On ancient Russian cemeteries, one can still find crosses on triangular roofs, known as golbets. According to Dahl's dictionary, a golbets is a step for climbing onto a stove, which also covered the entrance to the cellar in peasant houses.

Many superstitions are associated with golbets. Folk beliefs assert that a household spirit resided near them. For example, a groom, entering his bride's home, would always touch the golbets with his hand. It was believed to connect the worlds of the dead and the living, protecting people from misfortune. The golbets was associated with depth, pits, and graves, which is why such structures began to appear in cemeteries. Over time, they were adorned with carvings, icons were placed on them, and sometimes they were even painted. Some researchers believe that the golbets is a simplified version of cemetery houses, which used to completely cover the grave, resembling a peasant's crypt.

The mystical aura of golbets played a cruel trick on them. The church disapproved of traditions associated with spirits and the souls of the deceased, and golbets found themselves under an unofficial ban. However, Russian peasants continued to install them on the graves of their loved ones.

There were especially many golbets in cemeteries in the Arkhangelsk region, near Murmansk, and in Karelia. The secrets of carving were passed down from generation to generation. Today, they are rarely installed, and each golbets has become a rare relic with a touch of cemetery mystique.