The word Dacha in Russian culture has changed in significance and meaning since its first use. During the time of the writing of the Domostroi, the upper class relied heavily on the gardens surrounding their Dacha for sustenance. Dachas, or country cottages, were commonly found far from the vastness of larger cities in secluded rural areas. These Dachas and the upper middle class who ran the household are the targeted readers of the famous Domostroi text. A sizable section of the Domostroi is dedicated to teaching the readers the proper maintenance of their “kitchen garden”. The kitchen garden as it is referred to in the Domostroi was relied on heavily by the upper middle class to provide a location to raise garden crops, peppers, eggplants, etc. Not only did the kitchen garden provide a sizable space to grow crops for storage and use in later winter provisioning, but a place for livestock and domesticated animals to be raised and for them to roam. Due to the inclusion of precious and expensive animals, and the proximity of the home’s storehouses the Domostroi mentions specifically the importance of maintaining a shut gate at all times, detailing specific security measures that must be taken by the Master of the Household. The Dacha and the crops grown around it dipped in popularity and necessity as Russia left the seventeenth century, yet the rise of the Dacha occurred once again during the soviet period. Being able to grow their own crops and provide a reliable food source during times of shortage was incredibly popular among the rural lower class and those who were fortunate to find them selves living in a Dacha. The popularity of the Dacha and its Kitchen Garden, mirrors the rise of personal gardens in the Western World. Americans living in suburban areas often find themselves tending to a small garden in their free time. The most distinct difference however is the fact western suburban gardeners do not often subsist solely on their kitchen gardens.