FOLK CRAFTS OF RUSSIA

Folk crafts of Russia are an integral part of our national culture. They embody the centuries-old experience of aesthetic perception, of the world towards the future. Their artistic traditions reflect the indigenous character of various cultures in the multinational Russian Federation.

Gzhel

The white-azure firebird is a symbol of the "Gzhel cluster'' – a number of villages engaged in the production of such ceramics.

The Firebird is a symbol of beauty, inspiration, joy, and dreams of a brighter future.

Vologda lace

Vologda lace is a type of the Russian bobbin lace – that is, the one made by twisting threads attached to bobbins, special wooden sticks. It is a specialty of the Vologda region.

To make Vologda lace, you have to start with the main pattern (like the church here).

It is made with a thick linen thread of a huge length and an even width. Afterwards, a thinner basic grid is added, to hold the pattern's elements together.

Matryoshka

Matryoshka (which is a friendly name for a girl named "Matryona") is a Russian wooden toy – a brightly painted doll. Inside, it has several smaller dolls (usually, three or more).

Most of the time, they are egg-shaped and flat-based, and can be separated in the middle, top part from bottom part. The traditional Matryoshka is a woman in a red dress and yellow headkerchief.