Dacha - Russian summer life

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For Russians, the seasonal home or the “dacha,” which is traditionally a small, wooden cottage with a few rooms, is a switch-up fromcity life but not built for relaxing. While families are staying at their dacha, they’re always on the move, working around the property, socializing with neighbours, hiking, or swimming. And because the second home is all about bonding time with the family, the ritual of cooking and eating together is hugely important. Nearly all dachas are surrounded by gardens where Russians grow fresh vegetables to feed the household. In recent years they’ve also adopted the western traditions of cultivating flowerbeds and landscaping as well. Nearly a third of Russians own a dacha themselves, but through the tight bonds of extended family, most still spend time at one during the summer.
 
There is also a growing population of wealthy Russians who are transforming traditional notions of the dacha by building huge, ostentatious mansions with columns and turrets for their summer getaways.