Izba

An izba is a traditional Russian countryside dwelling, most often a log house, forming the living quarters of a conventional Russian farmstead. It served as the primary residence within a Russian farm complex, typically built close to a road and set within a yard that also held a kitchen garden, a hay shed and a barn. Wood was the dominant building material across Russian vernacular architecture because of its local abundance, and the izba's log construction techniques developed over centuries as the standard method for rural housing.