Russian women did not have the European abundance of fabrics for making clothes. All that was available to them was linen, cotton and wool. But all the same, the Russians managed to create out of small outfits of amazing beauty. And this was achieved thanks to the ornaments of the Russian folk costume. The ornament at that time acted not only as a decoration, but also as a talisman. Thus, elements of the folk costume were enriched with preservation embroidery and patterned weaving. Amulets of this kind were embroidered on the edges of clothing, namely on the hem, cuffs and collar. These were embroidered letters-ideograms protecting a person from harm. The ornaments were made in certain colors, which also have a special meaning. The most popular color is considered to be red, which symbolizes fire, life and blood.
Instead of placing the material in its basic shape, we decided to create a complete atmosphere in which observers are immersed. This method of presentation, which has long been accepted in the world, has not yet been presented in our country, because such exhibitions require the participation of an extremely large number of people, a lot of money and a kind of enterprise, which is very difficult to implement. The exhibition space overlooks the walls, and we have a large number of rooms, so we run the exhibition as a story, like a film, consisting of a sequence of sequences, where each sequence precedes the next and announces the next.
And in more detail ...
The main element of the Russian folk costume was a shirt with a richly embroidered collar. The shirt sleeves had to be wide and long, but at the wrist they were wrapped in a braid. Women wore shirts over them. It had the shape of a high skirt with straps and was made of linen, wool and cotton fabric. Ribbons, fringes, braid and colored stripes of chintz were used as decoration. The third essential element of the outfit was the skirt. It is worth noting that married women wore a ponevue, which differed from the usual skirt in a swing style with an unsewn slit on the side.
Thus, instead of just looking at the objects on display, visitors are faced with the discovery of both objects and gaps. The material itself that will be on display is remarkable and for this reason we decided to present the Serbian medieval treasure in this way, by the way, it is the fact that many of these decorations look very modern, says Ivan Mangov, author of the exhibition article.
This exhibition gives us the opportunity to see in one place the collected elements of fresco painting, for which we will need years of travel and study to visit the monasteries and churches in which they are located. Music is extremely important element this exhibition. All shops have professional sounds and shopping, visitors pass through some kind of landscape museums where different music tracks are replaced, complemented and created by atmosphere. The peculiarity of this exhibition lies in the fact that the author's team decided to attract young people, authors who do not belong to that part of the audience for which the theme of the Serbian Middle Ages will be mostly close.
Don't forget about the apron. Women wore it over a shirt or sundress. The apron, as an element of the Russian costume, was also equipped with a rich symbolic ornament, personifying ancient Russian traditions and amulets associated with nature.
Until now, the patterns made on clothes, tablecloths, towels by unknown craftswomen of past centuries are sparkling brightly, shimmer with rainbow colors. These symbolic images were supposed, according to our great-grandfathers, to bring good luck and prosperity to their owners, to save them "from gladness and pestilence", to ward off the influence of evil forces, to protect the warrior from wounds on the battlefield, to contribute to the procreation.
They are modern, progressive creators who deal with the subject in a bold, innovative, individual way. Isidora Nikolic, graphic designer, made the logo and the entire visual identity of the exhibition. Vukan Kirich and Dusan Zyalich made animation inspired by medieval ornaments. Aleksandar Vats, a ceramist, made a spatial installation with over 300 three-dimensional elements, inspired by fragments of medieval ornamentation.
The exhibition is accompanied by a series of events, seminars, concerts, lectures. The exhibition saw an extraordinary reaction from the audience and the media as it faced this challenge in an innovative and bold way. For example, a magic cucumber that follows tradition according to tradition. Transparent text panels introduce the visitor to the history of Czech Christmas decorations, how they are made and decorated, and a magical doll collection inspired by the show's self-service program.
Until the middle of the 19th century, the "decorations" were not changed, so as not to violate or distort the ancient sacred meaning, they were passed from generation to generation, carefully observing the "canons". Ornaments are akin to ancient writings and, like them, can tell a lot about the outlook of man in those distant eras. For a long time, people remembered the purpose of ornaments. Back in the 20-30s of the XX century, residents of some northern Russian villages demonstrated their knowledge of the meaning of the depicted pattern in front of the oldest craftswoman of the village on special “readings”: young girls brought ready-made works to gatherings and told about them in front of the “whole world”.
