One of the favorite materials of the craftsmen was birch bark. Baskets, salt shakers, boxes, and shoes (bast shoes, feet) were woven from it. Of the combined products (wood and bark), the most common was tues, consisting of layered birch bark and a skolotn (birch bark cylinder).

Birch bark has antiseptic properties, which allows you to store food in birch bark containers for a long time. In addition to utilitarian objects, in the peasant hut there were toys made of birch bark - wicker balls, rattles (sharkunkas), “birch bark” figurines. Simple ones were also made from birch bark musical instruments- horns and pipes. Birch bark ribbon was wrapped around pots, glass bottles, and the handles of tools.

Birch bark trades, once widespread throughout the country, have been preserved in the northern and northeastern regions of the European part of Russia, in the Volga region and Siberia. Bodies from elm bark are made only in the Bryansk region (Maloye Polpino). Unfortunately, at present the craft is not so widespread, and the bodies are made only by individual craftsmen.

If you have been in the forest, then, most likely, at least once you have seen a rotten birch stump. If you kick it, it will crumble into dust, but birch bark will remain strong. Birch bark is durable and does not rot, and people have long understood this. In huts it was placed under the lower crown of the hut so that moisture would not penetrate into the house. Birch bark was used to create water-resistant shoes, cover birch bark boats, and make tues that kept their contents cold even in the heat. One of historical sources birch bark letters became widely known, bringing to us examples of ancient Russian writing. Birch was used as paper due to its elasticity.
Products made from birch bark used in everyday life were often decorated with incised patterns. The city where birch bark carving was done more than in any other place was Veliky Ustyug.
Birch bark is easy to process; even using simple tools, you can perform various decorative works.

The most important tool when creating slotted birch bark is a cutter. Punchers are also needed ( Hand tools for punching small holes in various materials) - they are made from sheet steel, rolled into tubes of different diameters. The profiles of such tubes can be made different shapes: oval, square, triangular, round. The tubes must be driven into wooden handles and their outer sides must be sharpened.
Hammers and a blunt awl will also be useful in your work. The more different tools you have, the more interesting the drawing will be.

Birch bark harvesting should be planned for the end of May/beginning of June; it is at this time of year that birch bark has a particularly beautiful shade and is easily removed. Remove birch bark only from already fallen trees!

The outer white layer should be cleaned with sandpaper and the remaining bark should be removed from the front (inner) side.
Fresh birch bark stratifies easily, but dried birch bark will need to be steamed with hot water and separated into layers using a knife.
To make the birch bark straight, place it between two planks and press down with a weight.

To process birch bark you will need a board (preferably linden or aspen). The birch bark is attached to such a board using push pins, and a sheet of thin paper with a pattern applied to it is fixed on top, then the drawing must be outlined along the contour with a hard pencil so that the imprint of the pattern is visible on the product, later you can trace it with an awl and directly on the birch bark .

Complex parts of the design must be cut out with a cutter, and punches are well suited for small, frequently repeated elements. In order to make the pattern even more interesting, chases are used and lightly tapped with a hammer so that a depression or bulge appears in the birch bark. Be careful, if you are not sure that you will get exactly a recess and not a through hole, it is better to practice chasing on a test piece of birch bark. Embossing and punches are used to simplify identical elements for a product. An awl is used to depict short lines and dots.

After your work is completed, you need to carefully remove the birch bark from the board and glue it to the background - smooth birch bark, colored foil, etc. For gluing, you need to use wood glue and do it under pressure. If during work it loses color and freshness, it should be wiped with oil (sunflower or linseed) using a soft sponge or rag.
The finished product can be used to decorate a pencil case, bookmark, pencil holder, glasses case and many different items that we encounter in everyday life.

So, our master class on making a pattern on birch bark by slotted carving:

Tools

First, we will need a blunt knife and a feather knife as the main knives. These are the basic knives and the ones we will use most often. Professional craftsmen usually use only a pen knife.

We will also need a set of chisels for wood carving

Since I previously studied wood carving at Tatyanka, I have this set of chisels.

We also need an awl. The main thing in working with birch bark is that the awl does not scratch it, so take yourself a couple to work with birch bark and blunt/round it a little.

For slotted carving we need first-class, high-quality birch bark. Using a jamb knife, you need to remove all the growths and delaminate the birch bark, removing the white layer. As we remember, birch bark is compressed layers of the thinnest outer bark, so delamination will be easy.

