A fortochka (Russian: фо́рточка, IPA: [ˈfortətɕkə] ) is a small ventilation window generally not greater than 35x45 cm. It usually spans the frame of one window pane and opens on hinges independently of the whole window. Fortochkas are in common use in Russia, other post-Soviet states (Ukrainian: кватирка, kvatyrka), and Finland (Finnish: tuuletusikkuna).
A fortochka can be used for ventilation during cold winters, when opening a whole window would be impractical for heat conservation purposes.
The window was designed by Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli for the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg in 1754.
Cultural significance
The true origin of the word appears lost, but its nearest relative appears to be the German "pforte," for "gate" or "gap". Someone referred to as a "fortochnik" is a criminal specializing in the challenging art of sneaking into and out of a fortochka. In the realm of dream interpretation, fortochkas have at least 4 roles – a broken one indicates a wasted effort; a dusty one indicates someone is spreading ill rumors about you; if you look through one, your dreams will come true; if you open one, your life will take a positive turn.
See also
References
- Martinot, Eric (1997). Investments to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Existing Residential Buildings in Countries of the Former Soviet Union (1. print. ed.). Washington, DC: World Bank. p. 117. ISBN 0-8213-4057-3. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
- "Master: fortochka". cr.middlebury.edu. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- "Russian 'Fortochka' window". en.villumwindowcollection.com. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/german-english/pforte
- "The serial tyrant known as Fortochnik condemned for 12,5 years of a colony". news.myseldon.com. 2023-07-05. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
 | This architectural element–related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |