History of Russian brick
The word "brick" is borrowed from Turkic languages. Before brick, Rus' used a “plinth” - a thin and wide clay plate measuring about 40 x 40 cm, with a thickness of 2.5 to 4 cm. Such a plinth, for example, was used in the construction of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. The shape and size of the plinth are explained by the ease of molding, drying and firing “thin” bricks. It was made in special wooden forms, dried for 10-14 days, and then fired in a kiln.