Let's start work

The first thing we need to do is prepare the drawing that we will cut out. To do this, it is quite enough to print out the required design on a printer, attach it to the birch bark and, with an awl (that’s why you need a rounded awl), carefully outline the design, without pressing too hard on the design, so that the outline remains on the birch bark.

To emboss birch bark, you can use many different devices, but to get the full range of designs, I advise you to use a leather embossing tool.

Here are some examples of leather embossing:

The effect will be the same, only because birch bark is more fragile, calculate the force when hitting with a hammer :) Practice on an unnecessary piece of birch bark.

The frame around the drawing is drawn using a metal ruler; this is a proven way to make a straight line.

After that, take a little rest.

In order to glue our design onto the object to be decorated, we take PVA glue, a dish sponge, and apply the glue with small, light movements, the glue is applied both to the object and to the birch bark, remember, you don’t need a lot of glue, otherwise it will leak out of the ornament. and then all this will have a rather unpresentable appearance.

Good luck to YOU ​​in your endeavors!

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The traditional Russian folk art craft of birch bark carving, made famous by the craftsmen of the Shemogodskaya volost of the Veliky Ustyug district of the Vologda province of Russia.

Shemogodskaya slotted birch bark is perhaps the most famous birch bark craft in Russia. He is also famous abroad. The fishery got its name from the Shemoksa River, which flows into the Northern Dvina below Veliky Ustyug.

By 1882, in the Shemogodsky volost of V. Ustyug district, 168 people were engaged in thought. This is what was written in the Essay on Handicrafts of the Vologda Province:

“The best borage in the village of Kurovo-Navolok. They make extremely elegant beetroot to order.”

This refers to products decorated with slotted birch bark: tueski, dishes, glove holders, pencil cases, travel boxes and other products. An elegant floral ornament, carved by the master, decorated the walls and lids of the products. Birch bark against a dark or golden background looked like an expensive material. Naturally, the products were attractive to the buyer.

From the book “Good Craft” by A.V. Shutikhina, from the Northern Birch Bark website

History of the fishery

In 1918, carvers from the village of Kurovo-Navolok united into a cooperative artel (in 1935 it was renamed the “Artist” artel).

There was another artel on Shemoks, created in 1934 by Nikolai Vasilyevich Veprev. It was called "Solidarity". The best carvers were invited to this artel, who tried to preserve the traditions of Shemogod carving.

During the war and post-war years, there was a carving workshop at the Shemogodsky Furniture Factory. In 1964, production was considered unprofitable, both artels were closed, and the craftsmen were fired.

It took great effort for the Shemogod carving to be restored again. This happened in 1967, when a workshop was created at the Kuzinsky Mechanical Plant for the production of boxes, boxes and other products decorated with slotted birch bark.

After the unsuccessful “innovations” of the 1950-1960s, the fishery began to actively develop again. In 1981, the art and production plant “Velikoustyug Patterns” was created, continuing the traditions of openwork ligature.

Growing demand

Due to the great demand for products, the fishery was constantly expanding. Not only men, but also women and children worked. November 21, 1908 in the village. A peasant vocational school was opened in Pogorelovo.

Products with slotted birch bark were mainly sent abroad. In the USA, glove boxes and cigarette machines were fashionable. France and Germany also used products from the Shemoksa River.

The revolution of 1917 had little impact on the work of the craftsmen.

The Soviet Republic needed hard currency to rise National economy. In 1918, the artisans of the village of Kirovo-Navolok, on the initiative of master A.V. Veprev, united into the Shemogodsky cooperative production artel.

The list of manufactured products was large: handkerchief holders, glove holders, tobacco holders, teapots, work drawers, boxes with sliding lids, cigarette machines, book boxes, octagonal and pyramid boxes.

In 1928, the Gostorg representative office planned to sell birch bark products in Germany for 5,000 rubles in gold. And in 1930, the All-Russian Union of Trade Cooperation pledged to supply birch bark products worth 10,000 rubles in gold to Kustoexport.

The production of Shemogod birch bark products continued until the liquidation of the industrial cooperation in 1960. Now the Veliky Ustyug Patterns factory continues to work with birch bark.

Description

The ornaments of Shemogod carvers, called “Birch bark lace,” were used in the manufacture of caskets, boxes, teapots, pencil cases, cases, dishes, plates, and cigarette cases.

