Here in Russia we have substantial house spirit culture. You see, a Russian home is rarely in perfect order. We love things, love keeping as much of our things on display as possible and we don’t get minimalism. Naturally, stuff gets lost, broken and mixed up, seemingly without your participation.

I don’t know if this was the case with ancient Slavic tribes, but they invented a house spirit we now call domovoi. He is mostly a well-meaning creature, but you better not provoke him. Also, he will mess with you just for fun. Tricks include: pestering your crops, bothering your cattle, pinching your wife while she sleeps and most importantly, hiding your stuff.

But if you cherish your domovoi, he’ll be on your team. I must have been good to mine, because after a year, he finally returned this blue maxi dress. I’m sure he reads this blog on my laptop at night, so here’s a little thank you note.

Dear Domovoi,

Thank you for your generosity the other day, I very much appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed wearing my dress as much as I do. I will continue to leave cookie crumbs around and inside computer keyboard for you, and you may keep spooking my cats from time to time. Hope we can keep this good thing going.

Yours truly,

Yana

Do you have house spirits in your culture?

Photos and editing by Natalia Karpova

Shop similar:

Some of the links in this post are affiliate. Proceeds support this blog.

Links à la Mode, July 30

• A Handful of Stories: Blue Maxi and a Thank You Note to My House Spirit
• Arisgold: How to Wear a Jumpsuit
• Attire Club: Fashion’s Creative Laws
• Dress Code: High Fashion: Celebrity Handbags S/S 15
• Fashion Blender: The Perfect Lunchy
• Funky Jungle: 5 Things About Blogging I Wouldn’t Have Believed Before I Started
• Inexpensive Chic: Video | Fall Trends Lookbook 2015
• In The Grey: Best Places to Shop for Basics
• La Vintage Vida: Bettie Page at Madison Square Park
• Myself Expressed: Inspiration Board | Navy, My New Black?
• Purushu Arie: Blurring the Line Between Fashion and Art | Viktor & Rolf
• Reasons to Dress: If You Love Africa | Batiq and Tribal Trends are Here to Stay
• She Got Her Own: See You in Greece
• Style Standpoint: 10 Fashion Rules You Should Ignore
• Superb: Left the Black in the Closet
• Tales of Two: Top Ten Things to do in Barcelona
• The Punk Rock Princess: What a Truly Amazing “Fashion” Outcome
• The Sensible Stylista: 4 Bags Every Girl Must Own
• We Are Ready Made: The New Normal
• Wish and Wear: Covet Monday | Cara on Location