Volodar Ivanov, the founder of the Milenka Kin'sSettlement, reveals 15 secrets for creating a Kin's Domain.
Volodar Ivanov, Milenka 家园聚落的创始人，揭示了建立祖传家园的15个秘密。
After 8 years of life on earth, Volodar Ivanov formulated practical advice oncreating a Kin's Domain.
在花费了8年的时间和土地共处之后，Volodar Ivanov阐述了切实可行的建立祖传家园的建议。
The most important question - Was it worth starting all this at all? It wasworth it. Definitely - The decision was correct. But I was wrong about thedetails. I made a mistake in many small things that are now difficult tocorrect.
最重要的问题是——开始建立家园是否值得？答案是肯定的。这一决定完全正确。但是在细节处我做错了。在很多小事情上，我都犯了错误，而这些错误还难以纠正。
If it was possible to rewind 8 years ago, then I would have done a lotdifferently. I would have used my time, energy, money differently.
如果时光可以倒流到8年前，我会以相当不同的方式去完成这些事情。我会更好的分配我的精力、时间和金钱。

1. Not in the village.不要在已有的村庄建立祖传家园
Nothing has changed in the village - summer residents and culture do notcoincide with the ideas of the Kin's Domain. I used to think that 40-50families are enough both for communication and for solving common problems. NowI understand that there should be much more people - 100-150 families. And mustbe complete, with children.
这些年来我们聚落所在的村庄没有任何改变——村庄夏季的短期居民以及他们的文化和祖传家园的理念并不吻合。我曾以为40-50户家庭就足够解决沟通和常见的问题了。现在我明白实际需要更多的人——大约100-150户家庭，而且他们必须是完整的、有孩子的家庭——这样才能解决祖传家园中遇到的问题。
Children are generally a locomotive. They will breathe life into any space. Butthey need to be taught. Therefore, there should be a school near thesettlement. 5-10 kilometers away - but must be there. The schoolpremises should be in good condition, with a gym and kind teachers. Homeschooling has not yet been canceled, therefore, if there is an opportunity toteach your children on your own, you can do it.
孩子们通常都是（改变）动力的源头。他们能为任何空间注入活力/生命力。但是他们需要被教育。因此，在家园附近应该有一所学校。可以离聚落5-10公里远——但是必须得有一所。学校需要有状态良好的房屋、校舍、运动场和友善的老师。居家教育（家长在家里教育自己的孩子）也没有被取消，所以，如果你有机会在家教育你自己的孩子的话，也可以这么做。

2. Where to choose a place? 如何选址？
By the water! Drinking water should be and there should be a lot of it. Anideal place by a river, lake, or next to a powerful stream. Not bad - lowgroundwater allows for full-flowing ponds. We didn’t work that way. Of thedozen ponds dug over 10 years in our settlement, not a single one has water. Inthe spring they fill up, but by the fall they are already empty. (To create apond, in one case, it was necessary to lay a film on the bottom, in the otherto bring in clay.) The water in the wells lies at 15-22 meters. And this is farand expensive. Better to have water at 5-10 meters. Now I regret thatI did not immediately dig two wells at different ends of the site. This wouldsolve a lot of problems.
靠近水源！家园的选择应该靠近大量的可饮用水源。理想的选址应靠近河流、湖泊或者一条水流充沛的溪流。高地下水位（这里应该是作者写错了根据上下文他是希望地下水位更高）是个不错的条件——这可以保证池塘里一直有流动的水。可惜我们没有这样的条件。过去10年来我们挖了几十个池塘，没有一个是有水的。在春天时这些池塘里注满了水，但是到了秋天它们就几乎都干涸了。（建造池塘时，有的情况需要在池塘底部覆膜，而另一种情况则需要在底部加入黏土。）井水的水位在15-22米。这个深度对打井来说太深了，而且费用太高了。理想中的水位应该在5-10米。现在我后悔没有在聚落建设之初就在地块的两头各打一口井。那样可以解决许多问题。

