The Museum of Flax and Birch Bark in Kostroma has been operating since 2005 and is one of the ten most visited and favorite tourist attractions of the city. This is not surprising, because interest in traditional Russian crafts has always been great. Where can one talk about flax and birch bark, if not in the old Kostroma, which carefully preserves historical roots?
Museum-Estate of Flax and Birch Bark
Zabavina Natalya Pavlovna, a private entrepreneur, an initiative person and a needlewoman, created a museum that is very popular. She managed to assemble a team of like-minded people who wanted to tell their visitors about the most ancient materials, without which not a single house could do in Russia.
Having visited a private museum, having listened to the story of a Russian beauty, looking at her nimble and skillful hands and trying to make something, you start to look differently at flax and birch bark, you understand why they were combined under one roof. Just from the most ancient times, products from them were present in every family. And if the hostess is a linen craftswoman, and the owner is a birch bark master, the family will live in abundance. There are even relevant proverbs. For example: “Flax is exhausting, flax and gilding”, “Bela birch bark, but tar is black.”
Two exposures are shown here. The first is called “Flaxseed Kostroma Land”, and the second is “Tales in Birch Bark”. They will tell visitors a lot. Therefore, reviews about the Museum of Flax and Birch Bark are always only enthusiastic, complemented by many expressive photographs.
Flax Russia
Experts say that the first products from this material appeared in Egypt and China. But in Russia it is known since ancient times. When excavating the strata of the beginning of the II century BC. e. flax seeds, spinning wheel fragments, and ceramic prints were discovered. Foreign travelers describe the white, linen clothes of the Slavs.
In the XII century, when Kostroma was formed, spinning and weaving reached a high level. Techniques for twisting threads and their weave systems made it possible to create a complex pattern on the fabric. And the ability to work on machines of different designs or to produce the finest thread made Russian flax out of competition.
But he not only dressed everyone, from a peasant to a prince and a king. Flax was used for the manufacture of ropes, rope, tow. Seeds were used in medicine, and oil is now valued for its beneficial properties.
In the 16th century, flax growing became already a Russian craft, a national pride. It was grown everywhere in the non-chernozem zone. In Kostroma, this industry was formed in the 19th century. Large flax spinning and weaving mills were built. Production output increased every year, industry developed. In 1866, the “New Kostroma Linen Manufactory Partnership” was created, which used high-quality equipment.
Birch bark is a layer of birch bark
Like flax, it has been used in the life of Slavic families since ancient times. Its elasticity, water resistance, bactericidal properties and accessibility to the poorest family made this material indispensable.
On birch bark letters they wrote letters with bone sticks, boats, furniture or baby cradles were made from it. They laid crowns during the construction of houses, saving wood from decay. All household utensils were made of this material. Boxes for the transfer of goods - birch bark. Toys, musical instruments, too. In containers made of birch bark, they stored not only bulk products, but also milk, sour cream, and water. And kept for a long time. “Lapotnaya Russia” would have been barefoot without this light and indispensable shoe for those times. Masters made even bog boots from birch bark.
“You will not be blown away by a mulberry, so remember behind a spinning wheel”
In the exposition of the Museum of Flax and Birch Bark of Kostroma, the excursion begins immediately from the door. First, visitors will see the seeds, then they will listen to the story of a Russian girl in a sarafan, how they sow lenok, groom, and collect. Then the fun begins: without interrupting the story, the girl stands in turn at each workplace and begins to turn a bundle of straw into a thin thread. She pushes, and trebles, and scratches, and wrinkles, and spins - and all this is fun and dexterous. When a ball of thread is wound around the spindle, the craftswoman proceeds to the loom.
All work with flax is primordially female. Having looked and appreciated how much power was used by a craftswoman, you start to look very differently at bright products. And they are represented here in all their glory. A special part of the exposition of the Museum of Flax and Birch Bark in Kostroma is a collection of folk costumes: shirts, sundresses, ports, hats. And of course, a lot of tablecloths, towels and napkins.
Birch bark hall
In the birch bark hall a collection of household utensils and highly artistic objects is exhibited. But first, visitors will discover the secrets of how and when it is better to collect bark. Of great importance is the location in which the birch grew: on a hill or in a lowland, in a dry place, or in a swamp. Each master in his own way makes a cut of the bark, but they are united in a careful attitude to a living tree. Harvesting is permitted only in places where wood is harvested or from fallen trees.
Before starting work on the craft, birch bark is subject to special processing. And then the fun begins. There are things that a craftsman can do right in the forest to eat or drink water. A spoon and a ladle will not take much of his time. For more complex crafts, you need to learn all kinds of techniques, making connecting seams, applying jewelry. This is a high level of craftsmanship owned by manufacturers of the exhibited collection, working in the museum’s workshop.
