The struggle against the distorted perception of Ukrainian culture imposed on Ukrainians during the imperial and Soviet occupations continues. As part of the latest cultural process, the experts of the Open Air Museum and Oleg Volosovsky — architect, founder of loft buro, adviser on architecture and design at the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine — conducted a scientific tour of the location "Podillia and windmills". As part of the seminar, the architects also attended a master class by Serhiy Dzyubak, the founder of Gudani Group. At this event, they independently chose the form of working with wood and made decorative elements of the interior.
You can find out how the previous seminars went here і here.
There are 3 more seminars ahead, which will be held in 3 different locations of the museum:
- on 3 August "Polissya." Curator: Anatoly Boreyko.
- on 17 August — Carpathians. Curator: Olena Gromova.
- on 31 August — Ukrainian village of the 20th century. Curator: Tamara Vasylenko.
At the end of the material you will find link to register for the following seminars.
Partners: loft buro, BUDZIRKA, "Vitex Ukraine", L.Decor, Gudani Group will join future seminars according to the topic. Informational support for seminars is provided by PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA.
At the seminars, participants will learn about how houses and commercial and public buildings were built in ancient times, what certain interior details were intended for, how Ukrainians decorated their homes and worked with natural materials, and how you can use the experience of generations in your own work.
Participants of the third seminar in the open-air Museum listen to the tour guide's story
Architects and designers are not waiting for tours intended for ordinary visitors, but fascinating stories about ancient architecture adapted for specialists. The scientists will help the participants of the event to see the old buildings from the architect's point of view and explain what the features and advantages of the old architecture were and how in ancient times the builders, who had only natural materials, a small amount of time and simple tools at their disposal, managed to build a house with many multifunctional zones. They will also talk about how in ancient times people managed to zone a one-room room so that different parts of it had different temperatures and levels of illumination.
Podillia and windmills: how they were built in ancient times
On the excursion "Podillia and Windmills", the head of the exposition department "Podillia and the Windmill Zone" Ruslan Dubina held a theoretical seminar for the guests on the construction of an ancient village: he told about how the villagers chose a place for a new building, how village streets were located and in detail about how to build a house It was from the story of the construction process that the third architectural seminar at the Open-Air Museum began.
Ruslan Dubyna: "The white walls of the house were painted from the outside and inside with clay and mineral paints. It was usually done by women who had a knack for it. Craftsmen spent about 4-6 hours and many brushes on one house: for each color - a separate one"
"You see a house of log structure with walls that were woven with vines in the vertical dimension. In 2018, the renovation began, and we replaced them with walls made of timber coated with clay. The roof was thatched, lined with ledges. Such roofs lasted longer and were stronger, but only wealthy peasants could afford them, because for the manufacture of one covering it was necessary to prepare from one thousand to fifteen hundred sheaves. Pay attention: in one place it seems that the sky is almost visible through the roof, but at the same time it does not let water through. Also an important point: in the XNUMXth century houses already had windows that opened. At the same time, all the buildings were oriented to the east or south," the tour guide said.
The team of participants of the third seminar at the Open-Air Museum, "Podillia and the Windmill Zone" department
As for the traditional element of the hut — the svolok, which was a massive wooden log, then, according to the tour guide, there was a separate rite of its installation: first it was necessary to lay rye, wool and money under the blue wall "for good, prosperity and warmth", then mount the bastard, and then tie up the new interior detail with a tablecloth and a coat and a handkerchief with bread hidden in it. After the completion of construction, a handkerchief was given to master carpenters. If the workers were not satisfied with the treat or pay, they were allowed to tie the bastard with his own coat. It was believed that if they did so, the house would be cold.
"Please note: this is a frame structure. Oak was mainly used for the frame. The tree was dried for one and a half to two years, then the bark was removed, trimmed and cut into thick logs. It was also used as a foundation for a building. In the 19th century, they began to build on stone and tree stumps, and in the 20th century, houses on foundations and with chests on brick or stone appeared. Only the wealthiest peasants could afford this option," explained the scientist.
Ruslan Dubyna, head of the exhibition department "Podillia, the windmill zone", tells guests about the ancient architecture of Ukraine
Laying the foundations was also accompanied by a ritual: money, wheat, grain, wool and something related to the church - incense or a piece of the Holy Scriptures - were placed in a hole drilled or hollowed out in the foundation. At the same time, the master uttered prayers and incantations for happiness and health.
"Therefore, having laid the foundations, the builders inserted into the hollowed-out grooves pillars with rivchaks, into which, in turn, thick frame bars were inserted. Outside, these beams were plastered with clay, and between the beams for strength, stakes were laid and vines were woven in, directing the plant horizontally. In the 20th century, rolling technology appeared, when rolls of old clay were manually laid between the beams, which were then coated with fresh clay. Often the walls, regardless of the construction, were also insulated with moss," said Ruslan Dubyna.