3. It must be raining! 家园的选址必须在有降水的地方！
Otherwise, in pursuit of the climate, you can climb into a semi-desert area andwater, water, water. But constant rains, as in the Leningrad region or Karelia,is sad. The tomatoes will not ripen. Constant rains are also an abundance ofmosquitoes, midges, horseflies and other delights. For all these years I havenot got used to mosquitoes and their bites are just as annoying. But the goodnews is that there are significantly fewer ticks. Ticks live where there isforest and animals. The neighbors have learned to masterfully twist ticks,smear themselves with wonderful frightening colognes of their own production,but a forest is a forest.
你可以在半沙漠地区建立家园，但为了更好的气候，你就得不断的面对缺水、缺水、还是缺水的问题了。
但是，像列宁格勒区（Leningrad region）和卡累利阿（俄罗斯与芬兰接壤的地区-Karelia）那种不间断的长期降雨却是有害的。过量的降水会使得番茄无法成熟。持续的降雨还会带来大量的蚊子、蠓虫、马蝇以及其他小虫子。在聚落生活的这么多年我依然无法习惯蚊子和它们的叮咬，那实在太烦人了。但是好消息是，蜱虫（一种吸血虫，直接拔出会把口器留在被吸血的生物体内，易引发炎症）的数量远远少于蚊子和其他小虫子。因为蜱虫生活在有森林和动物的地方。我的邻居们都已经学会如何有技巧的拧下蜱虫，并且他们还擦了自制的气温浓重的古龙水（香水）来驱赶蜱虫，但是森林就是森林（你住在附近就避免不了这类的问题）。

4. The reserve is cool.在森林保护区附近选址建立家园很酷
The forest will not be cut down, harmful industries will not be built, and theywill not be driven across the Ugra on jet skis. It's great - fresh air,untouched nature. But hares are a disaster for the garden and cabbageseedlings. But jays love strawberries, plums, apples, cherries - they likeeverything. There are also nuthatches that completely devour grapes, hornetsbrutally gnawing apples and bees and squirrels that store my nuts. This year,not a single nut was left - they collected the nuts with high quality - cleanedup. In short, the forest is a lot of hungry birds, mice, hares and fluffysquirrels. There is positive, but when I was choosing a site, I knew everythingabout the positive, but nothing about the negative.
家园附近原生的森林不会被砍伐，有害的工厂不会被建造在附近，人们不会骑着摩托艇穿越乌格拉河（Ugra）的河面。一切都很棒——新鲜的空气，未被人类开发的大自然。然而野兔对花园和卷心菜幼苗是一场灾难。而松鸦（jay）喜欢吃花园里的草莓、李子、苹果、樱桃——它们什么都喜欢吃。还有把葡萄都吃光了的五子雀（nuthatch）、把苹果都咬坏了的马蜂（hornet）、偷吃我的坚果的蜜蜂和松鼠。今年我一粒坚果都没有收获到——蜜蜂和松鼠把质量好的坚果全拿走了——一粒都没有剩下。总而言之，森林里面有很多饥饿的鸟类、老鼠、野兔还有毛茸茸的松鼠。选址在森林附近有很多有优点，在当初选址的时，我知道在森林附近建立聚落的所有优点，却完全不清楚它的缺点。

5. At the start of a settlement, it is important to thinkstrategically.在组建聚落之初，战略性的思考（大局观）很重要
You need to understand that if the organizers of the settlement have a veryserious attitude and opportunities, then the land around the settlement willskyrocket in value very quickly. The more successful the settlement, the higherthe takeoff. Speculators will immediately realize that they can cash in on it.We had to buy up all the land at once, in the early years, when it cost 30-50thousand. Now the price is 500 thousand rubles per hectare and above. This is alot of money and it would be better to spend it on construction sites or roads.
你需要明白一个道理：如果聚落的创始人对建立家园有着认真的态度并且时机合适的话，在家园聚落周边的土地价值会急速上升。家园聚落越是成功，周围土地的价值上涨会越迅猛。投机者会马上意识到他们可以以此赚上一大笔钱。因此我们不得不把聚落周围的所有土地在早期还只要3-5万卢布（2658-4430人民币）的时候就买了下来。现在，周围土地的价格飙涨到了每公顷50万卢布以上（44300人民币）。（如果我们把这些土地再卖出去）这就是一大笔钱，而这笔钱可以用在建设房屋和道路上面。

