Threshold into an igloo among the Eskimos. Eskimo dwelling: why the entrance to the igloo is always open and located so low

For a long time, people have been using any material suitable for this purpose to build their homes: some use wood of various species, some clay, and some have even found a use for snow. Yes, yes, we will talk about those very snow houses of the Eskimos, called “igloos”, which are so unusual for the perception of most people.

Translated from Inuktitut, “igloo” means “winter dwelling of the Eskimos.” Such houses are dome-shaped buildings, the diameter of which reaches about 3-4 meters, and the height - 2-2.5 meters. The main material for building igloos is ice or snow blocks compacted by the wind. At great depth snow cover, the entrance to the room is arranged in the floor, breaking through a small corridor to it. If the snow cover does not have the required depth, then the entrance is built in the wall, adding an additional corridor using snow blocks.

Each Eskimo camp has several buildings, where up to four related families are located. Eskimo housing is divided into two types: summer and winter. The first consists of stone buildings located on a slope, the floor of which is deepened into the ground. From below, a long passage of stones, partially buried in the ground, leads to the house. The last part of the passage, which is located above the floor, is covered with a wide slab of stone, and is at the same height as the bunks in the hut.

The snow house has a completely ordinary layout: the sleeping bunks are located in the back of the room, and there are bunks for lamps on the sides. When building walls above ground, stones or whale ribs are used, whose arcs are spaced so that their ends intersect each other (or both materials). Sometimes, when constructing the roof frame, whale ribs are used, adding supports to the structure. Seal skins are tightly tied to the finished frame (which allows for high-quality insulation of the house from ice), on which small heather bushes and another additional layer of skins are then laid in a thick layer.

Scheme of construction and arrangement of an igloo house

When constructing igloos, snow or ice slabs are used. The blocks are laid in a spiral, from right to left. To do this, two blocks in the first row are cut diagonally to the middle of the third, after which the construction of the second row can begin. During work, each row is slightly tilted so that a neat row is obtained. The small hole that remains at the top is closed from the inside using a wedge-shaped block. Then the builder, located inside the hut, seals all the cracks with snow.

The entrance tunnel digs through a snowdrift with outside, ending with a hatch in the floor of the building. If the layer of snow is shallow, then an entrance hole is cut in the wall of the igloo, and a corridor of snow blocks is laid out next to it.

In this video you can watch the process of building a snow igloo house

Secrets of building a reliable igloo

When working with blocks that are located next to each other, you should avoid touching their corners, otherwise the structure will become unstable. For convenience, it is recommended to leave a small triangular hole at the bottom of the joint of adjacent blocks (it can be easily sealed with snow in the future).
It is highly recommended not to move a block installed on a wall in one direction or another, as this may cause it to wear out and lose its original shape. You can simply place a block, trim off the strongly protruding parts on one side and below, and then carefully move it as close as possible to the adjacent block. Then, using a saw, its final finishing is carried out. It is recommended to lay the slabs with the “crust” side inside the structure, as it is more durable.
To make the work process easier, the upper hole in the dome can be carefully covered with one of the plates. Large cracks that are located between the blocks are sealed with pieces of crust, and small ones are treated with loose snow. Through holes and cracks are easiest to see in the evening, by the light of a small bowl of seal oil burning inside the igloo. Besides, warm air the joints will be slightly submerged, which will improve the quality of processing of holes and cracks.
Before lighting a fire inside the igloo, you need to make a hole with a diameter of approximately 10-15 cm on the leeward side in the upper part of the dome and attach a smoke extraction pipe made of strong crust to it.

For every person, a home is not just a place of solitude and relaxation, but a real fortress that protects from bad weather and allows you to feel comfortable and confident. Any hardships and long journeys are always easier to endure when you know that there is a place in the world where you can hide and where you are expected and loved. People have always strived to make their home as strong and comfortable as possible, even in those times when it was extremely difficult to achieve this. Now the ancient traditional dwellings of this or that people seem dilapidated and unreliable, but at one time they faithfully served their owners, protecting their peace and leisure.

Dwellings of the peoples of the north

The most famous dwellings of the peoples of the north are the tent, booth, yaranga and igloo. They still remain relevant today, as they meet all the requirements of the difficult conditions of the north.

This dwelling is perfectly adapted to nomadic conditions and is used by peoples who engage in reindeer herding. These include the Komi, Nenets, Khanty, and Enets. Contrary to popular belief, the Chukchi do not live in tents, but build yarangas.

The chum is a cone-shaped tent, which consists of high poles covered in summer time burlap, and in winter - skins. The entrance to the home is also covered with burlap. The cone-shaped chum allows snow to slide over its surface and not accumulate on the structure, and, in addition, makes it more resistant to wind. In the center of the home there is a fireplace, which is used for heating and cooking. Due to the high temperature of the source, precipitation seeping through the top of the cone quickly evaporates. To prevent wind and snow from falling under the lower edge of the chum, snow is raked from the outside to its base. The temperature inside the tent ranges from +13 to +20°C.

