Russian people have long adorned their homes with various crafts and homemade things. Masters made their products most often not just for beauty, all things had their practical purpose. From natural materials - wood, clay and stone - they made real works of art. Skills, manufacturing techniques and secret techniques were inherited. From this article you will find out which folk craft of Central Russia was the most popular.
How did the craft come about?
Various crafts began to appear in the 15-16th centuries. It is this period that is associated with the emergence of handicrafts. A little later, in the 17th century, craftsmen began to create crafts specifically for sale. Entire villages and towns worked on the production of handicrafts.
Why did the handicraft industry of Central Russia begin to develop? The reason is commonplace - cold and hunger. During the long, cold winters, people needed to feed their families with something. Poor soils did not bring enough crops, they didn’t have enough for life, therefore craftsmen sold their wares and existed using the proceeds. Of course, Russian folk crafts arose where there was a sufficient amount of natural raw materials. Wooden crafts were made in forest areas where stony soils predominated, stone products became widespread, etc. As you know, demand creates supply, and folk craft developed where it was needed.
Folk arts and crafts began to appear a little later - in the middle of the 19th century. In those days, the famous embroidery with gold thread, painting and metal processing appeared. A huge influence on the appearance of this craft was made by the church, namely the local icon painting schools. They carried out embroidery orders for monasteries and churches.
Crafts of Central Russia
Russian craft is famous not only in our country; folk craft has gained worldwide fame. It is possible to enumerate handmade products for a very long time, we will tell you about the main ones:
- Gzhel.
- Dymkovo toy.
- Khokhloma.
- Palekh.
- Rostov enamel.
- Vologda lace, etc.
Dymkovo toy
Many centuries ago, a city was formed on the banks of the Vyatka River, in which the settlement of the settlement was organized. Every morning, locals drowned stoves, and because of the constantly rising smoke, the settlement was nicknamed Dymkovskaya Sloboda.
Pottery masters lived there. From clay they made dishes and pipes, which subsequently glowed in the oven. Whistles were performed mainly in the form of animals. But this was not only for the entertainment of children. Vyatka people whistled to the pipe met the god of the sun - Yarilo. Dymkovo toy is the most famous folk craft of Central Russia. Everyone knows how she looks. This is a clay Russian woman in a long bell skirt with a bright apron and black eyebrows. The dress of the beauty is painted with various patterns. The main rule is that it should be bright and colorful.
Gzhel
It is difficult to imagine folk art crafts without gzhel. Previously, the name was a village located 50 kilometers from Moscow. There lived craftsmen, who began to create highly artistic porcelain products. They were painted with cobalt. Later, semi-faience dishes appeared. Masters have collected hundreds of different images, now many samples are stored in the Hermitage. The Gzhel people have long been transporting surplus dishes to the markets of Moscow, often craftsmen painted dishes to order. Today it is very difficult to imagine folk craft without Gzhel products.
Palekh
The development of folk crafts dates back to the 13-14th centuries. At this time, the modern center of Russian culture was formed - the village of Palekh. Then it belonged to Prince Paletsky, later Ivan Buturlin became its owner. A large number of icon painting workshops were created in the village. In the 20th century, craftsmen painted brooches, snuffboxes, cigarette cases, notebooks and beads in the village. Famous Palekh boxes and Easter eggs are known by many. A little later, a Palekh miniature using black varnish and papier-mâché began to emerge in the village.
Khokhloma
The Khokhloma industry appeared in Russia in the Volga forests on the Uzol River. There villages were formed - Semino, Cartilage, Novopokrovskoe and Kuligino. It was there that Khokhloma was born. Unfortunately, the folk crafts of the region have not been fully preserved to our times. We only know the works of masters of the 19th century, although it is proved that this craft was also practiced in the 17th century.
Khokhloma differs from the others in its special mural technology. A distinctive feature is the application of black paint and cinnabar on a gold background. To gilt the dishes, the masters rubbed it with tin powder, after which they applied a layer of oil of drying oil and put it in the oven. Due to the high temperature, the drying oil turned yellow, and the tin seemed golden. Masters applied patterns and ornament by hand with a brush. Expensive services were drawn especially carefully. Today Khokhloma dishes can be seen at various international exhibitions and fairs.
Shawls of Pavlovsky Posad
Pavlovsky Posad is known to many because of the appearance of patterned shawls and shawls there. For the first time such an elegant wardrobe item was made on the Klyazma River in the city of Pavlov. Hence the name.
At local fairs, which were often held in central squares, patterned shawls diverged with a bang. There you could buy colorful scarves with a variety of patterns - wildflowers, roses, bouquets and leaves. Shawls are often called printed. Shawls began to be called this word because of the way the pattern was applied to the fabric - heel pad. The master laid the fabric on the board and beat off so that the paint would print better. Not every master knows the technology of manual filling. Modern scarves are made using special printing machines.
Rostov enamel
Centers of national crafts of Central Russia include famous cities and villages, Rostov is one of them. In the 18th century, such a craft as enamel was born. This is enameled metal painting with special paints. In ancient times, masters painted icons. Priests wore clothes with enamel decorations. Church utensils and the covers of manuscript books were also painted with special refractory paints. A feature of this application technology is that before firing, the color of the patterns is always the same. Due to the heat of the stove, the products begin to play with bright colors.
Zhostovo
Painted trays from Zhostovo are familiar to many. This village is located near the capital, it was there that local painters created such a work of art as the Zhostovo tray. The craftsmen painted wildflowers and garden flowers on a black background, triples of horses, still lifes, etc. The first tray was made of papier-mâché.
Also, painters from Zhostovo painted boxes, snuff-boxes and caskets with paintings. In the middle of the 19th century, metal trays began to be produced, and papier-mâché items were faded into the background. The most famous work of art in Zhostovo is an oval tray painted around the perimeter. Each workshop puts a stamp on its product, by which you can identify the master who made this beauty.