The interior and decor of the Ukrainian house had soothing muted colors
A log house could be built in a week, and a frame house in 3-4 days. But provided that the frame type was chosen, after the foundation was built, the owners had to call for help from 20-30 people who agreed to perform the time-consuming work of walling and plastering the house. After plastering, the walls dried for 2-3 weeks, and at that time the craftsmen were preparing to lay the beams on which the rafters of light wood - aspen or linden - were to rest. Laths were laid on the rafters - longitudinal rows, to which the sheaves were to be attached. They were laid according to the following principle: row up - row down. A reed roof laid on a frame lasted about 50 years, and a straw frame roof lasted for 20 years. However, the structure was repaired every 5–7 years.
Ruslan Dubyna explains how houses were built in ancient times
Ruslan Dubyna: "But they never built on the path, even if it was already old and forgotten, because it was believed that all the money would go with the wind. There was also a lack of places where pears or elder trees grew, because it was believed that pear trees are often struck by lightning, and elder trees can harbor devils."
"At the last stage, a stove was built in the house. In the south of the country, a small stove was also built in the halls, and, it happened, another one was erected on the street - it was covered with a special canopy. Another finishing touch is decoration. The white walls of the house were painted from the outside and inside with clay and mineral paints. It was usually done by women who had a knack for it. Craftswomen spent about 4–6 hours and many brushes on one house: a separate one for each color. Paintings were made on the walls and near all significant interior fragments - mirrors, windows, doors, foundations. At the same time, blanks were also often used, which made it possible to create beautiful patterns, for example, "roses" made of potatoes or candles made of dry yarrow," explained Ruslan Dubyna.
Guests of the seminar in the conditions in which the life of the peasants took place in ancient times - among the sun-drenched greenery
The finished house was furnished and decorated with wreaths and bouquets of dried flowers, and mat paths or grasses - hay, mint and marigolds - were laid on the side of the house. The yard was fenced with mud or, if there were nearby stone mining sites, with a stone fence.
At the end, the tour guide asks those present to mentally return to the beginning of the construction process and summarizes the story with interesting facts about how the owners chose the place for the future yard. "It was not easy to choose, because the site had to be flat, dry and safe. The ideal option is a place where cattle often lie down. But they never built on the path, even if it was already old and forgotten, because it was believed that all the money would go with the wind. There was also a shortage of places where pears or elder trees grew, because it was believed that pear trees are often struck by lightning, and elder trees can harbor devils. When the ideal place was finally found, the hosts conducted a final check: they left grains of different cereals in multiples of three or nine and a little salt in different places overnight. If the salt did not come off in the morning, it meant that the area was not wet. If the groats did not disappear, it indicated that there are definitely no mice here," explained Ruslan Dubyna.
Oleg Volosovskyi, architect, founder of loft buro, adviser on architecture and design at the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine
Gamazei, inn and church: the architecture of "unusual" spaces
Podillia is the territory of Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi and northern regions of Odesa Oblasts. "These lands often fell into the epicenter of war and became victims of raids, and the terrain here is very uneven, so for Podillia, the tradition of zamanshchyna became common - whichever plot you chose, it's yours. Settlements built according to this principle were an unsystematic street structure: several streets, going around local ravines or hills, converged on the central square," said Ruslan Dubyna.
Philosopher Yevhen Zakharchenko
Yards in settlements built according to this principle were "deep", that is, the house was located in the depth of the estate. All other accommodation options were chosen only if otherwise was impossible. Then the house could open onto the street through windows or even a front wall. "It even happened that the street divided one yard into two parts: on one side - a house, on the other - farm buildings," the scientist clarified.
The best and most convenient place in the village was to become the church yard. The church yard was also sacred: people who had special merits for the community were buried there.
Oleksandr Zverkov, founder of Vitex Ukraine, and Oleg Volosovsky, architect and founder of loft buro
Ruslan Dubyna: "And although the Russians planted their building traditions here, many scientists, for example, Dragan and Shcherbakivsky, believed that Ukrainian church construction is unique, and buildings in this style can only be compared with Japanese pagodas."
"You see the church of St. Nicholas of 1817. Its bell tower was built in 1930 and has several crosses. When it was decided to reduce the size of the church yard, it turned out that the border would pass through the graves, so it was decided to embed the grave crosses directly into the fence. As for the building, it is a log church on a stone foundation. Around the church is a special structure to protect the walls from rain. You could also sit and rest there," the expert said.