The whole family, including children, is involved in installing the chum. Skins and mats are placed on the floor of the home, and pillows, feather beds and sheepskin sleeping bags are used for sleeping.

The Yakuts lived in it during the winter. The booth is a rectangular structure made of logs with a flat roof. It was quite easy and quick to build. To do this, they took several main logs and placed them vertically, and then connected them with many smaller diameter logs. What was unusual for Russian dwellings was that the logs were placed vertically, slightly inclined. After installation, the walls were covered with clay, and the roof was covered first with bark and then with earth. This was done in order to insulate the home as much as possible. The floor inside the booth was trampled sand; even in severe frosts, its temperature did not drop below -5°C.

The walls of the booth consisted of a large number of windows, which were covered with ice before severe cold, and in the summer with calf afterbirth or mica.

To the right of the entrance to the dwelling there was a fireplace, which was a pipe coated with clay and going out through the roof. The owners of the house slept on bunks located to the right (for men) and to the left (for women) of the hearth.

This snow shelter was built by the Eskimos. They lived poorly and, unlike the Chukchi, they did not have the opportunity to build a full-fledged home.

The igloo was a structure made from ice blocks. It was dome-shaped and about 3 meters in diameter. In the case when the snow was shallow, the door and corridor were attached directly to the wall, and if the snow was deep, then the entrance was located in the floor and a small corridor led out from it.

When building an igloo prerequisite there was an entrance below floor level. This was done in order to improve the flow of oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. In addition, this location of the entrance allowed maximum heat retention.

Light entered the home through ice blocks, and heat was provided by fat bowls. An interesting point was that the walls of the igloo did not melt from the heat, but simply melted, which helped maintain a comfortable temperature inside the home. Even in the forty-degree frost, the temperature in the igloo was +20°C. The ice blocks also absorbed excess moisture, allowing the room to remain dry.

Nomad dwellings

The yurt has always been the dwelling of nomads. Now it continues to be a traditional home in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Altai. A yurt is a round-shaped dwelling covered with skins or felt. It is based on wooden poles arranged in the form of gratings. In the upper part of the dome there is a special hole for the exit of smoke from the fireplace.

Things inside the yurt are located along the edges, and in the center there is a fireplace, stones for which are always carried with you. The floor is usually covered with skins or boards.

This home is very mobile. It can be assembled in 2 hours and disassembled just as quickly. Thanks to the felt that covers its walls, heat is retained inside, and heat or extreme cold practically does not change the indoor climate. The round shape of this structure gives it stability, which is necessary in strong steppe winds.

Dwellings of the peoples of Russia

This building is one of the oldest insulated dwellings of the peoples of Russia.

The wall and floor of the dugout consisted of a square hole dug in the ground at a depth of 1.5 meters. The roof was made of planks and covered with a thick layer of straw and earth. The walls were also reinforced with logs and covered with earth on the outside, and the floor was covered with clay.

The disadvantage of such housing was that the smoke from the fireplace could only escape through the door, and the proximity groundwater made the room very damp. However, the dugout had significantly more advantages. These include:

Safety. The dugout is not afraid of hurricanes and fires.
Constant temperature. It is preserved as severe frosts, and in the heat.
Does not allow loud sounds and noise to pass through.
Virtually no repair required.
A dugout can be built even on uneven terrain.

The traditional Russian hut was built from logs, and the main tool was an ax. With its help, a small depression was made at the end of each log, into which the next log was secured. Thus, the walls were gradually built. The roof was usually made with a gable roof, which saved material. To keep the hut warm, forest moss was placed between the logs. When the house settled, it became dense and covered all the cracks. In those days there was no foundation and the first logs were placed on compacted ground.

The roof was covered with straw on top, as it served good remedy protection from snow and rain. The outside walls were coated with clay mixed with straw and cow dung. This was done for the purpose of insulation. The main role in maintaining heat in the hut was played by the stove, the smoke from which came out through the window, and from the beginning of the 17th century - through the chimney.

Dwellings of the European part of our continent

The most famous and historically valuable dwellings in the European part of our continent are: hut, hut, trullo, rondavel, palasso. Many of them still exist.

She is vintage traditional home Ukraine. The hut, unlike the hut, was intended for areas with a milder and warmer climate, and the peculiarities of its structure were explained by the small area of forests.

The mud hut was built on a wooden frame, and the walls consisted of thin tree branches, which were coated with white clay outside and inside. The roof was usually made of straw or reeds. The floor was earthen or plank. To insulate the home, its walls were coated from the inside with clay mixed with reeds and straw. Despite the fact that the huts had no foundation and were poorly protected from moisture, they could last up to 100 years.

