Craftswomen in Lepel revive the traditions of ancient weaving
– When the center was being organized, grandmothers were hired as craftswomen to teach young people weaving, a craft that had been forgotten by then. Yekaterina Timofeyevna Смажевская assembled the loom, which was found in one of the villages, tuned it, wove on it herself, and trained others. Today, her students are teaching children and everyone who wants to learn, including tourists, – said Elena Borodeiko, head of the Ideological Work, Culture, and Youth Affairs Department of the Lepel District Executive Committee, who managed the Center of Crafts for 10 years before her current position, about the revival of weaving in the district.
Craftsman Nikolay Drugakov made several looms based on the existing one. Later, when weaving developed and it was necessary to go out, as they say, to the public, it turned out that these looms did not fit into transport, and the craftswomen modernized them – made them collapsible. A similar loom, which is over 100 years old, is especially loved and cherished at the Center of Crafts. This rarity still works perfectly; it was donated by a resident of the district, Vasily Shkinder.
The center's methodologists-craftsmen study the specifics of weaving in different regions of Belarus. Unlike, for example, the wide Grodno looms, the Lepel looms are narrower, and the resulting fabrics are sewn in the middle.
A traditional rushnyk was a maximum of 30 cm wide, and its length could be 2 meters or more.
– In ancient times, it was said that anyone could weave, but not everyone could thread a loom. There were women who did only that. It's like programmers today: whatever algorithm you set, that's what you get at the output. If the "programmer" made a mistake in the calculations, you will see their oversight when you start weaving, – said Svetlana Zolotukha, a methodologist-master of weaving. She learned the skills of this craft from her aunt Yekaterina Смажевская and grandmother Maria Bykova, and now she has taught her daughter to weave.
Natalia Petukhova worked as a weaving methodologist-master at the Crafts Center for 10 years, trained her successor, and has been making dolls for about 12 years. The exhibition hall stands are full of them – brides and married women, peasants and townswomen in traditional Belarusian costumes from Novogrudok, Pinsk, Kalinkovichi, Lepel, and other regions of Belarus.
– This is Natalia Petukhova's original design. She studied to be a weaver, but she can do everything: she knits with needles and a hook, embroiders satin stitch and cross-stitch, and makes dolls. She has golden hands and excellent taste. She will immediately notice a mistake and help if someone is having trouble with something, – introduced the craftswoman Elena Borodeiko.
The talented artist Natalia Petukhova has been awarded diplomas and prizes more than once.
– My mother was involved in needlework all her life: knitting, sewing, weaving, embroidering. She passed this love on to me too, – shared Natalia Arkadyevna.
After graduating from the Vitebsk Light Industry College, she returned to her small homeland. She worked at various enterprises in Lepel and for more than 20 years at the Crafts Center.
– I am always interested in trying something new. That's why when the doll master moved to another city, I decided to try myself in this field, – noted the craftswoman. – I got hooked!
Natalia makes everything by hand, from the embroidery on the dolls' clothes to the miniature belts.
– To accurately convey the details of ancient clothing, I have to visit museums, search for information in various encyclopedias and books. First, I create a methodological development: I draw a sketch, a belt, and other elements. Then I reduce everything to doll sizes, – said the craftswoman.
Natalia Petukhova's dolls are not only in traditional clothing but also ritual dolls, amulet dolls, and souvenir dolls. All of them are faceless.
– When I create miniatures of traditional Belarusian costumes, the main thing for me is to showcase the costume. And when I create folk ritual dolls, I take into account ancient traditions. A doll without a face was considered an inanimate object, inaccessible to evil spirits, and therefore harmless to a child. It was supposed to bring him well-being, health, and joy. As a rule, the most valuable amulets were dolls made without a needle and scissors: when making them, they tried not to cut the fabric, but to tear it, and they were called "rvaniki" (tear-offs). Such dolls can only be made with positive thoughts, in a good mood: what you think about is embedded in the amulet on an energetic level. If something doesn't work out, it's better to postpone it, – explained Natalia Arkadyevna.
Thanks to people like the masters of the Lepel Center of Crafts, the traditions of ancestors are being revived and preserved. The tablecloths, rushnyks, bedspreads, and belts woven by them, as well as the dolls, will remain as a legacy for future generations.