Unique churches built according to old technologies
One of the structures that, according to many scientists, can be said in the same context as ancient Japanese and Chinese architecture
The scientist explained that, compared to the Transdnieper and Slobojan churches, the local churches were quite low and had a specific construction: the builders alternated the folds of the eaves, the roof, and the top of the roof, that is, they used horizontal joints instead of the vertical ones common in the Transdnieper region.
"This church is traditionally built from west to east. Please note: the name of the craftsman who built it is engraved on the door, Mykhailo Bondar. Let's go in. As you can see, the room has a women's area - a women's room. There were benches where you could rest. Icons donated to the church by parishioners were usually hung on the walls of the vestibule. There are stairs to the choir. Upstairs, there was an attic, where chests with priest's clothes and other church relics could be kept. The altar is separated by an iconostasis of the 18th century, which was brought here from the village of Volitsa. It is covered with traditional carvings in the form of bunches of grapes, leaves and sunflower flowers. The ceiling of the altar is painted blue, because this color was a symbol of heaven. In the center of this zone is a throne with an icon, a cross, and candles," the scientist concluded.
The "trident" church is a traditional form for Ukraine
According to the tour guide, the second throne of the church was in the center of the room intended for believers. In the same place, behind the iconostasis, there were almshouses with communion and an altar - a table on which the priest mixed wine with water and crushed the scum. From the southern part of the church, you could go to the sacristy, where books, candles, incense and other things were kept.
"The Open Air Museum also has a 17th century church. By the way, in the images of the French traveler and architect Guillaume de Beauplan, there is exactly the same structure - we assume that it is the same church or another, but very similar to it. The exhibit has a log structure - it is three-log and three-roofed, which is common for Ukraine. This type of church appeared in the times of Russia and existed until the beginning of the 19th century, when this style of construction was prohibited by the decree of the Russian Church Synod. Then, in Ukraine, they began to build churches either single-logged or three-logged, but one-story, connected to the belfry. And although the Russians planted their building traditions here, many scientists, for example, Dragan and Shcherbakivsky, believed that Ukrainian church construction is unique, and buildings in this style can only be compared with Japanese pagodas," explained Ruslan Dubyna.
Participants of the third seminar in the series of seminars at the Museum under the open sky listen to the story of scientist Ruslan Dubina
The second most important village building after the church was the gamazei - a place for storing grain. "Gamazei is a structure in which supplies were kept in case of a crop failure, fire or natural disaster. Each individual street could have a separate warehouse. Every year, people took away the old grain and poured new into the storage," said the scientist.
The inn was the last point of the "architectural" stage of the excursion. It turned out that this building is an ordinary large house with benches and tables. Between the stove and the front wall of such a building there was a sink, behind which barrels of food and bottles of alcohol were kept. "Usually, people not only drank here, but also simply rested, because in the pub you could sit and talk about life. Did women take men home? Actually, the women themselves came here with pleasure. Before Shrovetide, they could sit in an inn for a week and celebrate exclusively in a women's circle. By the way, the inn was not only a restaurant, but also a hotel: travelers could rest and spend the night here," explained Ruslan Dubyna.
From 10 to 80 windmills could stand near one village
Windmills: products of ancient architectural thought
The tour of the territory of the windmills began with an exhibit brought from the village of Kuibyshevsky district of the Zaporizhzhya region. In this region, windmills were built on plains or hills and placed on a high stone foundation, which increased the area of the wings and allowed to grind grain in low winds. Special pegs were dug into the ground around the windmill - dolls, to which the wings of the structure were tied with ropes. This made it possible to fix them in order to immobilize the windmill during non-working hours. In the southern regions, where the winds were very strong, the dolls had a diameter of up to 70 cm.
"There were tent-type, column-type, and trestle-type windmills. For example, in Volyn, the level of groundwater is very high, so the windmills there were placed on a structure similar to a cross for a Christmas tree, and their wings were fixed with special braces - girdles. The tent windmill differed in that it had a rotating roof that moved with the shaft and the entire internal structure. In the museum, we also have a unique windmill, the construction of which runs through the entire building - it is not two-story, but three-story: in the basement of the building there are wheels that transmit the torque to the millstone. From the very top of the windmill, from the shaft, a pointed shaft about 12 meters long goes down. It has a horizontal gear and rotates two baklushes fixed in two millstones," the scientist said.
Windmills were not only economic buildings, but also a place for communication
Ruslan Dubyna explained that, unlike the windmills of the central regions, the Slobojan windmills had a high chair. "The chair is a circle on which brothers are installed - massive beams, to which, in turn, the carrier was attached. Stairs led to the first tier, often they were arranged on a ladder or separately, and on the second tier there was a loft and a window. Through this window, sacks of grain were fed to the mechanism on the second tier. A mechanism with gate handles was installed there, which made it possible to lift the bags into the windmill," the tour guide said.