This stone structure is traditional home residents of the Caucasus. The very first saklas were one-room ones with an earthen floor and had no windows. The roof was flat and there was a hole in it for the smoke to escape. In mountainous areas, sakli adjoin each other in the form of terraces. At the same time, the roof of one home is the floor of another. This construction was not only due to convenience, but also served as additional protection from enemies.

This type of dwelling is common in the southern and central regions of the Italian region of Puglia. Trullo is distinguished by the fact that it was created using dry masonry technology, that is, stones were laid on top of each other without the use of cement or clay. This was done so that by removing one stone, the entire house could be destroyed. The fact is that in this area of Italy it was prohibited to build houses, so if an official came to check, the trullo was quickly destroyed.

The walls of the house were made very thick so that they protected from extreme heat and saved from the cold. Trullos were most often one-room and had two windows. The roof had a cone shape. Sometimes, boards were placed on the beams located at the base of the roof, and thus a second floor was formed.

This is a common dwelling in Spanish Galicia (northwestern Iberian Peninsula). Pallasso was built in the mountainous part of Spain, so the main building material was stone. The dwellings had round shape with a cone-shaped roof. The roof frame was made of wood, and the top was covered with straw and reeds. There were no windows in the pallaso, and the exit was located on the east side.

Due to the peculiarities of its structure, the pallaso protected from cool winters and rainy summers.

Indian Dwellings

This is the home of the Indians of the north and northeast of North America. Currently, wigwams are used for various rituals. This dwelling is dome-shaped and consists of flexible, curved trunks held together by elm bark and covered with mats, corn leaves, bark or hides. At the top of the wigwam there is a hole for the smoke to escape. The entrance to the home is usually covered with a curtain. Inside there was a fireplace and places for sleeping and resting; food was prepared outside the wigwam.

Among the Indians, this dwelling was associated with the Great Spirit and personified the world, and the person who came out of it into the light left behind everything unclean. The chimney was believed to help establish a connection with the heavens and provide an entry point for spiritual power.

The Great Plains Indians lived in teepees. The dwelling has the shape of a cone and reaches a height of 8 meters. Its frame was made of poles made of pine or juniper. They were covered with bison or deer skin on top and reinforced with pegs at the bottom. Inside the dwelling, a special belt went down from the junction of the poles, which was attached to the ground with a peg and protected the tipi from destruction in strong winds. In the center of the dwelling there was a fireplace, and along the edges there were places for rest and utensils.

The tipi combined all the qualities that were necessary for the Indians of the Great Plains. This dwelling was quickly disassembled and assembled, easily transported, and protected from rain and wind.

Ancient dwellings of other nations

This is the traditional home of the peoples of southern Africa. It has a round base and a cone-shaped roof; the walls consist of stones held together with sand and manure. The inside is coated with clay. Such walls perfectly protect their owners from extreme heat and bad weather. The base of the roof is made up of round beams or poles made of branches. It is covered with reeds on top.

Minka

The traditional dwelling in Japan is the minka. The main material and frame of the house is made of wood and filled with woven branches, reeds, bamboo, grass, and coated with clay. Inside the main part Japanese house- this is one large room, divided into zones by movable partitions or screens. There is almost no furniture in a Japanese house.

Traditional home different nations is the legacy of their ancestors, sharing experiences, preserving history and reminding people of their roots. There is much in them worthy of admiration and reverence. Knowing their characteristics and fate, one can understand how difficult it was for a person to build a durable home and protect it from bad weather, and how invariably age-old wisdom and natural intuition helped him in this.

Igloo, translated from Inuktitut (as most Inuit Canadian dialects call it), means “winter dwelling of the Eskimos.” The igloo is a dome-shaped building with a diameter of 3-4 meters and a height of approximately human height.

They build it from what is at hand, and in the winter tundra the only building materials at hand are snow... An igloo is built from snow or ice blocks compacted by the wind. If the snow is deep, the entrance to the igloo is made in the floor, and a corridor is dug to the entrance. If the snow is not deep enough, you have to make an entrance in the wall, and an additional corridor of snow blocks is added to it.

Construction process:

1. Using a cord, draw a circle-the floor of the hut. The diameter of the igloo is determined by the number of group members. However, it is advisable to start learning how to build it from a small size.

2. The location for the construction of the igloo is selected depending on the availability of hard flooring. The slabs for the first row are cut to size 60x40x20 cm, and for the subsequent ones - slightly smaller. They are placed with the crust surface inward.

3. The slabs of the first row are installed at an angle of 20-25° and cut obliquely in order to lay out subsequent rows in a spiral with an increase in inclination per turn by about 5°. In this case, the angle of inclination of the upper rows will be about 45°, and the diameter of the hole will be no more than 50-70 cm.

4. The reliability of the igloo design is achieved by the spherical shape, the laying of slabs in a spiral and the shape of the slabs, the outer edge of which is larger than the inner one, which prevents the slab from falling inward.