6. Roads can be made endlessly, and endlessly bury thebudget of the settlement there.
你可以无止境的铺路/修路，但这就使你的预算没有任何意义（总是会超出预算）
It would be more correct to immediately agree on the shore - in the springthaw, not everyone, without exception, go until everything dries up. But wedrove courageously, ruining cars in autumn and spring. They tore off mufflers,punctured gas tanks, got stuck in bogs on bridges. Now, in flood rains, we justwalk and stop the construction. But, nevertheless, even when we stoppeddestroying the road in the spring, we spend 150-200 thousand rubles annually onroad repairs.
更正确的做法是在家园地块边界的道路使用上达成一致——非必要的话不要在春天的化冻期使用道路，而应该等到道路干燥再用。但实际上，我们不仅用了道路，而且无知无畏的把车开了上去，结果呢，在春天和秋天的时候我们的车都出现了不同程度的损坏。泥泞的道路撕裂了汽车的隔音棉，扎穿了油箱，把车陷进了桥上的泥泞中。现在我们学乖了，在雨季，我们只步行不开车，而且我们也会停止所有工程建设（需要用到更重的卡车）。但即使我们不再在春天损坏我们的道路，我们每年依然要花费15-20万卢布（13260-17680人民币）用作道路养护。

9. Neighborly relations 邻里关系
So - What's important? School, water, climate, roads, electricity, and finallyneighbors and a house. Society is important. Neighbors need to be selectedcarefully, tenderly, carefully. It is VERY difficult to fix a broken relationshipwith them. Sometimes building a new home is easier than rebuilding mutualunderstanding. Basically, conflicts arise over philosophy. Therefore, it isimportant to find people who agree in the fundamental principles of life. Theseprinciples are usually already given from birth and they are poorly amenable tocorrection. What amazed me? Soul mates cannot be defined on a formal basis.People can be in another confession, eat meat, be childless and at the sametime have deep respect for you.
所以——重要的是什么？学校？水源？气候？道路？电力？还是邻居和房屋？我认为社区才是最重要的。你应该谨慎且用心地选择你的邻居。邻里之间的关系一旦有了裂痕，就很难修复。有的时候建立相互之间的理解和信任，远比建起一栋新房子困难得多。通常来说，冲突来源于人与人之间理念上的差异。所以，找到跟你秉持着类似的生命观的人很重要。这些基础的生命观通常是从人出生起被（ta的家庭和环境）逐步赋予的，因此非常难以改变。最让我感到惊奇的是：你并不能写下正式的、对灵魂伴侣的定义（什么样的人才能成为“我”的灵魂伴侣）。一个人可以和你有着不同的宗教信仰、不吃素、也不要孩子，但同时却又深深的尊敬你（和你的生活方式，并且成为你的灵魂伴侣）。

