RUSSIAN HANDICRAFTS AND FOLK ART
To buy Khokhloma items (such as the one seen at the picture right below) click here
 Folk Russian handicrafts, an integral part of the domestic culture, personify a centuries-old experience of the world's aesthetic perception, maintain deeply-rooted artistic traditions and reflect originality of cultures of multinational Russian Federation. At the same time, Russian folk crafts are the special branches of industry and a part of amateur and folk arts. The distinctive features of creative work of folk masters and Russian handicraft artists are considered to be a successful combination of traditions and innovations, stylistic peculiarities of Russian crafts and creative improvisation, common principles and the person's viewpoints, hand-made articles and high skills. Nowadays Russia comprises more than 250 folk craft organizations of the 62 country's regions. Among them are the world-known centers of folk art, a real national pride of Russia which produce the articles with Khokhloma and Gorodets wood painting; Gzhel porcelain and majolica; Rostov and Solvychegodsk enamels; Vologda and Yeletz laces; Bogorodskoye & Belomorsk wood-carving; Kubachi and Veliky Ustyug jewelry; Kholmogory, Chukchi and Tobolsk carved bones; Nizhny Tagil and Zhostovo trays; Skopin and Pskov ceramics; Torzhok golden-stitch embroidery articles; Kislovodsk, Sysert and Ver-bilki porcelain, the unique articles made by the armourers from Zlatoust and Tula; articles of patterned artistic weaving and embroidery. Several things are done today to preserve and develop the Russian handicrafts culture.
 A new project of the federal programme, having a special purpose, is called «Preservation, revival and development of the national Russian folk crafts up to the 2005. Organizations are also participating in domestic and foreign exhibitions, producing unique exhibition and museum masterpieces, holding the subject public showings and competitions — all these things contribute to the development of Russian crafts and growth of professional skills of folk masters. About 2000 artistic articles from over 100 different Russian handicraft centres of republics, areas and regions of the Russian Federation were represented at the Republican exhibition and fair called «National Russian folk crafts towards the 850th anniversary of Moscow», which took place in 1997. Among unique exhibits which were shown to the visitors and specialists, an ever lasting admiration was brought about by the lace wall decoration called «The Temple of Christ the Saviour» made by Vologda lace-makers, as well as wedge weapons ornamented with gold and silver inlay from Zlatoust, unique caskets, goblets, Kholmogory delicate bone-carved wall decorative panel, many-figure sculptural compositions by Tobolsk bone-carvers, lacquer-work miniatures of the traditional centres of Palekh, Fedoskino, Mstera, Kholuy; Khochloma and Gorodets wood paintings; Gzhel, Kislovodsk and Verbilki porcelain; Skopin ceramics; Bogor-odskoye wood-carved sculpture; hand-made embroidered articles from different regions of Russia. The Moscow anniversary celebrations became a uniting point for artistic projects of the Russian Federation's national artists.
 For the recent years in connection with the growth of national consciousness there have appeared tendencies in the creative works of national artists to appeal into the origin of the Russian handicraft artistic traditions, desire to revive techniques and technologies, lost motives and images. Russian handicraft artists pay more and more attention to manufacturing the church art attributes. The folk artists from Khokhloma, Gorodets, Vologda, Rostov are trying to revive lost and forgotten traditional icon-painting techniques. The participation of Russian handicraft artists in the II International exhibition called «Orthodox book and Church art» which was held in the State Tretyakov Gallery was the result of that important work. The Russian folk handicrafts are very popular and widely known not only in Russia. They are known and highly appreciated abroad. Articles of folk art and craft inimitable in their beauty are Russia invaluable contributions to the world cultural handicraft heritage.
|
Traditional Russian Folk Art souvenirs - khokhloma, palekh, costume Russian dolls, beautiful matryoshkas, amazing laquer boxes are world renowned by their beauty and detailed handwork. Here we offer famous and not very famous Russian Folk Art gifts which attracts every year more and more admirers. 
