Krepostuusta

Krepostuusta is a traditional Russian living arrangement primarily found in the Far North, particularly among indigenous peoples of the region. The term, also spelled as "kresta" or "krepost", roughly translates to "boarded house" or "shelter". This type of housing is notable for its unique construction method, where wooden structures, often in the form of raised platforms, are built to provide a snug and weather-tight space.

A Krepostuusta, typically rectangular in shape, consists of a series of wooden boards placed vertically on top of each other, creating the structure's walls and sometimes the roof. The boards are often made from solid logs or split logs, cut to a similar thickness, which are stacked flat on top of each other. These compartments are then sealed with smaller wooden planks and other materials, to provide a warm and dry interior. This technique provides a space-warm ratio that outperforms traditional techniques, making the space liveable in harsh sub-Arctic temperatures.

Krepostuusta is a ancient Russian habitation form, dating back hundreds of years. Its further development continued well into the Soviet era. Nowadays, Krepostuusta is still used as a preferred abode by some inhabitants in more remote and hard-to-reach areas. In its current form, Krepostuusta allows residents to conserve considerable space and preserve body heat, whereas traditional dwellings are particularly unstable against strong winds. Although decades of architectural development have made Krepostuusta appear relatively blunt to contemporary northern Russian architecture enthusiasts, its identifiers and appeal still clearly mark such dwellings.