Colorful shawls are one of the staples of traditional Russian style. The most classic type has been produced in Pavlovsky Posad since the 19th century. Contemporary designs, however, suit this versatile accessory just as well. This is proven by the brands Onega, Ptitsa Sirin (“Sirin Bird”), and Russkie v Mode (“Russians in Style”). They all draw inspiration from arts and crafts of different regions of Russia, such as gorodets painting, as well as Slavic mythology.
A shawl can also be a great gift to bring from your trip: for example, if you’re ever in Pskov, you can purchase one with drawings by Yury Spegalsky (1909-1969), one of the most prominent preservers of this town’s heritage.
Speaking of souvenirs, we can’t help but mention magnets. Brought from trips, or, more likely, received as a small gift, they decorate many – if not most – refrigerators in Russia. Some of them can look a bit tacky, but others are really cool. Take a look at the ones made by Luk i Strely (“Bow and Arrows”), for example. These are miniature versions of intricately decorated platbands that frame the windows of old houses all over Russia. Around a dozen cities including Nizhny Novgorod and Tver are lucky to be represented by such lovely memorabilia already, and there’s probably more to come.
In a previous story, we mentioned one of the Russian traditional handicrafts – toys carved from wood. They are so beautiful in their simplicity and truly feel like a mysterious object from the deep, deep past. To this day, there are masters keeping this art alive, such as Alexander Ivasenko and Yury and Evgeniya Bezobrazovs. They are experts at their craft and thanks to this, you can’t help but be struck by the authenticity their works radiate.
Another example of woodworking items made in Russia are chairs by TETREE. Put together without a single nail and inspired by ancient spinning wheels, these feel like they belong in a museum, but are in fact perfectly functional. Judging by the look of their smoothest surface, they must be amazing to touch, too.
We hope you enjoyed browsing through all these wonderful folklore-inspired masterpieces. Stick around for more: next we’ll cover jewelry, ceramics, makeup, and clothing brands influenced by traditional Russian and Slavic culture.