Most of them are based on items you already have in your home. Some require us to go to a forest or park to pick up cones or branches. Decorating a vacation home can be such a cool, shared activity. Because you know, going to the store and buying huge boxes of Christmas balls really isn't a miracle. The real pleasure is when we make our own jewelry.
Many of them are really a way to update the ornaments we already have, but somehow we got so bored. There is a garland of old lights and cups, or antique baubles covered with cloth or painted with paint. In addition, several uses of conventional cans and the use of natural materials that we first have to find in the forest or park.
In some places in the outback, you can still hear the ancient names of patterns: "vodnik", "Perun", although the master is often unable to explain their meaning. And yet, ancient patterns live on. They live and delight with their beauty. Sometimes they live contrary to the convictions of society or its individual groups, contrary to the guidelines of a particular state regime. Once working in the archives of the Ryazan Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, I laughed a lot, reading the correspondence of the Ryazan mayor and the Skopino bishop (XIX century): both correspondents subtly scolded the "depraved" Russian women, who, despite the great church holidays, stubbornly walked around the city in "obscene" embroidered "underwear" - a folk shirt with embroidery along the hem. The custom demanded that embroideries be displayed, and the craftswomen depicted on them either a woman giving birth, or even "patterns of the first night."
You can hang it on the wall or window, or wear it. We decorate it with what we like. Cool to wear cool, natural jewelry in muted colors for an interesting Scandinavian accent. The only difference is that our stand is in a pot. We'll have enough of the usual Christmas lights, even the ones that bore us completely. They don't have to be ultra-modern and hipster. Also cups and decorative paper.
Nobody said it was baubles, it was just for the Christmas tree. We can afford something like this even in the kitchen. Enough suffixes and strings. How to link them we can see here. Cool case to hang on your wall, fireplace or Christmas tree.
But it was not at all funny to recall the stories of old people heard on expeditions about how hundreds of folk "adornments" with the image of a swastika, one of the most beloved Slavic ornaments, were barbarously destroyed during the Great Patriotic War, and sometimes - and quite recently. And the advanced technologies of the XXI century threaten to completely wipe out Russian folk crafts with their low productivity and primitive technologies from the face of the Earth.
Something like the above, except that you need a wire instead of a string. Thanks to this, we can freely create everything in the form of stars, hearts or whatever comes to our mind. You will find a tutorial on how to do this here, you can even use an old coat hanger!
We need a decorative glass container filled with moss, bark, or small plants. On this candle and we have a piece of wood in the privacy of the house. I like it so lightweight, eco-friendly. Any jug, piece of bark, twine and twig. If we want more festive and rich, we can tie pine cones or twigs.
And yet, in spite of everything, the ornament lives on. To this day, there are people who know how to decorate and want to wear traditional Russian clothes. On long winter evenings, Slavic girls and women embroidered and weaved patterns with a torch - one more intricate than the other, decorating their "row" with them, so that later, on a holiday, they could flaunt before the "community." Did they only feel beauty? Was it only the desire for creative expression that drove them? Or was there and continues to exist today in ancient symbols something very important - unknown to us today?
A little taller, just more decorative. We use moss or other small greens. You can not only the candles themselves, but even the entire table. Interesting composition, each candlestick is really quite different and the green chain connects them together. Another idea for busy people.
These red fruits appear to be holly. Here in Denmark you can find them in every park, florist and shop. We put on the bottle after the case. Natural and a bit rustic. It really doesn't have to be some kind of complicated lens. A regular fleece can will work just fine. We can put something in the mold above, or just dry fruit or even cookies.
