Russian Living
In a building like an old, quiet, majestic house, you are in real shelter - not a sound will seep through the thick brick walls. A home protects the personal space of its residents. The keys of a perfect home - safeness, privacy, warmth and cosiness. Old Russian buildings can offer these priceless things. The new ones, alas, only half. Views of the Kremlin or the church, unusually high ceilings, giant windows - only in buildings built in 1930-1960. That’s why these old, historically beautiful stately buildings have captured the love of Russians of all ages. Fortunately, central Russia has many of them.
For almost 60 years - generation after generation - a large apartment in one of such canonical houses belongs to the ballet family of the Bolshoi Theatre. When passing through this house, the outside world just melts away - anyone who enters it becomes immersed in local smells, special lights and dynamics. They brew coffee in the kitchen, tie curtains away to let the morning sun warm the oak flooring, and change season flowers in vases. The house lives slowly and continuously, as if it was breathing. Homes with such a rich history are characterised by an incredible amount of detail that cannot be explored in just a day. There’s a huge mirror with gilding from Cairo, a funny stool with cracked skin, and slender rows of books (Soviet Encyclopedia - the sacred pride of Russian homes) that rise both vertically and horizontally. The only reminders of 2017 are the view outside the window and the computer.
"In a Russian home, the floor is rarely not from pure noble wood - wide boards of oak or ash with knots, perfect imperfections. The floor gives off heat, mentally and physically. Fortunately, wooden floors are typical in old and new apartments."