The Shemogod carving pattern usually consists of a creeping stem with elongated leaves and spirally twisted branches. At their tips there are round rosettes, berries, and trefoils.

Often, craftsmen introduced geometric patterns from circles, rhombuses - “gingerbreads”, ovals, and segments into floral ornaments. The composition was built on the principle of clear symmetry. The design was completed with a border of leaves, triangles, wavy lines, and mesh.

This ornament can include images of birds or animals, architectural motifs, and sometimes even scenes of walking in the garden and drinking tea. Another characteristic feature This carving consists of frames with geometric patterns surrounding the design.

Shemogod birch bark carving

Photo gallery

Helpful information

Shemogod carving
Shemogodskoye is a rural settlement in the Veliky Ustyug district of the Vologda region, the name comes from the Shemoksa river

WHERE CAN I BUY?

You can view, select and purchase Shemogodskaya carvings at online store "RUSSIAN CRAFTS".

I.A. Veprev

The most famous master of this craft was Ivan Afanasyevich Veprev. It was his products that gained great fame and brought fame to Shemogod birch bark.

The master had ten medals and diplomas from various exhibitions and fairs, including a medal from the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris.

In 1882, at the All-Russian Industrial Fair, his products were awarded a prize and completely purchased by the imperial court. They were very expensive: from 5 to 13 rubles. per piece, while the earnings of peasants engaged in beetroot farming, according to F. Arsenyev, amounted to 16 rubles. for 6 winter months.

Stepan Bochkarev

The names of many talented craftsmen are associated with the history of the craft. The State Historical Museum has signed works by the Veliky Ustyug master Stepan Bochkarev. These are boxes and snuff boxes from the first half of the 19th century with scenes based on Aesop's fables, with images of animals and architectural structures.

Technology

The main contours of the image are applied to the prepared birch bark plate with a blunt awl. Then use a sharp knife to cut out the design and remove the background. The silhouette ornament is decorated with small cuts.

The embossing is applied to the birch bark using the same blunt awl. After this, the birch bark plate was glued to the product, usually made of soft wood (aspen), sometimes the background was tinted or colored foil was glued.

From metal to birch bark

It is very difficult to draw a chronological boundary for the transformation of peasant craft into fishing.

We find the first mention of birch bark items as a product on the pages of the travel diary of a retired second major, Pyotr Chelishchev, who visited Veliky Ustyug in 1791.

This laconic evidence gives reason to assume that in the 18th century this method of artistic design of objects made of birch bark was still predominant among the peasantry due, first of all, to less labor intensity creative process, although the existence of the production of things decorated with cut birch bark is not at all ruled out.

Dating back to the second half of the 18th century, those few miraculously preserved products with carved birch bark, the origin of which researchers associate with Veliky Ustyug, do not contradict this conclusion.

The example of the decorative design of some of them clearly shows the connection between carved birch bark and the art of milled iron, which flourished in the city during this period.

Perhaps the technique artistic treatment metal began to be used and received its new development in another material - birch bark, but it is possible that these two types of cutting existed independently and simultaneously.

Birch bark is the bark of a birch tree, which is unique natural material. Lovely birch trees are the decoration of Russian forests, the personification of youth and chastity

Among the endless vast world of plants on Earth, only birch has snow-white bark.

Birch bark has a peculiar structure. Its surface layer is highlighted in white.

It is followed by the thinnest, numerous yellowish layers that make up the so-called birch bark - a durable, flexible, rot-resistant material, a unique natural formation.

These properties put birch bark among the materials vital for humans. They drove black tar from birch bark, made light boats, roofs for huts,

they wove bast shoes and waders, jackets and caps, bottles and inkwells, horns and pipes that caressed the ear.

Liquid substances were stored in specially made containers and boxes - milk, sour cream, cedar oil, various animal fats, honey, salted fish and much more.

Birch bark containers are like a thermos: sour cream does not turn sour in them, fish does not freeze in winter, and does not spoil in hot weather.

All these products could be stored indefinitely, because birch bark has excellent bactericidal properties. It is no coincidence that the air in a birch forest is several times more sterile than in an operating room. The seams in the products were sealed so tightly that they did not allow moisture to pass through.

