Log houses (izby) dotted the Russian countryside for centuries. Even now, many peasant’ houses in Russia retain the spirit of izby and remain part of the cultural landscape. The size of an izba depended on the wealth and size of the household. But however big or small it was, its important part was the stove. It was used for heating as well as cooking. The «red corner», another important part of the izba, where the table, the benches and the icons were hung. The decoration of the izba was often crowned with a beam (konoyk) that was carved in the shape of a horse’s head. This signified that the animal was giving its life to the home so that the home could live. Fortunately, many original izby have been preserved and restored and now regional open-air museums. Let us take mud huts. The small houses, mud huts, are built by Masai women. The Masai of Kenya live in an area of wild beauty. For houses they use materials that they find around them. Their small houses are circular buildings. They have a frame of wooden poles which are stuck together and made water-proof with mud, dung from their cattle, ash, sticks and urine. A fence of thorny acacia trees protects the small Masai village and their cattle from the wild animals.

The Mongolian ger is a very similar to a yurt, the first written description of this dwelling was recorded by Heridotus, the «father of history», who lived in Greece between 484 and 424 BC. The traditional ger is a tent-like structure made from wooden frame and felt walls. The ger is a comfortable place to live in both during severe winters and hot summers. Due to the opening in the centre of the roof, called the crown, fresh air circulates through the ger. When it is hot, the lower end of the soft covering is slightly raised. The unique design, structure and practical features make the ger the most common type of habitation in Mongolia. Surprisingly as it might seem, almost half of the population of Ulan Bator still lives in gers.
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