The method of construction of these wooden buildings was generally straightforward. Larch and spruce were used in the form of logs, squared beams and planks; the beams for the log walls being hewn and sawn from tall, straight-trunked trees. The harsh winter climate was particularly suited to log construction, the dwellings generally being warm in winter and yet cool in summer (Opolovnikov, 1989). Houses were principally of two storeys, the high ground floors protecting the upstairs living quarters from damp. Initially used as storage space, over time these ground floors began to be used for accommodation purposes. Houses often had attic storeys, usually facing the courtyard and here a balcony was frequently found (Figure 8). The attic storey made it possible to increase the useful area of the house while avoiding contravention of the city’s building regulations, which adhered to a strict plot ratio formula (Shepelev and Zaitseva, 1987). 

 In Vladivostok most of the major buildings in the city owed their origins to the civil and military administration there. Most buildings had simple plans and were executed in a series of styles - the local vernacular in brick, or kirpichnyi, being the most popular. Government buildings were based on designs by the engineering staff of the Governor’s office while the European and Japanese business communities brought in their own architects to embellish the city’s thoroughfares (Richardson, 1995). A good example of this is the Japanese consulate of 1916. Built in an enriched Russian classical style, it remains one of the city centre’s most imposing buildings (Figure 9). Churches and temples were built to serve the wide mix of religious beliefs in the city, including the Lutheran, Catholic, Taoist, Shinto and Buddhist faiths. Almost all of these places of worship were closed under Stalin, the Lutheran church later becoming a military museum (Figure 10)!