10. Construction.建设
A favorite topic for newcomers or those who are just preparing to move toearth. Endless questions about foundations, insulation, roofing and dew point.Which is better than a log or a bar; to make a basement under the house orseparately? But everyone has different tastes at home.
这是刚搬来家园或准备搬入家园的人们最喜欢的话题。他们有无穷的关于地基、防水层、屋顶、露点（空气降温到含水量饱和的(最高)温度）的问题。用什么材料比原木或条形木更好？地下室应该建在房子下面还是单独建在别的地方？但每个人都对自己的家有不同的品味。
There was no need to buy profiled timber. There was no need to be afraid offrost - the windows would have been made even larger. The entrance doors areglass, and the ceilings would have left 3.1 m. In the second house, where theceiling is low, it is already difficult to breathe by morning. From the firstyear, I would immediately install a bunch of thermal collectors and enjoy bathswith hot water.
没必要去买预切割木材。如果有机会重来的话，我会把窗户都做的更大一些的——而不是因为害怕霜冻而做得这么小。我们房子的门就是玻璃的。天花板也应该留出3.1米的层高。在我们建的第二栋房子，天花板太低了，每天早上起来，我都觉得呼吸困难。如果再给我一次机会，在建设开始的第一年，我会马上安装一批太阳能热水器，然后享受热水浴。
Wouldn't be stupid with a fireplace. Nice, but ruinousfor wood. The oven had to be baked. Now practically only I heat it. Andaesthetically pleasing and warm. I would not have put the Vitebsk brick on thechimney, it fell to pieces during the second winter. The unsightly Vorotynskybrick turned out to be resistant and reliable to temperature extremes and rain.At home, I would immediately paint with paint Belinka. I couldn't guess thesize of the house.
如果能重来，我也不会傻傻地执迷于一定要有个壁炉。壁炉是挺不错的，但是对建造屋子的木材来说却是毁灭性的。壁炉是挺美的，而且还能让屋子里暖和，但你必须得时不时的烤一下（不能放着不用），而现在，说实话家里只有我在这么做。如果能重来，我也不会把Vitebsk牌的砖头放在烟囱上——它第二个冬天就碎了。反而是不起眼的Vorotynsky牌砖头既耐用又可靠，能够承受极端的温度和降雨。在室内，我会马上用Belinka牌的油漆粉刷。我没有办法猜测屋子的大小（所以得实际地刷一遍才知道）。
For a large family - the house is 9 by 9 meters too small. In part, I got outof the situation by building a couple more houses for my daughter, son, secondson. But I was wrong to build one-to-one houses. And even closing the south.
对于像我们家这样的大家庭来说——一个9米乘9米的房子太小了。我最后的解决方法是建了几栋房子给我的女儿、儿子、第二个儿子。但建这种一对一的房子是错误的，把房子朝南面封闭起来（没有开门窗）更是错误的。

12. A hedge. 树篱
I don't remember why I planted the lilac in a hedge, but it was not the bestsolution in our conditions. So she suffers in our soil, and even darkened. Nowmy choice would fall on the hawthorn. It grows tightly, amicably. It waspossible (but not from the South!) To plant trees. They also made me happy. Youdon't need to buy anything, they take root perfectly. Cut them on top, shapethem as you want. Beauty. And the lilacs would be planted closer to the house,as well as the hydrangea. It is a pity that seven years ago I did not knowanything about her.
我不记得当初为什么用丁香（lilac）种在树篱里了，对我们的情况来说，这并不是最好的选择。我的丁香在土地上挣扎求存，她甚至变黑枯萎了。如果让我再来一次，我会种山楂（hawthorn）。它生长得更为紧密且柔和。种植树木作为树篱也是可行的（但别从南边种）（可能会遮挡光线）。树木总让我很开心。你不需要买任何东西（肥料），它们的根生长得很好。修剪它们的顶部，把它们剪成你想要的形状。如果再让我来一次，我会把丁香和绣球（hydrangea）种在离房子更近的地方。很可惜7年前我并不知道这种花（绣球）。