For the first time I had to deal with the unusual properties of folk ornament in my youth, when I worked in the Ryazan Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve. It was necessary to take a picture in an old folk dress. In the cathedral, where the shooting took place, because of the cold, I had to wear a fur coat, but ... as soon as I put on embroidered linen clothes, it suddenly became warm: the thin fabric was warming! In an incomprehensible way! Later, while expecting the birth of a child, I realized that the folk patterns that Russian women performed, in addition to beauty, gave the expectant mother also calmness and patience. When I drew ornaments for the planned works, my health miraculously improved, the edema subsided. Later, having mastered the craft of hand weaving, I began to notice how my mood changes in the process of making variously ornamented items.
It turns out to be easy. At least it can be. We can seduce a composition of several wreaths, or rather wreaths, and hang them together on a window or door. They look good with a red accent. It looks cool in my opinion. It's fantastically sleek and really surprisingly light - twigs, cones, and wire. Scandinavian style again, so not everyone likes it.
Really nice tree chain. I don't like Christmas chains, but I really like it. It's fun with it, but in my opinion, the effect of the reward. Wooden baubles with decorations. Christmas decorations will now appear on the Christmas tree. The above are great, but probably not for everyone attainable. We need to get them to train. And the ability to use it.
Surprisingly, the folk ornament, the "decoration" is the same all over the world: the graphics are slightly different, the colors and shades change, but the look, rhythm, and meaning are quite recognizable. There is a known case when a Mexican weaver recognized the pattern of a zero of a woman's shirt of the Arkhangelsk province as her national one. What's this? Accident? Or are different folk traditions based on the same deep knowledge, sometimes inaccessible to us, because they are presented in an unusual language for us - harmony, beauty and love - and before you can understand them, you need to master the language itself?
And really not necessarily from rowan, but, of course, from something red. It can also be cranberry or holly. "We take" the fruit on the wire and shape into any shape. We need sticks and small items for decoration: buttons, beads and strings. We are already tired of the path to a new life for baits. The suit of the sections of the material we choose. Here you will find very pleasant linen and other materials in neutral colors. We cut the material into strips and glue them onto the surface of the glass beads.
Ecological Easter decorations can be made. from the dukes. Handmade jewelry will also be helpful. It is important that all elements of the festive decor have a common element, such as color, and fit into the interior. Homemade jewelry should be related to the nature of the other jewelry. It is important to indicate the style in which we want to execute them. The color scheme is equally important.
This book is the result of my desire to raise questions related to the meaning of folk textile ornament and the peculiarities of its effect on the "wearer" of the clothes decorated by them or the person looking at the patterns. It uses information from many, sometimes non-traditional sources: history, ethnography, mythology, bioenergy, modern alternative medicine, etc. Perhaps this is not entirely correct: is it possible to grasp the immensity? But Russian folk culture has always seemed to me so all-embracing and multifaceted that, in my opinion, it is only necessary to study it comprehensively, having felt the very way of thinking of our ancestors.
One accent color - minimalist Easter decor
Preparing Easter decorations and decorations is best to start by setting a dominant color. You can bet on greens or bile - colors that are uniquely associated with spring. The combination of modern accessories is available in our own stores.
Handmade Easter decorations
Isolated Easter decorations will help reflect the character of the interior. They will also emphasize the home and family atmosphere of the holidays. Handmade jewelry can be combined according to the plan you created.
How to decorate an Easter table
Among others, tablecloths and reeds should match the style of the room. Modern interior with solid color walls - perfect place for metal dishes with a height of about 20 cm, in which you can put flowers. They will liven up the Easter table, and the room will smell beautifully.I believe that the process of drawing folk textile patterns is best illustrated. At first, I spent a month to complete such a drawing while maintaining all the design features (and this in the presence of lined paper, a pencil, corrective funds). And each time the question arose: what about without them? On a loom? And not from the middle, from where the pattern clearly unfolds, but from the edge? And instead of a drawing, at best, a diagram, scratched with a nail on a plank. What kind of spatial imagination, what coordinated interhemispheric connections of the brain do you need to have in order to do this? You must see! But after all, this was an ordinary weaver who knew how ...