Bags, clothes, shoes, etc. were made from specially processed birch bark.
which are not inferior in quality to leather products.
In ancient times in Rus', birch bark was large quantities used
for writing. The writings of the ancient Novgorodians have been well preserved to this day - birch bark letters, which brought to us pictures of life in that distant time.

Birch bark is one of the most poetic materials of folk decorative
applied arts. Like clothes, it reliably protects the tree
from various adversities. In spring, on bright sunny days, snow-white
the bark reflects the scorching rays of the luminary. In autumn birch bark “cloak”
protects the trunk from moisture, putrefactive microbes,
in winter - from bitter frosts.

Craftsmen from many provinces were engaged in the production of products from birch bark. Slotted birch bark was used to decorate artistic products.

In every large center The production of birch bark products developed its own methods of decorating things, which often used patterns and ornaments depicting birds and plants.

The master makes all kinds of products from birch bark with the finest carvings and embossing; in combination they are harmonious. By skillfully varying patterns, he makes each object seem to sound in its own way.

Birch bark is a very warm material. Even in a cold room it feels warm to the touch, because it has great positive energy.

Very often we hear from women who work on a computer for a long time that a birch bark rim relieves fatigue and often normalizes blood pressure.

Each product is unique.

Products made from birch bark are very beautiful - their soft charm with a touch of Russian antiquity makes people reach out to such items with all their hearts...

Slotted carving on birch bark. Master Class

Many people who start working with birch bark wonder: how to make slotted carvings

First, we will need a blunt knife and a feather knife as the main knives. These are the basic knives and the ones we will use most often. Professional craftsmen usually use only a pen knife.

We will also need a set of chisels for wood carving

Since I previously studied wood carving at Tatyanka, I have this set of chisels.

We also need an awl. The main thing in working with birch bark is that the awl does not scratch it, so take yourself a couple to work with birch bark and blunt/round it a little.

For slotted carving we need first-class, high-quality birch bark. Using a jamb knife, you need to remove all the growths and delaminate the birch bark, removing the white layer. As we remember, birch bark is compressed layers of the thinnest outer bark, so delamination will be easy.

Let's start work

The first thing we need to do is prepare the drawing that we will cut out. To do this, it is quite enough to print out the required design on a printer, attach it to the birch bark and, with an awl (that’s why you need a rounded awl), carefully outline the design, without pressing too hard on the design, so that the outline remains on the birch bark.

Many people who start working with birch bark wonder: how to make slotted carvings? I've seen different approaches to this. I present my version as a master class.
So what tools do we need?

Firstly, this is, of course, a blunt knife and a feather knife:

A jamb knife (on the right) is needed for the initial processing of birch bark from growths and irregularities on the white (wrong) side. It needs to be cleaned so that the birch bark with the cut-out ornament can then be glued onto the product (a box or a background for a picture).
The miniature feather knife (left) is needed for the carving itself. Many Vologda craftsmen use only it when carving.
I also use wood chisels. These are arched chisels of varying degrees of convexity, straight and triangular:

The chisels from the “Tatyanka” series have proven themselves, they are quite thin and slowly dull, although they cost quite a lot, but once you can spend money, because they will serve you long years.
Awls are also needed. Moreover, they need to be slightly blunted so that they do not scratch the birch bark:

We select high-quality birch bark for carving, smooth, even in color and without any special sagging. We clean with a knife or peel off the inner (white layer) of birch bark. Birch bark peels off easily. You need to pick up the required thickness with your fingernail and separate:


You can apply the sketch yourself to the birch bark with an awl. I often use blanks printed on paper. We attach the sketch to the birch bark and trace it with an awl:


The result is a fairly clear print:


Now we cut through the birch bark along the lines, using chisels for curved lines and a knife for more or less straight ones:

To make embossing, I use metal cutters. They leave a pattern in the form of a “star”:


If you draw a line with the same cutter, turning it, you get a nice “groove”:


I draw a frame around the drawing with an awl and a ruler:


A beautiful dotted imprint remains from the dots made with a blunt awl:


In order to glue the birch bark with an ornament onto the product, we use PVA glue, which is applied to a dishwashing sponge. Use it to carefully tampon the birch bark from the wrong side.

Products woven from birch bark

Since time immemorial, birch bark has been used in the everyday life of the Russian people. Birch bark is the top layer of birch bark.