5. The stable position of the slab (for example, No. 36) will be at three points of contact: along the bottom edge - two corner points (A and B), and with the previous slab (No. 35) - the upper right corner (B). A noticeable convergence of at least two of the three contact points deprives the slab of stability.

6. Before installing the next slab, it is shaped into a trapezoid of the desired dimensions. The slabs are adjusted on the wall: the side edges of adjacent slabs are trimmed so that reliable contact is achieved at all three points.

7. Finally, the slab is placed like this: first, vertically on the lower edge, then, slowly tilting it up into the hut, achieving a tight fit of adjacent slabs at the top point (B). The desired slope is achieved by trimming the edge or lightly tapping the slab from the outside.

8. All vertical joints of the slabs of the lower row must be overlapped by the slabs of the upper row, and some slabs (for example, No. 37 and 45) overlap two joints, otherwise, with a decrease in the diameter of the spiral, the slabs decrease so much that the support points will come closer together and the slabs in the upper rows will lose stability.

9. The hole at the top is closed with a plate - after leveling the top edge of the last spiral.

10. The gaps between the slabs are plugged with pieces of dense snow and clogged with loose snow.

11. Traditionally, the entrance to the igloo is made in the form of a hole below the floor level. In our practice, the hole is arranged at floor level and closed from the inside with a backpack or curtain (material, foam mat, etc.).

Experience shows that it is less labor-intensive to build two small interlocking igloos than one large one for the entire group. In any case, beginners should ignore this advice

As a result of heating, the internal surfaces of the walls melt, but the walls do not melt. The colder it is outside, the higher the heat the igloo can withstand from the inside. After all, wet snow loses its heat-protective properties and allows the cold to pass through more easily. Having made its way through the thickness of the block, the frost freezes the inner surface of the walls, which has begun to melt, and the temperature pressure outside and inside is balanced. It is known that Finnish snipers and mountain rangers of the German Wehrmacht were trained in the skills of building igloos. Today, igloo huts are used in ski tourism as emergency housing in case of problems with the tent or a long wait for better weather.

Arctic and Antarctic explorer Irishman Shackleton once complained about the difficult fate of explorers of the Southern continent: “There are no Eskimos in Antarctica that we could hire, as Peary did, to build snow houses for us.” So Amundsen, according to Shackleton, although he experienced a temperature of 62 ° C during the expedition to the North Magnetic Pole, was much happier: “It should be remembered that there were Eskimos with him, who built him a snow house every night.” The Eskimos cover the bed with a double layer of reindeer skins, and the bottom layer is laid with the flesh side up, and upper layer- flesh down. Sometimes old skin from a kayak is placed under the skins. This three-layer insulation serves as a comfortable soft bed.

The igloo is a forced invention of the North American Eskimos. If the Arctic had been abundant with firewood, the Eskimos might have invented wooden houses. But stingy nature provided them with only snow, albeit in unlimited quantities. The Eskimos sighed and sighed and turned ordinary snow into extraordinary construction material, confirming in the most unexpected way the original Russian proverb - the need for invention is cunning. Judge for yourself.

Snow is easy to handle. You can cut anything from it building construction- bricks, blocks, panels, beams, etc. If you wish, you can build a typical nine-story house in life size with entrances, benches at the doors and even baths, toilets and gas stoves, all fashioned from the same snow. Creative possibilities Here we are limited only by the author's imagination. No equipment is required to carry and lift the blocks - a snow brick measuring 100x60x20 cm can be lifted by one person. Let him try to do the same with concrete! Another important detail is the complete absence of a shortage of building materials, which in the central regions is offered in unlimited quantities from November to April, in the Arctic almost all year round. There’s no need to open funds, write out orders, or stand in line—and even then you don’t have to! Take a shovel and shovel as much as your heart desires! The only negative is the impossibility of exporting to countries with hot climates.

So, the building material was found. Now I will bring to the reader’s attention the design of the dwelling itself. What kind of house is this - an igloo?

Imagine a huge cup, three meters in diameter and a little less in height, made of snow, turned upside down. Neither the wind is afraid of it - thanks to its spherical shape, the wind flow does not crush the walls, but flows around them, nor the frost. Strength? At least the three of you climb in. Eyewitnesses say that such a snow house visits polar bear can withstand, and it weighs five centners!

Dimensions? Not limited. This is how the Danish traveler-ethnographer Knud Rasmussen describes the igloo house: “The main housing could easily accommodate twenty people for the night. This part of the snow house led into a high portal, like a hall, where people cleared snow off themselves before entering the living space. On the other side, adjacent to the main dwelling was a spacious, bright extension where two families lived. We had plenty of fat, and therefore 7-8 lamps were burning at the same time, which is why it became so warm in these walls of white snow blocks that people could walk around half naked to their fullest pleasure.”

