There is an opinion that Russian izbas look the same, differing only in window frames or carvings. However, throughout Russia, one can find quite a variety of structures. Today we will examine the wallet house.

These houses were most often built in the north, where forests were abundant. Externally, they resembled large princely chambers. The main difference from ordinary izbas was that entire clans lived in them. Spacious rooms easily accommodated several families. In addition to bedrooms and other rooms, a wallet house always had a large courtyard with various outbuildings. All of them were combined into one complex and covered with a gable roof. Interestingly, the top of the roof in a wallet house was not located above the center of the house, as in most buildings, but along the axis of the living part. This made the sizes of the roof slopes different: one side was short and steep, while the other was elongated and gentle.

Due to this, there was almost no space left for an attic, but there was no particular need for one. Everything that did not fit above could be placed in the courtyard by the outbuildings. Wallet houses had different numbers of floors. Most often they were two stories, but three-story ones were also found, depending on the size of the clan. People lived on the upper floors, while the first floor was used for storage, livestock yards, barns, and stables. The house was clearly divided into male and female parts. Women engaged in sewing and knitting, while men did carpentry work, tool repairs, or fishing net weaving.

The appearance of wallet houses also varied, depending on the owner's imagination. Some decorated balconies with railings, others carved figurative finials, and some created ornate shutters and window frames. Today, such houses are considered monuments of Russian wooden architecture.