William Kraft Broomfield

This article proposes an arc of development in the use of wood — a traditional, ubiquitous building material in Russia — within prevailing high cultural norms of architectural design. Adapted to neoclassical norms in the eighteenth century, the log structure was masked at estate mansions such as Kuskovo and Ostankino by plank siding or lathing with stucco to resemble a masonry structure. With changing cultural values toward historicism in architecture during the nineteenth century, the log structure was re-exposed as an expression of national authenticity. From the miniature architectural forms at Abramtsevo to the massive log structure at Pogorelovo, exposed wooden structures were seen by the cultural intelligentsia (another social elite) as an essential part of Russia's identity.