So prepared "pots" can also be covered with dry grass. This will give the interior a rustic feel. Place the shells in small decorative holders, place small candles in them. Miniature flower vases can also be made from miniature flowers: using glaze, using it, glue the shells in a plastic shredder, cut the stem of the plant up to 4-5 cm, pour the water into the dough and place the flower. Draw some color suits tied with a spring, attach them to the ribbon loops, using the glue in your pistol to drop the projectiles onto the twig like a spinner.
- It is best to imagine a range of small candlesticks.
- Ecological Easter decorations: reed.
And further. I really want the ancient art of ornament to be preserved, not to disappear, so that the skills, traditions and beauty of folk culture continue to live, please and benefit people. After all, this beauty has incredible kind energy (one would like to say - a soul), capable of helping people. I would like to believe that the topics touched upon in my story will interest new researchers, and then such an amazing phenomenon as Russian folk textile ornament can really be comprehended from different angles. In the meantime, the ancient images-writing continue to await their full reading. Well, let's try to start?
Previously cooked eggs, fresh grass, metal bucket, colored paper are painted in various colors. Wash the bucket, wrap the handle over the fabric, place the bucket in the center of the bucket, place the colored eggs on top. Reed attitude on an Easter table, coffee table or chest of drawers.
For the unknown, Russian architecture boils down to huge blocks and ashes built during the Soviet period in most cities of the former Soviet Union, based on plans that ignore aesthetics and focus only on functionality. In addition to these gloomy landscapes, which speak of a time when everything was weighed en masse, traditional Russian architecture is reflected in wooden houses with handmade ornaments, often flourishing in strong colors. Below we present some Russians.
Folk textile ornament: a history of study
The study of folk "adornments" began in the 19th century. The first descriptions of textile patterns and attempts to find the meaning hidden in them were made by famous people: members of the Imperial Archaeological Society and numerous scholars of archival commissions. Russian Empire... They managed to record invaluable material, now - alas! - irretrievably lost: primordial popular names individual elements of the ornament, more or less not yet distorted by the disappearance of the patriarchal peasant life. In the 1920s, their work was continued by the regional societies of local historians. Relatively systematic materials were published in regional publications or settled in the archives. Of the available, the most interesting were the works of the Smolensk ethnographer E.N. Klet-novoy, Ryazan ethnographer N.I. Lebedeva, the famous archaeologist V.A. Gorodtsov (I.001) and materials of a unique study of the Sapozhkovsk local historians P. and S. Stakhanovs.A lot of literature devoted to the description of the patterns of folk embroidery and weaving throughout the USSR was published in the 1950-1970s. A number of art albums and catalogs of folk costumes are published. Studying the ornaments of the peoples of Siberia, S. Ivanov developed schemes for the formation of ornamental forms, depending on the type of symmetry used. The interest of historians, archaeologists, art historians in the meaning of images is growing: special studies are undertaken by G.P. Durasov, G.S.
Russia is surrounded by such houses, some of which are centuries old. Hand-built houses are true works of art, each region stands out with its own design elements as craftsmen customize their styles over time, differentiating themselves through ornaments, woodworking techniques and other patterns. The tradition of decorating wooden houses originated in pagan times, when ordinary Russians believed that these symbols avoided evil spirits. It is for this reason that carved wooden decorations are centered around doors and windows, which are seen as the main routes of entry into the home of these evil spirits.
Maslova, B.A. Rybakov (I.002), A. Ambroz.
In the 90s of the last century, materials from the study of local traditions appeared again. New Museum Researchers and Amateur Collectors Spotlight Previously Overlooked Jewelery Details folk clothes, which made it possible to trace in folk costume reflection of the Slavic pagan culture and socio-generic information about the owner. It became possible to study the history of the ancient and common among the Slavs symbol - the swastika. Numerous attempts at practical reconstruction of the application and meaning of folk ornament were undertaken by supporters of a resurgent paganism. A. Golan, in his major work, traced a single mythological basis for the symbols of ornament among the peoples of the world, and the works of M.F. Parmona exhaustively highlighted the features of the cut and form of folk clothing.
