VSTU is engaged in the restoration of technologies and traditions of a unique Belarusian craft
The all-knowing "Wikipedia" in the article "Slutsk belts" reports that the technologies for their weaving are now lost. A few years ago, this statement was true, but today it is erroneous. Visitors to a recent exhibition at the Vitebsk Concert Hall were able to see this for themselves, where fragments of a modern belt, made exactly like its historical counterpart, were presented.
– The project to revive the technology of unique hand weaving has been underway for the third year. We have managed to adapt the ancient craft to modern equipment. According to the technical specification of the university, a loom was made in Germany, which is installed at the "Slutsk belts" enterprise. Several belts with gold and silver threads have already been made here, which are analogues of the products of Radziwill's Slutsk manufactory, – explains Galina Kazarnovskaya (in the photo), head of the design department of the Faculty of Arts and Technology of VSTU, Candidate of Technical Sciences, under whose leadership research work is being carried out within the framework of the state program for the revival of technologies and traditions of Slutsk belt production, scheduled until 2015.
Galina Vasilievna says that she held an original dating back to the first half of the 18th century, which is kept in the Museum of Ancient Belarusian Culture of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. At one time, the Slutsk manufactory produced about 200 belts of the finest workmanship per year. Interestingly, it was originally called "persiarnya", as the art of making belts with gold and silk came to Belarus from the Ottoman Empire, Persia. Grand Hetman Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł invited the famous Turkish master, an Armenian by nationality, Hovhannes Madzharants, to Slutsk, who began to be called Jan Madzharski in our way. By the way, his great-granddaughter Elizaveta is the mother of the famous composer and conductor Stanisław Moniuszko.
Jan from Turkey taught local craftsmen "Persian work". They served as apprentices for at least seven years. Only men were engaged in weaving, as it was believed that the golden and silver threads would tarnish from the touch of a woman's hand, and the belt would be spoiled. It took from 400 to 800 grams of gold to make one item, and its price was sometimes equal to the annual income of an officer of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army. The Slutsk belt was considered a sign of noble origin, and its presence indicated the owner's wealth.
– At the end of the 18th century, a small Belarusian city, thanks to its belts, was among the recognized capitals of European fashion. "MefecitSlucicae" ("Made by me in Slutsk") – this mark was placed on each item. According to the Slutsk technology, belts were made in Warsaw, other Polish cities, and even in Lyon, France. Moreover, although they were woven in many countries around the world, it was in Slutsk that true masterpieces were born, which served as a model for all other belts, – says Galina Kazarnovskaya.
The Slutsk belt had no wrong side; all sides were the right side. For holidays, the belt was tied with the golden, red side outwards, for mourning the black side was used, and for everyday wear, typically, the green or grey side.
– We are used to color effects being formed across the entire width of the loom's weave, while the Slutsk manufactory used the "broché" technique, where colored threads were introduced only in a specific area. Achieving this on a modern loom was not easy, but we managed to master the ancient technology and set the machine to the appropriate program, – Galina Kazarnovskaya continues.
The pattern of the modern Slutsk belt has been approved by the republican scientific expert council, which includes renowned art critics. The first specimen, a fragment of which was presented at the Vitebsk exhibition, was made in December last year. Its width is 35 cm, length – 3.5 meters, and it took 80 hours to create. The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus has classified the revival of the authentic belt production technology on modern weaving equipment as one of the most significant achievements of 2013.
Today, a course on Slutsk belts has been introduced at VSTU.
– This item of Belarusian hand weaving is not only a work of applied art but also a relic of Belarusians, a kind of calling card of the country. For us, Slutsk belts are a national pride, our brand, – Galina Kazarnovskaya is convinced.
Recently, unique items from RUP "Slutskye Poyasa" were presented at the National Art Museum of Belarus. As explained by the enterprise's director, Larisa Tarasova, despite the high cost (70 million rubles for a silk belt with silver thread), they are in high demand. Ten specimens have already been sold, and there are many more orders. The plans for this year include developing four more belts.
Tatsiana Pasternak, "Vitebskiye Vesti"