Its ancient name “birch bark” has been known since the 15th century. Later it became known as “birch bark” and “birch bark”. It is easy to work with and extremely durable, with a delicate pinkish-ocher color. One of the most valuable qualities of this material is its moisture resistance. Birch bark was used for a wide variety of purposes. It was placed under the first crowns of the log hut, under the plank roofs, to protect the wood from rotting. Bast shoes were woven from it and dishes were made: beetroot, boxes, baskets. There were birch bark musical instruments - shepherd's horns. Peasant children played with birch bark toys.

In the old days, messages were written on birch bark; it replaced paper. During excavations in ancient Novgorod, archaeologists discovered birch bark letters with texts pressed onto birch bark plates with metal sticks - “writings”.

The beauty and quality of products depend largely on the material itself, on its correct preparation and processing. Birch bark is harvested at the end of May - in June, when the tree is full of juices and the birch bark easily lags behind the main bark. If it is removed from the tree trunk skillfully, without damaging the next layer of bark, then it does not harm the tree, and in a few years the tree will have new white clothes. When preparing, craftsmen cut birch bark plates into long strips, which were rolled into balls.

Birch bark was easy to process and did not require complex tools and devices. And most importantly, anyone could master the technology for making household items from it. The methods of weaving birch bark products were simple. The main tool was the kochedyk used for weaving bast shoes, a flat awl with a hook-like bend. “Don’t rush with your tongue, but hurry with your kochedyk,” says the Russian proverb, which means: “Do business, not idle talk.” In addition to the kochedyk, the master needed a sharp knife, with which he cut birch bark strips of the required width and sharpened their ends.

In the XIX–early XX centuries. in every peasant house in the North one could find birch bark baskets, bread baskets, shoulder blades, boxes, large birch bark bottles for storing grain, pesteri, salt licks, and birch bark bast shoes (feet).

For weaving, strips were used, i.e. birch bark strips. During the work, such tapes formed a simple pattern. - in a checkered pattern, in a braid, in a rope, in triangles. Craftsmen used various shades of the natural color of birch bark. Products woven by a good craftsman were valued and taken care of; these things were true works of art.

Shemogod carving

The silvery-white surface of birch bark is beautiful in itself, but sometimes it was also decorated with embossing or painting, and end-to-end ornaments were cut out on it.

The art of birch bark carving brought fame to the craftsmen of the Shemogodsky volost of the Veliky Ustyug district. Already in the 18th century. Residents of the village of Kurovo-Navolok and its neighboring villages located along the Shemoksa River, a tributary of the Northern Dvina, carved openwork patterns on birch bark plates and stamped them. Over time, this type of skill turned into a trade. The famous Russian travel scientist P.I. Chelishchev wrote about birch bark products as a commodity in 1791. At the fair in Veliky Ustyug, he saw “printed beetroot covered with figurines” in the shopping arcades.

According to the volost, the craft was called “Shemogodskaya” carving.

This technique was used in the manufacture of caskets, boxes, teapots, pencil cases, cases, dishes, plates, and cigarette cases. Decorated with carved birch bark, they took on the appearance of elegant, skillfully made products. The openwork ornaments of Shemogod carvers were called “birch bark lace.”

Shemogod carvings can be easily recognized by this ornament. The pattern usually consists of a creeping stem with elongated leaves and spirally twisted branches. At their tips there are round rosettes, berries, and trefoils. This ornament can include images of birds or animals, architectural motifs, and sometimes even scenes of walking in the garden and drinking tea. Another characteristic feature of Shemogod carvings are frames with geometric patterns surrounding the design.

The carving technique is not complicated, but it requires strong skills, patience and imagination. The main contours of the image are applied to the prepared birch bark plate with a blunt awl. Then use a sharp knife to cut out the design and remove the background. If you move the knife at a right angle to the birch bark piece, you will get a clear outline, and if you tilt the knife, the cut of the birch bark will be visible, the thickness of the material will be revealed, and the pattern will acquire a soft outline. The silhouette ornament is decorated with small cuts. The embossing is applied to the birch bark using the same blunt awl. The finished strip is glued into smoothly cleaned recesses of the products. Many craftsmen tinted the background or placed colored foil under the openwork pattern.

When carving, it is very important to be careful and follow the line exactly according to the pattern, otherwise the desired fragment will fall out of the pattern and the entire plate will be damaged. Experienced craftsmen accurately carve an ornamental pattern in the traditions of Shemogodye and without preliminary marking of the design. But only high-class specialists can do this.

