"City of brides" in Russia is the only one. Ivanov throughout history has had a lot of names that characterize him: "chintz land", "textile capital", "Russian Manchester".
For some reason, it is he who is given flowery nicknames. Yes, even those that are known outside the country. Maybe because the female population always prevailed here, and the simple “Ivanovo” wanted to be replaced with something more impressive, sonorous and vibrant.
Textile edge
Ivanovo land has long been famous for its textile products. The location itself dictated occupation to residents. The soil around is infertile, but rivers and streams are abundant, there is where to wash the fabric. The raw materials are nearby, and transport routes are very close. Therefore, textile crafts and product trade were the main occupations of local residents. Profitable occupation.
Spinners, winders, healers … are required.
The formation of the “city of brides” in Russia began in the years of the first five-year plans, when the Soviet government began large-scale industrialization of the whole country. Ivanovo, with its abundance of light industry enterprises, it was decided to make the center of the textile industry.
New factories began to be installed in factories and plants. The work of the weaver was declared prestigious, and young girls began to gather in the city. Someone wanted to break the records of famous "Stakhanovites", someone was driven by Komsomol enthusiasm, and someone wanted to move to the city from the village. Gradually, the predominance of the female population over the male increased. Where is the "city of brides" in Russia, if not in Ivanovo?
After the war, the situation became even more serious. The men did not return from the battlefield, and the industry had to be restored. It fell on women's shoulders. And again, the country called women for a labor feat. Young weavers who came to the city settled in hostels specially built for them.
Trying to rectify the situation, the government built heavy industry enterprises in the city, creating jobs for the stronger sex. This somewhat corrected the situation, but the difference in the number of women and men was still the largest in the country.
Images of Ivanovo brides in Soviet cinema
Attractive images of weavers created in the media, in cinema, in poetry and literature, of course, contributed to the choice of profession by girls, school graduates.
First of all, the real famous drummers of labor Valentina Golubeva and Zoya Pukhova. Starting as simple weavers, they were educated on the job, acted as representatives of the city in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, received high government awards. Subsequently, they supervised the work of factories in Ivanovo and were the subjects of admiration for the girls.
The older generation remembers the pre-war film "Bright Way" directed by Grigory Alexandrov. A lot of Soviet girls who came to Ivanovo, “the city of brides” wanted to go the way of the village girl who came to the city and turned from a lack of courage to a noble weaver, the “Stakhanovka” awarded the Order of Lenin.
A later film, which no longer calls for exploits, but raises a serious problem, is “The Lonely Hostel is Provided.” Director S. Samsonov, with the help of the great N. Gundareva, spoke about life in a hostel of girls-weavers who do not have the opportunity to arrange personal life in the city of brides. In Russia, more than 23 million people watched it.
We learn a little about this “Indian kingdom” from the movie “Seven Brides of Corporal Zbruev.” In a word, at first there was an upsurge of enthusiasm and labor impulse, and then the problem that arose was hushed up for a long time, and began to open much later, at the end of the 20th century.
Youth issue today
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many enterprises began to close, light industry fell into decay. Men went to Moscow, St. Petersburg, to other cities in search of work. Women and children remained. Question: “Why is Ivanovo a city of brides?” - Again became relevant. Even after the work of the mills and factories began to improve, sewing workshops were opened, there were more women in the city than men. According to Goskomstat, in 2005, there were 1247 women per 1, 000 men. This is more than in the country.
Currently, the situation has improved significantly. In Ivanovo, the situation is good with educational institutions. There are nine universities, seven branches, 24 secondary schools. That is why today, due to youth, the sex ratio of the population of the city is close to the average statistical indicators in Russia. "City of brides" becomes a student.
