Types of dwellings of the peoples of Siberia

The Khanty and Mansi built two main types of housing: dugouts and birch bark chums. The dugout was a permanent home. It was built as follows: first, a square pit was dug up to one and a half meters deep, four pillars were dug in the middle of the pit, connected at the top by a square frame, to which poles or scaffolds were obliquely placed from the edges of the pit, which were the walls of the dugout. Then the structure was lined with turf and earth. The finished dugout had the shape of a truncated pyramid. There was a hearth in the center of the dwelling, bunks were made along the walls, on which people slept.

The Selkups also built dugouts-karamo and birch bark chums, which differed slightly from the Ugric ones in design.

Dugouts were common among migrant peasants in the early years of settling in a new place.

Chum is a cone-shaped frame dwelling of the peoples of the North who lead a nomadic lifestyle. The design of the Chum has developed over hundreds of years. The main importance of this dwelling is protection from wind and heat preservation. In winter, the Chum is covered with sewn deer skins, and in summer with a tarpaulin. In the old days, birch bark was used for this time, which was boiled for a long time and then sewn together. Birch bark Chum is very rare now. Perhaps they can only be seen in museums in Siberia.

The Chum is installed and disassembled by women. First, a place to live is chosen. It is cleared of debris, then a hearth sheet is placed and three support poles are placed, connected to each other in the upper part, then the remaining poles were attached to them. There is a hole in the upper part of the Chum, through which the smoke of the hearth or the chimney comes out, if there is a stove in the Chum.

The interior in the Chum has everything needed. There was a stove or hearth in the middle of the Chum. There is a low table to the left of the entrance. Mats made of twigs and skins are laid on the ground or snow, on which they sleep. In the traditions of the North, the division of the Chuminto two halves was fixed: the half in front of the hearth was female, behind the hearth was male. However, the rightful mistress in the Chum is a woman. Here she cooks food, sews clothes.

The Great Russian Encyclopedia explains the word "yurt" as follows: "A yurt is a portable dwelling among the nomads of Central and Central Asia and Southern Siberia. The frameconsists of lattice links (from 4 to 12). The vault is made up of poles, the upper end resting on a hoop, which serves as a light-emitting hole with a lattice top. The vault has a different shape — from conical to domed. The frame is covered with felt bags and reed mats, tied with woven ribbons on top of them; the bottom of the vault is bordered by a patterned stripe, the smoke hole is covered with a special valve. The entrance to the yurt faces south. Inside, the floor and walls of the yurt are lined with felt, fur, and carpets. In the center there is a hearth with a tagan for the boiler. Chests and bales of household goods are stored opposite the entrance on a special platform, and a place of honor is placed here. To the right of the entrance is the women’s half, where household supplies and dishes are stored. Next is the sleeping place of the owner and hostess. The left half is for men, hunting supplies and harness are stored here, and young cattle are kept here in the cold season."

Traditionally, Tatar houses were called yurts. The houses were log cabins, the walls of the houses were not decorated with anything, only the door was decorated and a line from the Koran was hung on the wall. Later, Russian influence was expressed in the fact that photographs and mirrors began to be hung on the wall. An indispensable attribute of the Tatar house is a low table, which was located in the house on an elevated place. An indispensable attribute of the yard is a chuval — an oven for baking bread.