Ancient crafts of Russia. What crafts developed in Kievan Rus? Ancient Russian blacksmith craft Ancient Russian crafts

Ancient Russia in the medieval world was widely famous for its craftsmen. At first, among the ancient Slavs, the craft was of a domestic nature - everyone made skins for themselves, tanned leather, weaved linen, sculpted pottery, made weapons and tools. Then the artisans began to engage only in a certain trade, prepared the products of their labor for the entire community, and the rest of its members provided them with products. Agriculture, furs, fish, beasts. And already in the early Middle Ages, the release of products to the market began. At first, it was custom-made, and then the goods began to go on the free sale.

Talented and skilled metallurgists, blacksmiths, jewelers, potters, weavers, stone cutters, shoemakers, tailors, representatives of dozens of other professions lived and worked in Russian cities and large villages. These ordinary people made an invaluable contribution to the creation of the economic power of Russia, its high material and spiritual culture.

The names of ancient artisans, with few exceptions, are unknown to us. For them, objects that have survived from those distant times speak. These are both rare masterpieces and everyday things, in which talent and experience, skill and ingenuity are invested.

The first old Russian professional craftsmen were blacksmiths. The blacksmith in epics, legends and fairy tales is the personification of strength and courage, goodness and invincibility. Iron was then smelted from swamp ores. The ore was mined in autumn and spring. It was dried, burned and taken to metal-smelting workshops, where metal was obtained in special furnaces. During excavations of ancient Russian settlements, slags are often found - wastes of the metal-smelting process - and pieces of ferruginous crust, which, after vigorous forging, became iron masses. The remains of blacksmith workshops were also found, where parts of forges were found. The burials of ancient blacksmiths are known, to whom their tools of production - anvils, hammers, tongs, chisels - were placed in their graves.

Old Russian blacksmiths supplied farmers with openers, sickles, scythes, and warriors with swords, spears, arrows, battle axes. Everything that was needed for the economy - knives, needles, chisels, awls, scrapers, fish hooks, locks, keys and many other tools and household items - were made by talented craftsmen.

Ancient Russian blacksmiths achieved a special skill in the manufacture of weapons. Items found in the burials of the Black Grave in Chernigov, necropolises in Kiev and other cities are unique examples of Old Russian craft of the 10th century.

A necessary part of the costume and attire of the ancient Russian man, both women and men, were various jewelry and amulets made by jewelers from silver and bronze. That is why a frequent find in ancient Russian buildings are clay crucibles, in which silver, copper, and tin were melted. Then the molten metal was poured into limestone, clay or stone molds, where the relief of the future decoration was carved. After that, an ornament in the form of dots, teeth, circles was applied to the finished product. Various pendants, belt plaques, bracelets, chains, temple rings, signet rings, neck torcs - these are the main types of products of ancient Russian jewelers. For jewelry, jewelers used various techniques - niello, granulation, filigree filigree, embossing, enamel.

The blackening technique was quite complex. First, a "black" mass was prepared from a mixture of silver, lead, copper, sulfur and other minerals. Then this composition was applied to bracelets, crosses, rings and other jewelry. Most often, griffins, lions, birds with human heads, various fantastic animals were depicted.

Gritting required completely different methods of work: small silver grains, each of which is 5-6 times smaller than the head of a pin, were soldered to the flat surface of the product. What work and patience, for example, it took to solder 5 thousand of these grains on each of the kolts that were found during excavations in Kiev! Most often, granulation is found on a typical Russian decoration - lunettes, which were pendants in the form of a crescent.

If, instead of grains of silver, patterns of the finest silver, gold wires or strips were soldered onto the product, then filigree was obtained. Sometimes an incredibly intricate pattern was created from such threads-wires.

The technique of embossing was also used on thin gold or silver sheets. They were strongly pressed against a bronze matrix with desired image, and it passed on to a metal sheet. Images of animals on kolts were embossed. Usually it is a lion or a leopard with a raised paw and a flower in its mouth. Cloisonné enamel became the pinnacle of ancient Russian jewelry craftsmanship.

Glass with lead and other additives served as the enamel mass. Enamels were of different colors, but in Russia they especially loved red, blue and green. Jewelry with enamel went through a difficult path before becoming the property of a medieval fashionista or noble person. First, the whole drawing was applied to the future decoration. Then the thinnest sheet of gold was applied to it. Partitions were cut from gold, which were soldered to the base along the contours of the pattern, and the spaces between them were filled with molten enamel. The result was an amazing set of colors that played and shone under the sun's rays in different colors and shades. The centers for the production of cloisonné enamel jewelry were Kiev, Ryazan, Vladimir ..

And in Staraya Ladoga, in the layer of the 8th century, during excavations, a whole industrial complex was discovered! The ancient inhabitants of Ladoga built a pavement of stones - on it iron slags, blanks, production wastes, fragments of foundry molds were found. Scientists believe that a metal-smelting furnace once stood here. The richest treasure of handicraft tools found right there, apparently, is associated with this workshop. The treasure contains twenty-six items. These are seven small and large pliers - they were used in jewelry and iron processing. A miniature anvil was used to make jewelry. The ancient locksmith actively used chisels - three of them were found here. Sheets of metal were cut using jewelry scissors. The drills were used to make holes in the wood. Iron objects with holes were used to draw wire in the manufacture of nails and rook rivets. Jewelry hammers, anvils for chasing and embossing ornaments on silver and bronze jewelry were also found. Finished products of an ancient artisan were also found here - a bronze ring with images of a human head and birds, boat rivets, nails, an arrow, knife blades.

