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GRODNO REGION AS A REGION OF ORIGINAL WEAVING TRADITIONS Ala Kolyago Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno Ab­stract Weaving of the Grodno region is one of the most important sections of national artistic culture of Belarus. Modern weaving products of the Grodno region are characterized by a deep connection with long experience of hand spriggy weaving. Local craftsmen use diverse weaving techniques, original compositional and colouristic arrangements of patterned stories. Keywords: the Grodno region, weaving, popular traditions, patterned weaving, sorted, selected, four strands, eight strands, loom weaving. Folk art of Belarus is one of the most important weft: blue, green, black, red and other dark colours. sections of national artistic culture of Belarus. Under They create a very beautiful and festive colouring. the conditions of globalization, folk art functions Weavers call their articles “pasiaki”, “viasiolka” and as a basis of culture which aims at advanced study “neshivanyia dyvany”. In addition to aesthetic side, of traditions of previous generations. Nowadays the rainbow fabrics have another important feature: preservation and development of national art is they have double width which is simultaneously regarded as an important spiritual task the solution of weaved on conventional narrow hand-loom. In other which is directly related to the national and cultural cases, one can obtain only one half of the width of revival of Belarus. fabric required for a bedspread. Many weavers of Modern folk fabric of the Grodno region is the Grodno region were familiar with this technique. characterized by a deep connection with long First of all, it referred to T. Misevich (Shchuchin experience of hand-made spriggy weaving. As district), G. Savchuk (Mosty district), N. Sasimovich an example, we can scrutinize the manufacturing and Y. Fiodorova (Grodno district), N. Ivanovskaya technology of local towels. They are quite diverse: (Volkovysk district), L. Kukla (Svisloch district). sorted-weaving towels (“perabiranki”) have designs Sorted-weaving patterns are amazing in their decorated with cocks, flowers, grapes; selected- artistic expressiveness. Interestingly, the ancient weaving towels (“zakladanki”, “u matushki”); four- technique of sorted weaving on the territory of Belarus strands-weaving towels (“dymki”, “dzyguny”), and Ukraine quite recently (only in 1930s) became eight-strands (“yolochkoi”); loom-weaving towels used in neighbouring Russia. The main feature are uncommon. In spite of all this diversity, they of sorted fabric is the fact that there is a countless are distinguished by decorative restraint, they are amount of placement and alternation of ornamental mostly white-grey coloured. A considerable group of forms along with rather homogeneous structure with towels is made up by “white-coloured” towels with typical relief. Harmony of composition and colour, blank background. They were made of bleached flax festivity and originality distinguish “perabiranki” or, later, of cotton. Decorative loading is performed (sorted-weaving cloths) of the Grodno region from by embossed structure of fabric and by white others. Sorted weaving is used for weaving of knitted laces with geometric, zoomorphic and floral carpets, bedspreads, tablecloths, armchair covers and ornament. Relief of fabric depended on the number other articles. Methods of sorted weaving are more of plates (from 2 to 6) and artistic preferences of a widespread in villages of the Grodno region than particular craftswoman. Open-work weaving which any other methods. Sorted weaving is also called is typical for tablecloths and women’s dresses is quite “u matuzy”, “u prutki”, “na draty”, “na zhyutsy”, uncommon. White towels were only for household “peraboram”. Local craftswomen use about 300 use (“utsiralniki”). ropes while weaving sorted patterns. Depending on Fabrics with rainbow stripes on it are considered the picture, patterns have different names: “aleni” as true masterpieces of folk artistic weaving of the (deer), “lasi” (elks), “matyli” (butterflies), “vauki” Grodno region. Rhythmic alternation of polychromatic (wolves), “vaviorki” (squirrels), “indyki” (turkeys), stripes and one-colour blank and vivid colours of “kurchaki” (chickens), “lebedzi” (swans), “guski” 81 (geese), “ptushki” (birds), “drevy” (trees), “vazony” under the direction of Sinaida Yurhel from the village (flowerpots), “tsulpany” (tulips), “ruzhy” (roses), Garny. “vasilki” (cornflowers), “ramonki” (camomiles), 1. People all over the Grodno region are carried “vinagrad” (grapes) etc. Some weavers reflect human away by weaving. Hanna Naumchik (Grodno) and fi­gures on their “perabiranki”. Therefore, you can see Sinaida Sakovich (Grodno district) weaves towels in geometric, floral, zoomorphic