Twilight prevails in the reconstructed interior of a mountaineer’s cottage. Little light comes in through the small windows. Your eyes need a little while to adjust to it to notice that the walls, the ceiling and furnishings are full of patterns carved in wood. An observant viewer will be intrigued by the repeated patterning, most of it rosettes. It is worth knowing that they are here not only as decorations. They were symbols supposed to protect the inhabitants of the house from evil. Not only them, in fact. Look, there is a red ribbon on the crib; red is the colour of magic (‘krasnoludki’ – gnomes – took their name from the word ‘krasny’, meaning ‘bright red’). Even today, many mothers and grandmothers attach similar amulets to prams, beds or even to a new-born baby’s hand.