Back-packs are stuffed with food and plants, and cars piled high with lumber and supplies to take to the country. Dachas are privately owned country houses or cottages located anywhere from the near suburbs to over 200 kilometers away. Dachas are built of wood or brick and can be quite large. Running water in a dacha is a luxury, the toilet is often in a separate building in the yard, showers are a rarity, separate Russian-style bath houses, located near a lake or river, are more frequent.
Most dachas have electricity, telephones are few and the stove provides heat.
In general, they are a special place to be in the summer. Gardening is a major activity and almost every respectable dacha has a large garden with flowers, berries, fruits and vegetables. The most fashionable areas are on Karelskiy Peninsula, on the Finland Gulf Coast. Dachas there have better facilities, more stores nearby, hotels with restaurants and better roads. Many firms now build luxurious dachas.