Dacha

Dacha is not just an ordinary cottage located somewhere in the country. It is a symbol the meaning of which changes in accordance with the historical period. In the 18th century dacha was the symbol of goodwill of power. In the 19th century it meant the belonging to the middle class. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 dacha became the symbol of bourgeois survival. During the Stalin era it symbolized belonging to elite and in the 1960’s it was the emblem of minimal freedom and mirage of private property.

It was in 1960’s when an ordinary citizen of the USSR was allowed to have a small private piece of land. But the total area of the land was no more than six hundred square meters. Due to this limit dacha got its second name – “six hundred square meters.

This provoked the dacha boom in the USSR. The dacha complexes immediately started to be built around large and small cities.

Nowadays dacha means the possibility to grow vegetables and fruit. It is also an excellent opportunity to have an open air vacation without excessive expenses. People create comfort and plant small gardens on their dachas. They also cultivate news plants there. For example, in Smolensk region quince, earth apple, cherries and cherry plum are successfully cultivated.

On some dachas one can find the antique things that have been preserved since the times of tsarist Russia. Such things like pre-revolutionary sewing machines or cuckoo clocks do not suit the design of modern apartments any more. That’s why people bring them to their dachas.

Western people disagree with the Russians. They believe that dacha is just a phenomenon of a Slavic culture because it is unprofitable to grow fruit and vegetables like this. However you will easily forget all the economic theories as soon as you sit at the dacha table.

Do you want to get to know the history and the mode of life holiday-makers? Do you want to have a nice conversation and discover many interesting things about the Slavic character? Then www.cottages-for-holidays.com will help you with great pleasure. On the pages of our site you will find much interesting information about dachas and holiday houses all over the world.