The art of birch bark carving, judging by its early examples that have survived to this day, was influenced by Veliky Ustyug milled iron, niello art, and northern openwork bone carving.

The names of many talented craftsmen are associated with the history of the craft. The State Historical Museum has signed works by the Veliky Ustyug master Stepan Boch-rev. These are boxes and tavlinkas (snuff boxes) from the first half of the 19th century. with scenes based on Aesop's fables that were fashionable at that time, with images of animals and architectural structures. In the village of Kurovo-Navolok, all the inhabitants of which bore the surname Veprev, an outstanding master of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. was Ivan Afanasyevich Veprev. He is considered the creator of the Shemogod ornament itself - the one that is based on a spiral-shaped curl with a round “berry”, reminiscent of carved rosettes on spinning wheels. The master's works were distinguished by the purity of the carvings and the beauty of the design. On the lids and walls of boxes with secret locks, he placed hunting scenes and depicted various animals among the forest thickets. It was his works that were awarded a medal in 1882 at the All-Russian Exhibition in Moscow and a diploma at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900.

In the second half of the 19th century. Birch bark carving was carried out in 14 villages of the Shemogodskaya volost.

In 1918, craftsmen from the village of Kurovo-Navolok were united into the “Artist” artel. There was another artel on Shemoks, created in 1934 by Nikolai Vasilyevich Veprev. It was called "Solidarity". The best carvers were invited to this artel, who tried to preserve the traditions of Shemogod carving. Their products were distinguished by their particular purity of execution, variety of shapes and novelty of patterns.

In 1964, production was considered unprofitable, both artels were closed, and the craftsmen were fired. It took great effort for the Shemogod carving to be restored again. This happened in 1967, when a workshop was created at the Kuzinsky Mechanical Plant for the production of boxes, boxes and other products decorated with slotted birch bark. And in the 1970s. The production of carved birch bark was concentrated at the Veliky Ustyug Patterns factory.

Domshinskaya birch bark

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. The Domshinskaya birch bark fishery became widely known. It got its name from the Domshinskaya volost of the Vologda district, in the villages of which craftsmen decorated wicker birch bark products in a special way.

Birch bark was harvested at the beginning of summer, cleared of irregularities and cut into long strips, the so-called strips. The edges of the strips were smoothed out and the birch bark strips were wound into balls. Until winter, these balls were stored in non-residential premises. They were put into action when field work was completed.

First, the birch bark was steamed and all kinds of objects were woven from it: pesteri, boxes, tues, salt pans, baskets, goats, containers for cereals, etc. In this case, several layers of strips were used. The weaving could be either diagonal or straight. Finished goods The craftsmen painted them with red, yellow, blue, and sometimes green paint. The colors alternated in a checkerboard pattern, running along the stripes in stripes or individual spots. In addition to coloring, craftsmen applied incised and embossed patterns to the products. Embossing was done with special dies made from hard wood or bone. The design on the stamps could be different. Most often they cut out stars, round rosettes, diamonds and similar shapes. These simple elements were used to create various ornaments.

Another typical way for Domsha craftsmen to decorate wicker objects was through perforation of the top layer of birch bark. The patterns consisted of geometric shapes: circles, triangles, rhombuses, hexagons, ovals, stars. The beauty of the design was given by colored foil placed under the slotted pattern. Later, at the beginning of the 20th century, they began to simply paint the second layer of birch bark under the slotted pattern. In expensive products, which, as a rule, were made to order, there is a combination of through and embossed patterns with coloring.

Birch bark is a natural material, it retains the smell of the forest for a long time, has antiseptic properties, is not afraid of dampness and cold, does not allow moisture to pass through, and has various shades: from white-pink to thick red-brown. The craftsmen knew and appreciated these natural properties of birch bark and skillfully used them in their works. The products of Domsha craftsmen were durable, comfortable and beautiful, so they were willingly bought.

The fishery quickly spread throughout the Domshinskaya volost, since it was located in a favorable trade and economic region of the Vologda region. ran through it waterway along the Sheksna River to the northern and central regions of Russia, here at the end of the 19th century. passed Railway Vologda - St. Petersburg. The capital became a major consumer of the products of Domsha artisans.

The products of Domshino craftsmen were presented at all major exhibitions of that time, along with Vologda lace, Shemogod carving, and Ustyansk horn.

Like many other types of folk art, the craft died out in the 1930s.