14. Finance 资金
When making a responsible decision to move to land, you need to understand thatconstruction from scratch, the development of 2-3 hectares ofcompletely abandoned land, will easily eat up any savings. Sooner or later, oneway or another, the savings will run out. It's great, of course, if there is anapartment in the city and you can rent it. It is even better if there are twosuch apartments and they are in Moscow. But more often it happens that thereare no such apartments, and three or four years after the move, the questionarises - How do you make money?
当做出一个负责任的“搬到家园”的决定时，你需要认识到，从零开始建设2到3公顷的完全被荒废的土地，是很容易把你的积蓄花光的。
不是这样就是那样，你的积蓄迟早会被用光的。如果你在城市里有公寓出租给你提供资金当然很好。如果你有两间公寓出租，而且它们还在莫斯科，那更好不过了。但通常的情况是，你没有这样的经济来源——当你搬到家园3到4年后，这个问题出现了——你怎么赚钱？
Think about it not later, but right away - in the very first year. Clearly havea strategy, concept, plan - How will my family's financial flow be organized?Each has its own strengths, and each solves this problem in its own way. But itmust be solved. Someone starts an apiary, someone works on the Internet,someone at a construction site. Some of the settlers produce milk and organicproducts, some receive guests. Someone prepares tea (herbs), is engaged inhandicrafts. One thing is important - to choose a direction and immediatelystart implementing the plan. If it was tourism, then it was necessary to buildhouses and advertise. If this is an apiary, buy beehives, a honey extractor,plant honey plants.
所以别推说“以后再说”，现在就要想清楚——就在第一年的时候。你得有个清晰的战略、概念或者计划——如何管理家庭的收支？有人选择开个养蜂场，有人选择在网上工作，有人选择在施工工地工作。有的聚居者选择生产牛奶和有机制品，有的人接待游客。有人制备草药茶，有人制作手工艺品。无论你选择什么，重要的是——你要选择一个方向并且马上执行相应的计划。如果你选择的是旅游业方向，那么就有必要建造房屋和发布广告。如果你选择的是养蜂场，那么购买蜂巢、蜂蜜提取器，并种植产蜜植物就是有必要的。
I had been hoping for a long time that my supplies would not run out. Then thecrisis came and they ended much faster than expected. Crises are generally ourown, habitually rhythmic. So don't rely on stocks. Build the economy rightaway. Better if it is a little artisan way. Two, three families united by acommon project. So there will be more resilience, more coverage. Settlementsare an alternative, a different path, an attempt to create something differentfrom the usual stereotypes. We started from scratch, without governmentsupport, and perhaps not much has been done in 8-10 years. But we aredefinitely not standing still and conceptually nothing has changed over theyears. We create a community free from bad habits, gather people who are closeto family values, ideas of natural farming and permaculture.
曾经在很长一段时间里，我都期望我的资金不会耗尽。然后经济危机来临，我的资金比预期更快的用完了。经济危机通常都是我们自己的原因，而且它的发生是有习惯性且有规律的。所以不要依靠股票作为你的资金来源。你应该在建设家园的第一年就着手建立你的经济系统（资金来源）。如果这个系统偏向匠人类的则更好。如果两三个家庭因为一个共同的项目联合在一起，那么这个项目不仅将更有弹性，而且覆盖面也更广。家园聚落是对我们老一套生活法师的一种替代方案、一种不同的路径、一种创造新的生活方式的尝试。我们真的是从零开始，也没有得到过政府的支持，可能过去8到10年我们也没有做出什么明显的成就。但我们也绝不是原地踏步，认为这些年没有任何改变。比如我们建立起了一个社区，一个脱离了有害生活习惯的社区，聚集起了一群重视家庭价值、自然农耕和朴门农法（永续农业）的人们。

15. The main question: Was it worth starting all this atall? It was worth it. The experience, the knowledge that I gained about people,about the land, about the construction site is worth a lot. The memories ofolder children are expensive. Yes, I was mistaken in many details, trifles, buton the whole I was right. The place that brings all relatives together is theKin's Domain.
最主要的问题：所有这一切都值得吗？它值得的。我获得的关于人、关于土地、关于建设的经验和知识有着巨大的价值。年老孩童的记忆花费不菲（猜测作者指他自己花费了很多时间和精力才得到了上面所提的这些昂贵的经验）。是的，我在很多细节、琐事上都犯错了，但整体来说我是正确的。能把所有亲人都聚集在第一的地方就是祖传家园。