I present my project, depicting the famous fortified house, characteristic of the Georgian region of Upper Svaneti. My idea was to reproduce this structure as faithfully as possible, while maintaining a number of interactive and play elements.

Inspiration

The fortified house is another of my projects stemming from my passion for travel. Georgia as a country is particularly important to me, because it was there that I went on my first trip, fully organized on my own. Although the country is well-known to travelers, few people still visit the beautiful region of Svaneti. And that's a pity, because - apart from the characteristic architecture - we will also find beautiful views and warm, hospitable people there.

History and theory

Fortified houses (called murkvamiani) have been built in Svaneti since the Middle Ages. In these uncertain times, the inhabitants of the valleys had to protect themselves from the notorious invasions from outside. This is how the “standardized” design of a fortified house was created, due to which the region of Upper Svaneti was eventually included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are dozens of similar dwellings in this region.

Each fortified house consisted of two main parts – residential and defensive. The lower part of the residential building was usually two-story. The lower room (machvibi) was windowless and entered through a twisted corridor that protected the residents from the weather. The entire family life was concentrated here, centered around the hearth, topped with a slate slab (akari) and the seat of the head of the family – a special chair, called makhvshi. A characteristic feature of the machvibi was that animals could use its heat and the accumulated water supplies. The animal pens were connected to the main room and fenced off with wooden walls. Animals could drink through arched “windows,” and the waterer was located inside the house. This element is also reproduced in my project.

The upper part of the residential house was the "summer residence", often closed for the winter. Its important element was a large wooden terrace. This section of the house was equipped with windows (sometimes with glass added) and it was from there that one could get to the defensive tower. If necessary, the passage between the tower and the house was blocked or demolished (sometimes it was a bridge). This element in the model was presented by using a simple mechanism that allows the wall section to be lowered and the tower to be cut off from the house.

The tower (murkvam) had a strictly defensive function. It could be accessed through the house or through the „main” entrance, placed high above the ground and a ladder that could be pulled inside (in the model, the ladder is foldable). The next levels of the tower were used for storage, and the upper one, decorated with a characteristic crown, allowed for throwing stones or dousing the invaders with liquids - during harsh winters, water alone was sufficient. Loads could be pulled to the top of the tower using a simple elevator, which is also reproduced in the model. Its position can be blocked with a useful plant growing next to the turnstile.

The "plaster" covering the house and tower usually did not withstand the weather conditions that prevailed in the valleys. For this reason, the beige houses quickly became "multi-colored", revealing the stones lying under the top layer. This feature was also reflected in the model.

Functions and features

The house model is built on a minifigure scale and fully equipped. All furniture and equipment are based on actual objects that can be found in such places. In my work, I supported myself with my own experience as well as external source materials. Among the non-standard elements there is also a painting, which is a brick reproduction of the 19th-century painting by Niko Pirosmani titled Razzle-dazzle of three princes - one of the most famous works of the Georgian primitivism.

The house is built on a partially sloping plan, which posed a certain challenge - especially in the area of the walls adjacent to the tower. It has been reinforced with a beam that stiffens the entire structure. I am very pleased with the fact that the model is devoid of "unnatural" gaps, and additionally looks interesting in the top view. The construction of the model is modular and very playable. In addition to the possibility of dividing the house and tower into segments, the model includes, among others, a secret "drawer" with treasure, a pull-out panel allowing access to the sheep pen, the aforementioned mechanism for "collapsing" the entrance to the tower, a foldable ladder and a functioning "elevator" with a simple lock. In addition, of course, there is a whole family of minifigures, presented with as much care as the palette of elements of this edition of the Program allowed me.

The LITERAL icing on the cake is the addition of winter (or rather: early spring) elements. I realize that the icicles on the roofs make it a bit difficult to put these modules aside to look inside the building, but their aesthetic value was too strong to completely give them up.