And this is about thermal comfort. If desired, you can arrange the tropics in the igloo. In the igloo you can light primus stoves, light fires (if you are not afraid of smoke), install potbelly stoves, you can even arrange a steam bath! But how can that be? Why doesn't an igloo, heated from the inside, melt? After all, even near-zero temperatures are fatal for snow.

Very simple. Let’s say the temperature inside the igloo rises to +20°C. It was quite natural that the walls began to leak. But wet snow, as you know, loses its heat-protective properties and allows the cold to pass through more easily. Having made its way through the thickness of the block, the frost freezes the inner surface of the walls, which has begun to melt. The temperature pressure outside and inside is balanced. Therefore, the stronger the frost outside, the higher the heating the “ignule” can withstand from the inside. The walls "float"

Of course, if the temperature inside the igloo is raised above +30°C, it will start dripping from the ceiling. But this is not the biggest inconvenience: it is enough to build an improvised gable roof, throwing a rectangular piece over a stick stuck into the walls polyethylene film to keep people dry. Water will roll into the corners and freeze on the snow.

The best snow for constructing an igloo is considered to be medium-density snow, which can be slightly pressed with your foot. It is easy to cut, durable, not heavy. Most often, this type of snow is found in open, wind-blown spaces, on the tops of ridges, bare hills, near uneven terrain, near large stones, slope bends, and sastrugi. The depth of the snow cover at the site of the future quarry should not be less than 0.6-0.7 m. It is better to lay the quarry on the leeward side of the construction site, and if the igloo is being built on a slope, above the construction site, which will significantly facilitate the transportation of finished blocks (they can be will just roll down).

The quarry is a pit measuring 1x1 m and 50-60 cm deep at the edge, in the pit-quarry with a hacksaw, shovels; Using a long knife, the heel of the ski cuts out brick blocks. We once as cutting tool We used an ordinary spruce stick, but the productivity in this case, of course, drops by 2-3 times. If the snow is uniformly dense in depth, it is convenient to cut narrow, vertical bricks. If only the top layer of snow is strong, the blocks are cut horizontally.

The block, cut on four sides, is separated from the snow monolith by a slight blow of the foot along the bottom edge. As the quarry lengthens, the blocks are cut on only three sides. The first 15-20 blocks that will serve as the foundation future igloo, are manufactured in as large a size as possible, up to 100×50x30 cm.

After preparing the blocks, a circle is drawn on a horizontally trampled area using a rope compass or a long stick. The diameter of an igloo designed for one person must be at least 2.4 m, for two - 2.7 m, for three - 3 m, for four - 3.6 m. The specified dimensions will provide a person with greatest comfort, but in emergency cases An igloo like this can accommodate double the number of residents.

The first row of blocks is laid out along the perimeter of the outlined circle from the outside, after which it is cut diagonally along the entire length, right down to the bottom edge, to form the beginning of a spiral. The first block of the second row is installed on the resulting step. The blocks of the lower rows are laid with a 25-30 degree tipping inside the circle. The inclination of the blocks in the upper rows can reach 40-50% of the deviation from the vertical.

When building, you need to remember a few little secrets. Adjacent blocks should never touch each other bottom corners, otherwise they will find themselves in an unstable position. The vertical joints of blocks in adjacent rows should not coincide. It is not recommended to move the installed block back and forth along the wall, as it wears out and loses its original shape. It is better to lay brick-blocks with a more durable, crusty material inside the igloo.

The upper hole in the dome is closed with one polygonal slab or 2-3 flat ones

long blocks laid close to each other on the last row bricks. Large cracks between the blocks can be filled with crust fragments, small ones can be filled with loose snow. The best way to see the cracks and through holes in the dome is in the evening, when a candle is burning inside the igloo.

A manhole tunnel is dug under the finished dome of the igloo on the leeward side. As with the construction of a cave, we must strive to ensure that it is located below floor level. If the igloo is standing on shallow snow, it is permissible to cut an entrance hole in the wall at ground level and close it with a door block

Inside the igloo, especially if the entrance is made at floor level, you can arrange a bed 30-40 cm high.

If you plan to make a fire in the igloo, then in the upper part of the dome you need to cut a hole with a diameter of 10-15 cm, to which attach a pipe cut from a strong crust with through hole for smoke extraction. In this case, the fire in the igloo must be made from dry, low-smoking wood and very small in size. In case of heavy smoke, you can cut an additional window in the dome, which is subsequently closed from the outside with a block.

An igloo is one of the most reliable snow shelters, capable of protecting a person from any vagaries of the weather. Suffice it to remember that the Eskimos, living in the harshest conditions of the polar Arctic, until recently did not know any other winter dwellings at all! Having perfect snow construction skills, any Eskimo, according to Knud Rasmussen, could single-handedly build a spacious igloo that could accommodate 4-5 people in just 3/4 of an hour! To modern man Such speeds, of course, are beyond our capabilities.

