ARCHITECTURE
wooden architecture — research, maintenance and restoration

According to its structural layout the house exemplifies a combination of the so-called ‘glagol’ and ‘koshel’ types. Due to the constructional interconnectivity of the parts (two log frameworks placed close together), system of floorings and also from the point of architectural aspect the structure can be considered as a ‘koshel’ type. At the same time, quite a vague layout and non-residential premises placed to the left from the hall are not typical of ‘koshel’. But for all that, the house hardly resembles ‘L’ in plane view, unlike the usual ‘glagol’ — type houses.

The structure is a plane parallelepiped with an almost square base; the habitable part and the section including household areas are covered with an asymmetrical gable roof (one eave is lower than the other). The habitable part is a separate framework within the whole structure, consists of ‘izba’ (the habitable room itself), ‘seni’ (anteroom) and two storerooms set high above the ground to keep warm. There are cattle-sheds under the anteroom in the under-floor part. The granary, its’ entry made from the outside, is under the storerooms. Two-storied section for household areas includes cattle-sheds on the lower floor, a workshop and a hayloft on the upper floor, and besides a complementary room which sides with ‘izba’. The northern wall of the household section features a projection. The ramp is set at right angle to this projection and in parallel to the end wall of the storerooms. Cattle-sheds protrude out of the household sections’ end wall and are covered with shed roofs.

The main wall numbers six windows, i. e. three of ‘izba’, and three of the complementary room on the upper floor. The attic window which opens to a balcony is on the upper part of the front pediment.

The porch-entry is located by the side wall, it has one flight of steps set on four pillars; the landing at the top of the stairs is covered with a shed roof supported by carved columns. The habitable part has a gallery running along the windows.

A chimneyless stove is to the left from the entrance to ’izba’. There is a shutter in the ceiling; a square smokestack is covered with a span roof fixed with wooden pegs.

Each of the ‘facial’ boards is actually a board decorated with four tiers of carvings; in the first one rectangular cogs are found, in the second one two lines of onychoid hollows, in the third one three levels of small pyramidions placed like in a brickwork, in the fourth one triangular cogs coupled with blind circles. The alternation of double cogs and semi-ovals, also some fretwork are found on the carved edge of the ‘facial’ board. The ends of the ‘facial’ boards and the so-called ‘towel’ (the board fixed at the uppermost joint of ‘facial’ boards near the ridge) are decorated with a fretwork. On the upper part there is a rosette; on the lower one is an encircled rhomb with a slanting cross. On the edge of the towel and ‘facial’ boards there is a long gaunt rhomb — shaped drops. Decorative window trim (shutters, head and sill pieces) surrounds each window. The head element is a triangular canopy.

The interior typical of Zaonezhye ‘izba’ has been reconstructed inside.