Baba Yaga is central to many Russian fairytales. She is an old witch that lives deep in the forest and owns lots of magical objects. She has a mirror that works same as a crystal ball, and flies around in a giant wooden mortar steering with her broomstick. She has a black cat, sometimes a pet raven that sits on her shoulder, and a huge cauldron to boil potions in. All in all pretty much a typical set of witch gear.
One thing that sets Baba Yaga apart from her Western kin is her housing arrangements. She lives in a live hut that has chicken feet. The hut is an avid runner and can transport Baba Yaga to any destination if flying in the mortar is not an option at the moment. It is also trained to obey orders to come and turn around. The hut does not have a name, it is called IZBUSHKA NA KUR'IH NOZHKAH which is a word for word translation of "A Small Hut With Chicken Feet".
When I was little, I really wanted to have IZBUSHKA like that. I had a lot of illustrated fairy tale books and in all the different pictures the IZBUSHKA did not look scary at all, it looked quite cozy even if a bit dirty and unkempt. I dreamt of finding one, cleaning it up and living in it.
So, it was only fitting that I would make IZBUSHKA for Halloween. I made one as a suncatcher last year and it was a great hit with my Russian family. This year I wanted to go a step further and make a 3D version, so here I present to you an IZBUSHKA NA KUR'IH NOZHKAH lamp. It is incredibly cute and has a 5-watt bulb in it, so it can be used as a night light. I hope you like it as much as I do!