Ruslan Dubina drew the attention of the guests to log structure windmills, which had a head - a metal part on the edge of the shaft, into which the flaps of the wings or the rocker arms for the flaps were inserted. A wedge-shaped roof covered with planks is also characteristic of buildings of this type. But the windmills from Poltava region and Kharkiv region have roofs covered with sheet metal. However, in general, windmills could be covered with anything: reeds, shingles, boards, and wood chips.
"The peculiarity of the windmills from Podillia and Bukovyna," the tour guide continued, "is that the stairs leading to the second tier are located outside. In Podilsk, they are still supported by a bracket called pyatnar. But this windmill from the Bukovyna village of Livyntsi has an extension on the second tier and two pairs of millstones, which means that it is designed for two positions. This shaft has two pinwheels instead of one, so it thus turns two spindles and two pairs of millstones, which allows for about 1,8 times more flour to be obtained. As for the power, it depended, in particular, on the wings - they were tried to be made as long as possible so that the windmill could work even in low winds. The wings of southern windmills could be 14 meters long. Pay attention: the wings were fixed even from the inside - tightly," Ruslan Dubyna emphasized.
Ruslan Dubina: "By the way, we keep the wings of our windmills on chains, because we know that it is very difficult to stop them. Once we tried to stop them during a hurricane, and six huge guys who were holding wings then flew into the air.
The tour guide explained: if all the museum's windmills were working, there would be a terrible noise. "It would all creak, rumble, make noise. In ancient times, several carts could line up to each windmill," he clarified. Flour was usually ground not in summer, but in October or November, or even in winter: it was believed that the best time for windmills was February. Water mills worked until the water froze; such constructions prevailed in the Carpathians, Podilla and Polissia.
Valeriya Kaleniuk, loft buro architect
"There could be from 10 to 80 windmills near the village. They were real centers of communication: people talked here, concluded agreements and agreed on cooperation or even marriage of children. In the summer, when the windmills worked less often, young people came to them. By the way, it would have been much more fun for the miller if they not only had fun near the windmill, but also helped him repair it, because every one and a half tons of grain, the millstone had to be forged anew. The miller also needed help to stop the windmill, because in order to fix the wings even with a wind speed of 6-7 meters per second, they first had to be placed sideways to the wind. Otherwise, it is simply impossible. By the way, we keep the wings of our windmills on chains, because we know that it is very difficult to stop them. Once we tried to stop them during a hurricane, and six huge guys who were holding wings then flew into the air. After all that has been said, you will not be surprised that the miroshnikov sometimes even had to stay awake at night, because if a strong wind started, he had to direct or turn the windmill or remove the boards from it - do everything necessary so that the wings do not break. He lived like a sailor at sea," the tour guide said.
Serhiy Dzyubak, founder of Gudani Group
Master class on working with wood
The third master class in the series of seminars was conducted by Serhiy Dzyubak, founder of Gudani Group. The owner of a furniture manufacturing company started the event by telling about the history of his business.
Guests were offered to choose a job to their taste
"My story began when, as a child, I went to my grandfather in the village and helped him work with wood - looked at tools, made shavings, worked with saws. The next stage is the 90s. At that time I was engaged in business, and I had a lot of wood left. Once, when I tried to sell an oak tree in Poland, it turned out that its wood was not valuable. I became interested in what valuable wood is. Later, a team of creative people gathered, and we started making furniture from oak, ash, hornbeam, linden, alder, and birch. It turned out that wood can be very beautiful... We had no knowledge, so we started to learn. It turned out that there is a wide range of crafts and approaches to working with natural wood, and I discovered a lot of interesting things every day. This is a sketch we drew in 2001: here you can see the various arches and portals. When I went to the show with it, it turned out that a lot of people wanted to buy it. However, I told myself that I will not sell, because I will have my own company, and I will use it for myself," said Serhiy Dzyubak.
The host offered the attendees three work options to choose from: carve an ornament, paint a tree with Petrykiv painting, or work with silver, gold, and copper metal.
Some of the guests chose carving work
"You have pieces of wood - you can paint on them. There are Ukrainian wildflowers on the table, and you can choose the best flower and draw it. As for the carving, you can carve what you want, or a pattern on the blank - there is a pencil sketch on the blanks. If you want to work with metal, then please: let's see together how the material changes in the process of work."
The seminar on working with wood was conducted by Serhiy Dzyubak, the founder of Gudani Group
The guests who decided to carve had to attend a short safety course, but everyone had fun, because each participant was able to keep the made item for themselves.
Architect Sofia Galat and Budzirka project manager Denis Shekhovtsov