Studies are being published that raise questions of the perception of symbols by human consciousness, as well as the impact of the sign on our physical condition - from this point of view, V.I. Loshilov. Psychologists and representatives of alternative medicine have accumulated considerable experience in assessing the impact of certain intangible factors on the human body, and our ideas about the properties of consciousness are constantly expanding. But no one has yet tried to consider folk ornament from this point of view.
A little about the Russian folk swastika ...
Few people know that the first country in the world to spread the swastika is ... Russia. This is a key ornament of embroidery and weaving of the Russian North, we even overtake India, where swastikas-amulets still adorn city houses. Agree, given the ideological context of the events of the 20th century, this is perceived, at least, as an irony of fate.It is on our lands that polysyllabic solar motives have survived, which, at times, are maternal even in relation to Indian motives (you can read about this in the works of S.V. Zharnikova). This is a dizzying archaic.
Russian names for the swastika:
“Feather grass” (Tula province), “horse”, “horse shank” (Ryazan province), “hare” (Pechora), “mushroom” (Nizhny Novgorod province), “loach” (Tver province), “bow-legged ”(Voronezh province), etc. On the territory of the Vologda lands, the name of the swastika was even more diverse. "Kryuchya", "Kryukovets", "Kryuk" (Syamzhensky, Verkhovazhsky regions), "flint", "fire", "horse" (horse-fire?) (Tarnogsky, Nyuksensky regions), "sver", "cricket" ( Velikoustyugsky district), "leader", "leader", "Zhgun", (Kichm.-Gorodetsky, Nikolsky districts), "bright", "shaggy brightly", "kosmach" (Totemsky district), "guski", "chertogon" (Babushkinsky district), "kosar", "kosovik" (Sokolsky district), "cross", "vratok" (Vologda, Gryazovetsky districts), "rottenets", "rottenka", "rotten" (Sheksninsky, Cherepovetsky areas), " ugly "(Babaevsky district)," miller "(Chagodoshchensky district)," krutyak "(Belozersky, Kirillovsky districts)," dust "(Vytegorsky district). The most archaic of them is undoubtedly the "fire-place". This name reflects the original meaning of the magic symbol of the swastika: "living fire" - "fire" - "flint" - "flint"."The Russian name for the swastika is" Kolovrat ", that is," solstice "(" Kolo "is the Old Russian name for the sun," gate "- rotation, return). Kolovrat symbolized the victory of light (sun) over darkness, life over death, revelation over nave. The swastika, directed in the opposite direction, was called "salting". According to one of the versions, "Kolovrat" meant the increase in daylight hours or the rising spring sun, while "salting" - the decrease in daylight and the setting autumn sun. The existing confusion in the names is caused by a misunderstanding of the direction of the rotational movement of the Russian swastika. A "right" or "straight" swastika is often called a cross with ends bent to the right. However, in the Russian pagan tradition, the semantic meaning of the swastika is as close as possible to the ancient one (the symbol of "living fire"), and therefore its bent ends should be considered precisely as tongues of flame, which naturally deviate to the left when the cross rotates to the right, and when it rotates left-handed - to the right. The deflection of the flames in both cases occurs under the influence of the oncoming air flow. Therefore, a "Kolovrat" or "left-sided" swastika in Russia is called a cross, the ends of which ("tongues of flame") are bent to the right side, and vice versa, a "salting", or "right-sided" swastika is called a cross with ends bent to the left ( in this case the swastika rotates clockwise, in the direction of the sun, hence its name - "salting"). An ancient pagan ritual is easily guessed in the Old Believer "salting" - a ritual tour of churches in the sun. (M.V.Surov "Everything and everyone will return") "
Only our local history museum is in no hurry to expose the same towels, dresses and belts (on which there is an image of the indicated symbol in red and white in many interpretations and variants). Such cases are known:
“During the exhibition“ Russian National Costume ”in the halls of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, one of the visitors (a certain M. Blyakhman) tried to destroy a woman's wedding dress, richly decorated with swastikas, by burning. At the police station, the scoundrel brazenly declared that in this way he was fighting "fascism."