Even a well-equipped traveler with experience in constructing large shelters requires 1.5-2 hours to build an average-sized igloo. For beginners and those who are far from Eskimo, the result should be increased by at least 2 times. When the construction of an igloo is carried out by 2 people - one cuts and transports the blocks, the other lays out the dome - time costs are reduced by 30-35%, but no more.

In any case, the construction of igloos should begin long before darkness, fatigue, or weather changes. Saving time in such cases is unacceptable!

I'll give you a few more tips.

You should never try to build a large needle at once. The difficulty of building an Eskimo snow hut increases in direct proportion to its size. If the construction of a 2-meter igloo is accessible to any beginner, then even an experienced professional cannot always master a 3-4-meter one. In cases where you get into trouble large group people, it is much easier and faster to build 3-4 or 10 small igloos than one large one.

A person starting to build an igloo for the first time can be advised to first build a small snow hut, 1.5 m in diameter. This will help you understand its design features, master construction technology, and eliminate many common mistakes for beginners. In case of emergency, you can always spend the night or wait out bad weather in such an experimental igloo.

You must always be prepared for the fact that the construction of the igloo will have to be repeated many times. And don’t give up and don’t despair! And work as long as it takes to build warm housing. At least twice as long as you have to stay in it.

We once rebuilt a similar snow hut seven times, spending a total of six hours on construction! Almost finished design crumbled at the slightest touch. And I had to start all over again. And outside, by the way, it was night, -38°C, and a strong wind was blowing, with drifting snow. And we were on a bare rocky patch inside a cloud that had crawled onto the ridge. And the light bulb in our flashlight burned out, and we had to illuminate it with the fire of three cigarettes simultaneously thrust into our mouths. I really wanted to retreat then, because it seemed: it was impossible to even build a dog kennel from such a crust. But we continued to cut and place blocks. And the eighth attempt was successful. It was then that we realized that the success or failure of snow construction depends not on the quality of the snow, but on the stubbornness of the builder!

If a classic spiral igloo does not work out for one reason or another, it is advisable to carry out construction according to a simplified, non-spiral scheme. By the way, travelers very rarely build a correct spiral igloo; usually each group develops its own, simplified scheme for constructing a circular igloo. To build an igloo, you first need to choose a flat area with dense and deep snow. Loose, fluffy snow is not good.

Using a rope and a knife, draw a circle that will determine the size of your home based on next calculation: for one person - 2.4, for two - 2.7. It must be remembered that the larger the hut, the more difficult it is to build. If there are a lot of people, it is better to build many small igloos. Each Igloo brick “falls” not so much down, but sideways, leaning on its neighbor in a spiral below. In this way you can assemble a vertical vault large diameter, if you accurately maintain the pitch of the spiral and the curvature of the circumference of the hemisphere, which is convenient to control with a knot on a regular rope from a peg in the center of the building. Wind-blown snow is an excellent building material, like polystyrene foam. Having a long thin knife, a light duralumin plate and a hacksaw, you can use it to build a warm, cozy hut - an igloo. I was amazed at the strength of the fragile snow turned into an igloo! In the morning, leaving the place where we spent the night, we tested its strength. The snow dome could easily support the weight of four hefty men!

In a small igloo at first glance, five to seven people, the entire tourist group, are located with great comfort. When the candle is burning inside, you can read a book. When the primus burns, the thermometer under the dome shows +20 degrees. In any snowstorm, it’s quiet and warm inside... To learn how to build an igloo, I had to read a bunch of books, diary entries of famous polar explorers, tips and recommendations from tourist authorities. At first we used Berman's vague recommendations. Construction took more than 5 hours, physically and mentally exhausted 12 people, and only seven fit inside. Before practical application the igloo was far away: - (Here is what the famous Piri wrote in his diary: ... Two Eskimos were with me. Every evening, armed with long knives, they selected a snow blower and quite quickly built an igloo ... - Meager, but very helpful information. All that remains is to interview his companions :-) One day I came across William Stefanson’s amazing book “The Hospitable Arctic” (If you find it, be sure to read it!) To adopt the survival techniques of the Eskimos, he lived in their tribe for six months. And then, he led a number of amazing polar expeditions. Everything in the book is laid out...

The four of us built the “fastest” igloo for seven in 45 minutes! This is comparable to setting up a tent, but of course, much more comfortable.

The initial stage of construction of a circular igloo is no different from the construction of a spiral igloo - a quarry is laid out, a circle is outlined in the snow, and the first row of blocks is laid out. Just don't cut it diagonally. It is enough just to place the last brick in the row non-standard, 30-40 cm higher than the rest. Against it, tilting it and slightly pushing it inside the circle, lean the first block of the second row, against that, in turn, another one, and so on. To installed blocks under their own weight they do not collapse inwards, they must be supported.

