How is the igloo arranged?

What is an igloo? An igloo is the winter dwelling of the Eskimos. How to build an igloo? How is it arranged? Snow is not the best building material. But when there is nothing else at hand, then it will also fit for housing construction. If you follow a number of rules, a house made of snow will not let you freeze and will cover you reliably from the icy wind. The Canadian Eskimos, who live in incredibly extreme conditions, are fluent in the art of snow building.

Most of us heard at school the fact that the Eskimos live in an igloo. This is a domed house made of snow bricks, the name of which is simply translated from the Eskimo language - "winter housing". The Eskimos build their igloos in winter, although in the regions where they live, this time lasts most of the year.

Many people believe that the igloo is built from snow and ice. This is not so, because there is only snow is at the disposal of the northern builders. At the same time, far from any snow is suitable - the Eskimos distinguish well between its different types and unmistakably choose the most suitable snow. For the erection of an igloo, only the snow is taken, on which a clear footprint remains.

The igloo is built from snow bricks-blocks that are not molded, but cut with a special "snow knife". Since the snow house is round in plan and has a domed shape, it is quite clear that the blocks must have a special shape. They raise the igloo in a spiral, starting with small but wide blocks. Each element rests on the blocks of the bottom row at three points.

The Eskimos close up the seams between the blocks with snow, so the walls of the igloo look monolithic and are not blown by the wind. The floor of the "winter housing" is below the level of snow - this is an important condition for keeping it warm inside. The entrance to the igloo is made in the form of a tunnel starting in the floor. If the snow level is low, then the entrance corridor, as well as the igloo walls, is made up of snow blocks.

The art of surviving in the snow

Eskimos are taught to build an igloo in childhood, so adult residents of northern Canada are fluent in this art. Usually, the construction of housing designed for 2-3 people takes no more than an hour. Certain standards developed over the centuries are observed during igloo construction.

For one person they build an igloo with a diameter of 2.7 meters, for two about 3 meters, for three - 3.4 meters. The size of an igloo takes into account more than just living space. The diameter is important in terms of heat retention and air circulation. The ability to erect an igloo is vital for people living in endless snowy expanses. In case of a sudden snowstorm, an Eskimo can make himself a shelter wherever bad weather finds him.

For the conditions of the Far North, igloos are much more suitable than tents and even insulated yurts. Therefore, many explorers of the North adopted their art from the indigenous peoples. The Canadian explorer Viljalmur Stefansson in 1914 published the book "The Great Sledding Way", in which he spoke about the construction of the igloo. The traveler described entire villages of large and small buildings, interconnected by passages.

“The main lodging could easily accommodate twenty people overnight. This part of the snow house turned into a high portal like a hall, where people brushed off the snow. A spacious bright annex adjoined the main dwelling, where two families settled. We had plenty of fat and therefore 7-8 lamps burned at a 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. ”

Eskimos cover the floors of the igloo with skins, and sometimes decorate the walls with them. Lighting and heating are provided by bowls with burning fat. Everyone who has been in an igloo is surprised to note that it is comfortable inside. The heat from the bowls and the breath of people melts the snow on the surface of the walls and it is covered with ice. Thanks to this, dry microclimate is maintained in the igloo. The colder it is outside, the more you can heat the air inside.