It was way back in the 16th century when the first Russian settlers traveled to the Urals. The area’s severe climate, along with the constant necessity to defend themselves from enemies, left its mark on the settlers’ way of life, as well as on the architecture. The village of Nizhnaya Sinyachikha is home to the best examples of wooden architecture, which reflect the history of the Urals over an almost 300-year period. Host Igor Maximenko visited the small town and discovered how peasant homes from the 17th century, built in the “nest” style, differ from those built in the 18th century, as well as why people in the Urals tended to paint their houses completely – from floor to ceiling.