and anthropomorphous sorted and sheltered ways. Liudmila Yanushevskaia patterns on sorted cloths. and Stanislava Bogdanovich (Grodno district) weave In western districts of the region, complex patterns multicoloured tassels. Nadzezhda Bondar from on the “perabiranki” are often in keeping with dibasic Slonim prefers covers “u mnoga nichalnits” and cloths. They were known as seypaki “seipaki” which sorted tablecloths. Maria Katila (Lida) weaves white means carpets and bedspreads made in loom weaving towels and decorates them with embroidery and lace. way. This is typical for most craftswomen who live in Yelena Oreshko from Novogrudok and Svetlana villages that stretch along the Augustow Canal. Shahova from Shchuchin district are carried away Based on sorted weaving, weavers of the Grodno by weaving of traditional girdles (kushaki). Diverse region produce cloths in a laying or selective way; they articles of weaving are made by girls from hobby are called “zakladanki”, “vybiranki”, “u matushki”, group of artistic weaving the head of which is Marina “vykladanki” или “chashulki”, “matushki”. In Kaminskaia (Grodno), a daughter of the above- some places, similar cloths are called “kvyatsіstyya” mentioned A. Belokoz from Gudevichi (Волах, 1999, (floral). As a rule, background and weft have the same 51). colour: white or black, sometimes blue, red or brown. Authentic folk art inspires creativity in many The pattern on such cloths is single-sided, or rather professional artists and craftsmen of the Grodno has one-side lay fi­guring weft. Decor amazes us with region. polychromy that gives a kind of optimistic and festive In 1950 in Grodno F. A. Shuneiko founded a mood to the articles. Such a carpet is perceived as a testing laboratory of folk weaving. There worked flower meadow, an amazing symphony of colours. the best weavers of the region: S. V. Lemanevich, Each article made in such a way is a true work of V. K. Segodnik and M. M. Letka. Artist and tapestry art. Among modern folk artistic fabrics of the Grodno master who produced sketches, managed the weaving region, articles made in loom weaving way are quite process and created new methods was F.A. Shuneiko. uncommon. This kind of weaving was widespread in He created a loom three metres in width, which gave 1930s. an opportunity not to limit the works’ sizes. The Dibasic weaving has been a distinctive landmark laboratory received orders from the Government of of Grodno artistic weaving. Yadviha Raiskaia was Belarus. Generally they were portraits of leaders but a striking example of a talented weaver who was decorated with Belarusian ornaments. working in this technique. For some time a painter D. Parhonia helped the Weaving traditions are kept by weavers of the testing laboratory in preparation of cardboards. village Gudevichi, Mosty district. Largely owing to In 1951 in view of an important state order, a the director and founder of the Ethnographic Museum new loom was created. It was 6 meters in width and A. Belokoz, who decided to supplement the museum the number of weavers was increased up to 5 and 7 collection with works of fellow-villagers. He invited workers. Sketch and cardboard for the tapestry work Yadviha Raiskaia to the museum; she shared her were performed by painters invited from Minsk. They secrets of weaving. Now the museum has not only were U. Suhoverhov and I. Davidovich. The tapestry works of the late XIX – early XX centuries but also work with dimensions of 6х4.5 м contains yarns of modern articles. Younger generation takes over 500 colours. the traditions of weaving from older in Gudevichi. At the end of 1950s, when a new Soviet leader Gudevichi museum’s staff V. I. Belkoz, V. M. Kibik, came to power, the struggle against “Stalinism” began. N. V. Levusik weaved 8 dibasic carpets, about ten There was no need for “state gifts”, and an order to covers and tablecloths, 30 aprons, more than 10 destroy this unique loom and dismiss weavers from towels. offi­ce was received. School Ethnographic Museum in village In 1980, the Regional Scientifi­c and Methodical Kvasovka of Grodno district is situated in a small Centre of Folk Art (the director at that time was room. There is a hand-loom at which schoolgirls M. Kop) made an attempt to revive weaving. At that spend their leisure time learning to weave tablecloths, moment, Yelena and Yeugen Shuneiko were working towels and bedspreads. Articles made by pupils are at the centre, and F. A. Shuneiko was invited to join notable for traditional techniques, which are made them. 82 2. As the time passed, it became necessary to location of the region, with peculiarities of its upgrade the principle of production, so that the artist historical and economic development. Traditionally, were able to create a sketch,

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