A painting by a master from Braslav will be exhibited in Milan

At the end of last year, the traditional art of painted rugs from the Vitebsk region was included in the state list of historical and cultural values as an element of intangible cultural heritage. I had the opportunity to try making a painted rug myself during a master class organized by Alina Vyzhikovskaya, a junior researcher in fund work at the Braslav Museum Association, reports a correspondent of "SB Belarus Today".

Peacocks and Lovers

First, we examine the patterns – painted rugs from museum "chests" that adorned the homes of our grandparents. The traditions of this art form were established in the 1920s and developed until the 1960s of the last century. During this time, painted rugs became an essential part of rural interiors.

What is the distinctiveness of this seemingly simple artistic creation? Folk artists sought to convey the poetics of an idyllic picture of the world with its characteristic metaphors of paradise.

An obligatory component of the rug landscapes of the western Vitebsk region is the element of water, which is linked to the specific features of the natural landscape. This is not surprising for a land blessed with numerous lakes and rivers! You can also see deer, doves, peacocks, and lovers on them. The painted rugs feature many flowers and depictions of historical and cultural monuments of the Vitebsk region. Images were also sometimes borrowed from classical art. The main subject usually has a plant-ornamental border.

Handmade linen canvases with colorful depictions of "paradise gardens" painted on them were popular for a short time, but they were in demand among the people. The rugs were considered a good gift for weddings, the birth of a child, and other holidays. Now, as the artist admits, you will hardly find the former pride of the hostess in a rural house.

The Stamp is Set!

It is possible to create a malyavanka yourself with little effort. It is best to use black linen fabric as a base. First, lines are drawn on a piece of fabric with soap to determine where the patterns will be placed. You can draw freehand if you are a skilled artist. Alina Alexandrovna created some of her works using paper stencils. However, most of the master class participants decided to use the stamping technique.

In the past, a stamp with a flower or other symbol was carved from a potato or beetroot. You can probably try to do this at home. However, we had linoleum stamps attached to a wooden base at our disposal.

It seems like there is nothing to draw here, but it is not so easy to choose colors and patterns with taste. The master advises some beginners on what color is missing to make the work brighter and more expressive. Each print can be carefully colored – ordinary thin brushes are used for this. PVA glue is added to the paints so that the colors remain saturated and do not wash off.

Until recently, Alina Vyzhikovskaya was the only master in the region dedicated to reviving the art of malyavanka. Her works have been repeatedly exhibited at the international festival "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk". Perhaps, soon one of them will be shown at an exhibition in Milan.

The master from Braslav strives to share her creative achievements with other people, especially young ones. And although today you can buy a ready-made carpet with any patterns, traditional works of art made in a single copy can get a second life as souvenirs or decorations for rooms stylized in the past – the same agro-estates.

Alena Yasko, SB Belarus Segodnya