It is most convenient to work with three people - one person feeds the bricks inside, another installs, adjusts, grinds them to the already standing blocks, the third keeps the entire unfinished row from falling. The last laid brick wedges the finished row-ring, preventing it from collapsing. When working alone, the task becomes somewhat more difficult. In this case, you need to place pre-prepared blocks inside the needle. Each block installed on the bottom row, as well as any other block that is in an unstable position, should be supported from the inside with a ski or stick stuck into the snow. With some skill, you can adapt to keep the row from falling with your knee, hip, shoulder, while simultaneously installing the next block. Fixing the last brick ensures the immobility of the entire row. Due to the 30-40° tilt and extension of the snow bricks inside, the rings of the rows gradually narrow, forming a regular hemisphere of the igloo. You can pull out the blocks when the row is completely finished.

To do this, you literally need to saw down the joints of the blocks, millimeter by millimeter, moving them toward you, inside the igloo. With some skill, you can achieve the fact that the top row will protrude deeper than the underlying one by more than a third of its thickness. The hole remaining in the upper part of the dome is closed in the same way as in a classic igloo. The protruding corners of the blocks inside the igloo can be cut off with a saw (Fig. 196).

If the igloo dome cannot be closed, you can complete it as if building a snow hut. Place improvised beams on the edges of the walls, which are covered with a piece of fabric or plastic film. The resulting flat roof cover with a layer of snow. In a German town with a mind-blowing name – Mitterfirmiansreut – people went even further. Here in December 2011, an entire church was built from snow and ice. There was no construction of such a facility a simple experiment. It had its own history. In 1910, a severe storm prevented parishioners from reaching the local church. Then they decided to build a temple from the most available materials. This is how the idea of an amazing snow church arose. Snow and ice turned out to be quite durable materials. During the month the church receives a large number of parishioners However, after this period, it begins to collapse.

In cases where it is not possible to prepare a large number of blocks, and there is enough snow

To do this, a circle with a diameter of 1-1.5 m is drawn on the surface of the snowdrift. The snow is removed from the circle to a depth of at least 1.5 m. A deep round hole is obtained. Along its perimeter, a small dome is constructed from blocks laid in rows using any of the described methods - spiral, ring. Of course, such a shelter turns out to be very cramped, but its internal volume can be increased by blasting the walls to the sides. Moreover greatest number snow should be selected in the lower part of the pit adjacent to the floor, the smallest part - with a wide base and a narrowed neck, closed at the top with a small dome. There is no need to fear that after construction is completed, the cut edges of the pit will not hold up and will collapse under the weight of the walls. The constructed dome, gradually subsiding and thawing, acquires solidity, due to which the pressure on the “foundation” is balanced. But, of course, you shouldn’t go overboard with undermining. The most convenient, from the point of view of organizing everyday life, and at the same time durable shelter, is where the angle of inclination of the walls of the pit is equal to the angle of inclination of the walls of the dome (approximately 40-50°), that is, in fact, one wall is a continuation of the other. But, of course, each construction is individual, and the angles of inclination of the walls depend on the strength of the snow.

Finally, if the crust has not yet compacted properly and has a layered structure, you can build an igloo from flat, 10 cm or less thick, pancake-shaped blocks. To do this, the bricks are laid flat so that each top row protrudes inside the circle a third deeper than the bottom one. The row of rings will gradually narrow until they close together. The hole in the center of the dome is closed with one flat plate with a ledge at the bottom.

However, it should be remembered that an igloo built from flat blocks is not stable enough, and therefore its diameter should not exceed 1.5-2 m. Otherwise, the dome may simply collapse inward. Increase inner dimensions shelter is possible by blowing up the wall to the sides and removing a 30-50 cm layer of snow from the floor

In the mountains, on large slopes, if there is a strong crust, you can build a block semi-cave. To do this, you need to find a natural niche-recess in the rock and cover its open part with a wall of snow blocks. It is better to dig the entrance from below under the finished wall

On snowy slopes, a niche is dug using available tools and is also covered with a wall of blocks.

The described structures do not exhaust the list of snow shelters used in emergency situations. Victims often use shelters that include elements of the most different designs. It all depends on the specific conditions of the accident and the capabilities of the victims.

Using open fires inside snow shelters poses a certain danger. In case of incomplete combustion of some flammable materials in ambient air may stand out carbon monoxide, deadly to humans.

Cold overnight in a snow shelter

Sit close to each other, trying to achieve the maximum area of contact between the bodies.

Fasten all buttons and zippers, tighten sleeve cuffs and trouser legs, and put on the hood.

Wring out wet clothes. Drink hot tea, coffee, broth. Insulate your legs and head as much as possible. There are sugar- and fat-containing foods. Mark the location of the shelter. Sit on an insulating mat. Have a tool in the shelter to clear the entrance hole.

