The universal geography : earth and its inhabitants

S8-4 RUSSIA IN EUROPE.The Great Russian villages consist of groups of wretched cahius packed oneagainst another, with no intervening gardens, and even most of the towns arenothing hut confused aggregates of wooden structures, always at the mercy of theflames. The huts, built of fir, with thatched roofs, and surrounded with heaps ofstraw and hay, branches and chips, are liable to be set on fire by every chancespark. Fire thus becomes the natural end of the Russian village, which is said tobe renewed, on an average, about every seven years. But in the central provincesFig. 20-1.Kostroma: Monastery of Htpatus.this "renovation" is often much more frequent, and there are districts in whichone-fourth of the houses have been consumed in a single year. In the towns theonly stone buildings are the Government offices, the palaces of the nobles, andthe churches, nearly all built on a uniform plan, after the regulation type of theSt. Petersburg authorities. These structures lay no claim to art, whose life is freedom,and which perishes in the atmosphere of traditional symbolism. In the churchesart is replaced by a lavish display of gold, marbles, enamels, and precious stones.