Stoves and Ovens

114. Smith described pre-Mongol stoves which were supported by posts or built on a solid frame over a small pit. He also clearly summarized the traditional positioning of the stove, which varied according to region but was always in a corner of the room. See R. E. F. Smith, “The Russian Stove,” Oxford Slavonic Papers, New Series, vol. XVIII (1985), 86, 91.

115. Unlike many other travelers to Russia in the nineteenth century, Kohl spoke Russian. His detailed account of what he saw is a pleasure to read since little escaped the notice of this seasoned German traveler who admired the Russians and their way of life, even their stoves. Johann George Kohl, Russia (1842; rpt. New York: Arno Press & The New York Times, 1970), 45.