If necessary, warm your hands with swings. Perform other physical activities to warm up your muscles.

Spread out throughout the shelter. Leaving people unattended. Undress in the shelter. Stay in wet clothes. Drinking alcohol. Sleep when there is a risk of freezing. Leave unattended open fire. During construction, position the entrance to the wind. Lie and sit in the snow. Overheat and sweat when building shelters.

Rebuild the shelter at night. Leave the shelter in the dark and absolutely necessary.

Eskimos, residents of the northernmost regions of our planet, have skills to survive in difficult climatic conditions that would be the envy of any resident middle zone. One of most important inventions Eskimos, time-tested, are igloos - traditional houses made of ice and snow. We will tell you about the features of this amazing structure in our review.

Researchers believe that Eskimo tribes settled the Arctic in the 11th-12th centuries. Today, the Eskimos number about 170,000 people, and they live mainly in three regions: the Danish island of Greenland, northern Canada and the US state of Alaska. By the way, Eskimo is an Indian word that literally translates as “raw food eater,” and the Eskimos themselves call themselves Inuit.

The traditional dwellings of the Eskimos are the summer yaranga - a dome-shaped structure made of animal skins and snow igloos, which build during the cold season. Building a real igloo is not such a simple job and requires certain skills and knowledge.

The igloo can be built in a large drift of dense snow or made from individual ice blocks. The igloos are small in size: about 3-4 meters in diameter and no more than 2 meters in height. If there are no suitable snowdrifts, then the igloo is built from blocks that are cut out of ice or snow. The blocks are laid in a circle, which gradually tapers towards the ceiling. In order for the structure to gain greater strength, it is watered during construction. The windows are made from ice blocks, but the igloo can also have no windows. In this case, sunlight penetrates through the snow walls.

The most important thing, from the point of view of the functionality of the entire building, is proper arrangement the entrance to the needle. If the igloo is built in a large snowdrift, then the entrance is made directly in the floor, and a tunnel is dug to exit to the surface. If the igloo is built from blocks, then the entrance is always made below, at floor level. At the same time, there is no door in a traditional home; the entrance is always open.

Such a low entrance is made so that the warm air located under the ceiling does not escape outside. But the igloo is open so that there is always an influx of fresh air saturated with oxygen into the small room. If there are several people in the igloo and an oil lamp or cooking fire is burning, which is also used as a heater, then a lot of carbon dioxide is formed in the air, and the oxygen content decreases. The heavier carbon dioxide sinks down and exits through the low inlet, instead entering Fresh air.

Despite the fact that most Eskimos no longer live in their traditional houses made of ice and snow, there are still Eskimo communities that build igloos and hunt sea animals. In addition, polar explorers and some tourists who go on winter hikes know the technique of building igloos, because a shelter made of snow is very convenient.

An igloo is built from snow blocks. Snow is compacted, because in this state it is lighter than ice. These snow panels trap air between the snowflakes. It protects against the cold and contains a lot of air between its snowflakes. Air conducts heat poorly and protects against cold well.

The igloo is built from the inside. To do this, blocks cut with a hacksaw are placed in a circle. The blocks should not touch each other with their lower corners. Because of this, the structure may lose stability and the house will collapse. To prevent this from happening, small triangular holes are left in these places. Then they can be easily sealed. Vertical joints should also not match. Otherwise, a long crack along its entire length will form in this place. It is not recommended to move blocks. Protruding parts better later cut with a hacksaw.

To prevent the structure from melting, the outside air temperature should not be higher than 0°C. This condition is easily met. After all, for Arctic regions such temperatures are completely normal. The inside of the house does not melt even if it is heated with lamps. This becomes possible thanks to the rounded shape of the roof: water does not drip, but is absorbed into the walls. Therefore, it is dry inside the snow hut.

A vent is punched into the dome for ventilation. As a rule, on the contrary, a bed is built from the same blocks. And finally, they cut out the door.

Why is it warm inside an igloo?

To keep the room warm, the door to the hut should be below floor level. In this case, oxygen comes in and carbon dioxide comes out. The Eskimos heated and cooked food in their homes using a device for burning melted fat - a fat burner. They used live fire only for cooking food or tea. At the same time, the temperature there was never lower than 5 degrees Celsius. This temperature is quite comfortable to bear if you also take cover warm blanket made of fur. If you sleep on animal skins, it will be even warmer. After all, it is an excellent heat insulator. In addition, it does not allow the snow floor to melt.

The colder it is outside, the higher the temperature in the igloo. This occurs due to the ability of wet snow to lose its heat-protective properties. Frost, freezing the inner surface of the walls that had begun to thaw. Thus, the temperature outside and inside the igloo is balanced. In addition, a snow dome has very little thermal conductivity. Therefore, human heat is sufficient to maintain a slight positive temperature.