Dacha: The Soviet Country Cottage

Dachas are countryside houses, built from wood, that are largely unknown outside the post-Soviet states. Photographer Fyodor Savintsev has documented these important architectural forms, creating a unique record of a vanishing world. They were originally bestowed by the Tsar to reward courtiers and continued following the revolution, with Soviet cooperatives building dachas for their members. The fall of the Soviet Union accelerated their use, as economic uncertainty forced city dwellers towards self-sufficiency.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 07 September 2023
Publisher: FUEL Publishing

Dachas, rustic country homes constructed from wood, are mostly unheard of beyond the former Soviet republics. Photographer Fyodor Savintsev has captured these significant architectural styles, producing a singular record of a disappearing world. A "dacha" is a country home, constructed of wood, that Soviet citizens used to flee the hustle and bustle of the city for a rural idyll. This significant cultural and architectural type has been mostly disregarded by academics. Dacha by Fyodor Savintsev chronicles this particularly Russian phenomenon, his photographs forming a unique record of a rapidly vanishing fairytale wooden world. The term "dacha" has been used to refer to structures ranging from magnificent imperial mansions to modest sheds. This tradition was started by the Tsar to honor courtiers and continued after the revolution, with Soviet cooperatives constructing dachas for their members. They were ostensibly intended for workers, but they were really intended for those favored by the State, such as well-known authors, architects, and artists, ranging from Pasternak to Prokofiev. The collapse of the Soviet Union hastened their use, as economic instability pushed city dwellers towards self-sufficiency. The dacha tradition has survived the Revolution, war, and the fall of Communism, becoming an integral part of life in the process. Dacha is the only publication of its kind, using contemporary photographs to showcase these uniquely individual buildings for the first time, accompanied by an introduction explaining their historical and cultural context.

Weight: 738g
Dimension: 168 x 209 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781916218499