/salvaged building materials
-outdoor tables
-benches
-samovars
-"shashlik" (bbq) grills
-gates
-woodpiles
-outhouses
-alleyways
-gridded plots
-window curtains
-metal roofing
-traditional motifs
-slight overhangs
-small windows
-rain barrels
-clothes lines
-buckets
-ladders
-tool sheds
-raised foundations
-small basements/root cellars
-multi-generational families
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