Application

S. G. Zhizhina
Birch bark lace

Wherever birch grows, and it grows throughout Russia, the Russian peasant made many different things from birch bark. It is a lightweight, durable material with a soft, warm surface. What was birch bark used for on the farm of the Russian peasant?

In northern Russia, large slabs of birch bark were removed from birch trees. They called them rocks, rocks. Since time immemorial, cliffs have been sold to everyone northern fairs and markets. Using the wonderful properties of birch bark impregnated with resinous substances, it was laid on the roofs of houses to protect the logs from rotting and dampness. Various vessels were made from birch bark. When a peasant went to the field to work, he always took with him a container of water or kvass. And on the hottest day, the drink in the tueska remained cold.

But perhaps the most amazing thing is the birch bark letters. In the 11th–12th centuries in ancient Novgorod, birch bark plates were used for writing. It was convenient and quite affordable material. It was very easy to write on it - a sharpened stick scratched the outlines of letters on the soft surface. The ancient Novgorodians, of course, did not suspect another extraordinary property of birch bark - its ability to survive for many years. Novgorod letters on birch bark, having lain in the ground for more than eight centuries, have reached us.

In the old days, they knew how to use the wonderful properties of birch bark to transform it into elegant, harmonious and elegant things. It is interesting that already in the middle of the 18th century, the technique of carving birch bark was well known. Andrei Bolotov wrote about this. One of the enlightened people of the 18th century, he was engaged in translations, wrote books himself, and published agricultural magazines. For twenty-seven years Bolotov kept a diary, which was published as “The Biography of Andrei Bolotov.” For modern historians, this book serves as an encyclopedia of 18th-century life.

Bolotov wrote about everything: about customs, morals, life, economic life, political events of that time. He also has notes about carving birch bark: “I have never loved any work or skill as much as one special one - making snuff boxes, cups, and mugs from simple birch bark.” Bolotov learned to decorate them with carvings and embossing, which is also called embossing. He explains in detail how this is done: “This hammered work is done with small sticks, at the ends of which various figures are carved and arranged so that when the stick is pointed at birch bark and when the other end is struck with a hammer, a rather elevated figure is imprinted on the birch bark.” And for carving birch bark, no special tools were required, except for a knife and, perhaps, an awl. Using the blunt side of a knife or an awl, the outline of the design is applied to the birch bark, and then cut out with the sharp end.

1900 The World Exhibition opens in Paris. The Eiffel Tower again, like eleven years ago, at the 1889 exhibition, becomes its unique symbol. International exhibitions began to be organized not so long ago. The first was in 1851. Since then, they have been made regularly in different cities and capitals of the world: Paris, Stockholm, Chicago, Vienna. Each time, international exhibitions became more and more popular, and more and more countries participated in them. In 1900, representatives from 65 countries came to the exhibition in Paris.

Russia was also among the participants. The Russian pavilion, built in the shape of an ancient Kremlin with towers, hipped towers, and covered porches, attracted many visitors. Attracted not only by his appearance, but also by what was presented inside. Visitors were eager to learn more about the Russian people, to see what they could do in this large and mysterious country. Especially a lot of people crowded where the products of folk craftsmen were exhibited. Everything here was beautiful and unusual.

But perhaps the most unexpected and most surprising were products made from carved birch bark. Almost weightless, with a pinkish velvety surface, with the thinnest slit, from under which glittered, shimmering different colors, foil, they resembled expensive and exquisite bone products with openwork carvings. Snuff boxes, boxes, cigarette cases, round beetroot - drinking vessels - and all this is made of simple birch bark. Paris is difficult to surprise, but the Parisians were delighted with these unusual things, in which the artist’s great taste and skill were felt.

All these things were made by the hands of the peasant carver Ivan Afanasyevich Veprev from a village with the strange name Kurovo-Navolok, not far from Veliky Ustyug. The name Veprev first became known in 1882, after an exhibition in Moscow, which brought him fame, success and a silver medal. Now, after International exhibition in Paris, Europe recognized him. Orders for elegant birch bark products came from Sweden, Norway, and France. Veprev was not the only one who carved birch bark. In nearby villages and hamlets, peasants also made things similar to those made by Veprev. They all lived in the same Shemogodskaya volost, which is why the name “Shemogodskaya birch bark carving” or simply “Shemogodskaya birch bark” appeared.