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Vestibule Windows

In a traditional Russian cottage, or izba [изба], there was a small unheated room where visitors could take off their shoes and coats. It was called the seni [сени], and you can think of it as something like a Siberian airlock, a transitionary space that could help buffer a home from the cold. Nowadays the word seni is a little old-fashioned, more likely to refer to a part of a historical building, but the basic idea survives in Almaty as the veranda [веранда], sometimes called a tambur [тамбур] (though this is mostly used to describe the transitional space between train cars). Because they're unheated, these vestibules can afford to have huge panes of glass, and this is what I most like about them. On sunny days, a veranda is as bright inside as a greenhouse, and between the windowpanes strips of wood (called muntins in English) form rhombi and delightful patterns. It's a shame that they're usually blocked from view by high metal gates, but when you do get a look at one, you'll be struck by the fragility that all that glass lends to an otherwise solid home.  

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Wanna get out of Almaty?

Head over to our sister company, Dostar Trips. Our friend Gaukhar (a legend!) will get you out on adventures to the natural wonders of Almaty Province: Sharyn Canyon, Kolsai Lakes, Altyn Emel and beyond. 

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Need help with a booking?
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