Finds at the Novotroitskoye settlement, in Staraya Ladoga and other settlements excavated by archaeologists indicate that already in the VIII century, craft began to become an independent industry and gradually separated from agriculture. This circumstance was of great importance in the process of the formation of classes and the creation of the state.

If for the VIII century we know only a few workshops, and in general the craft was of a domestic character, then in the next, IX century, their number increases significantly. Craftsmen now produce products not only for themselves, their families, but also for the entire community. Long-distance trade ties are gradually strengthening, various products are sold on the market in exchange for silver, furs, agricultural products and other goods.

In the ancient Russian settlements of the 9th-10th centuries, archaeologists unearthed workshops for the production of pottery, foundry, jewelry, bone carving and others. Improving the tools of labor, the invention of new technology made it possible for individual members of the community to single-handedly produce various things necessary for the economy, in such quantities that they could be sold.

The development of agriculture and the separation of handicrafts from it, the weakening of tribal ties within communities, the growth of property inequality, and then the emergence of private property - the enrichment of some at the expense of others - all this formed a new mode of production - feudal. Together with him, an early feudal state gradually arose in Russia.

Metal forging in Russia

In Russia, iron was already known to the early Slavs. The oldest metal processing method is forging. At first, ancient people beat spongy iron with mallets in a cold state in order to "squeeze the juices out of it," i.e. remove impurities. Then they figured out how to heat the metal and give it the desired shape. In the X-XI centuries, thanks to the development of metallurgy and other crafts, the Slavs had a plow and a plow with an iron ploughshare. On the territory of ancient Kiev, archaeologists find sickles, door locks and other things made by the hands of blacksmiths, armourers and jewelers.

In the XI century, metallurgical production was already widespread, both in the city and in the countryside. The Russian principalities were located in the zone of ore deposits, and the blacksmiths were almost everywhere provided with raw materials .. Small factories with a semi-mechanized process of blowing - a mill drive worked there. The first cold-blown forge was an ordinary hearth in a dwelling. Special horns appeared later. For fire safety purposes, they were located at the edge of the fortifications. Early kilns were round pits one meter in diameter, thickly coated with clay, dug into the ground. Their popular name is "wolf pits". In the 10th century, ground-based stoves appeared, into which air was pumped with the help of leather furs.

The furs were manually inflated. And this work made the brewing process very difficult. Archaeologists still find signs of local production of metal on the sites of ancient settlements - waste of the raw-blown process in the form of slags. At the end of the "cooking" of iron, the furnace was broken, impurities were removed, and the chicken was removed from the furnace with a crowbar. The hot chicken was captured by ticks and carefully hammered. Forging removed slag particles from the surface of the die and eliminated the porosity of the metal. After forging, the die was again heated and put under the hammer again. This operation was repeated several times. For the new smelting, the upper part of the blast furnace was restored or rebuilt. In later blast furnaces, the front part no longer broke, but was disassembled, and the molten metal flowed into clay containers.

But, despite the wide distribution of raw materials, iron smelting was carried out by no means at every settlement. The laboriousness of the process singled out the blacksmiths from the community and made them the first artisans. In ancient times, blacksmiths melted metal themselves, and then forged it. The necessary accessories of a blacksmith - a forge (smelting furnace) for heating a chicken, a poker, a scrap (chisel), an iron shovel, an anvil, a hammer (sledgehammer), various pliers for extracting hot iron from the forge and working with it - a set of tools necessary for smelting and forging works. The technique of hand-forging almost did not change until the 19th century, but even less authentic ancient forges of history are known than blast furnaces, although archaeologists periodically find many wrought iron products in the settlements and mounds, and in the burials of blacksmiths their tools: pincers, a hammer, anvil, foundry accessories ...

Written sources have not preserved to us the forging technique and basic techniques of ancient Russian blacksmiths. But the study of old forged products allows historians to say that the ancient Russian blacksmiths knew all the most important techniques: welding, punching holes, twisting, riveting plates, welding steel blades and hardening steel. In each smithy, as a rule, two blacksmiths worked - a master and an apprentice. In the XI-XIII centuries. foundry was partially isolated, and blacksmiths were directly engaged in forging iron products. In Ancient Russia, any master of metal was called a blacksmith: "iron blacksmith", "copper blacksmith", "silver blacksmith".

Simple forged items were made with a chisel. The technology of using an insert and welding a steel blade was also used. The simplest forged products include: knives, hoops and buddies for tubs, nails, sickles, scythes, chisels, awls, shovels and pans, i.e. items that do not require special techniques. They could be made by any blacksmith alone. More complex forged products: chains, door breaks, iron rings from belts and harnesses, bits, sevets, forts - already required welding, which was carried out by experienced blacksmiths with the help of an apprentice.

The craftsmen welded iron, heating it to a temperature of 1500 degrees C, the achievement of which was determined by the sparks of a white-hot metal. A chisel punched holes in the ears for tubs, plowshares for plows, hoes. Holes were made with a punch in scissors, pincers, keys, boat rivets, spears (for fastening to the shaft), and on the fittings of shovels. The blacksmith could carry out these techniques only with the help of an assistant. After all, he needed to hold a red-hot piece of iron with pincers, which, given the small size of the then anvils, was not easy, to hold and direct the chisel, to hit the chisel with a hammer.

It was difficult to make axes, spears, hammers and locks. The ax was forged using iron inserts and welding on metal strips. The spears were forged from a large triangular piece of iron. The base of the triangle was twisted into a tube, a conical iron insert was inserted into it, and after that a spear sleeve was welded and a rampage was forged. Iron cauldrons were made of several large plates, the edges of which were riveted with iron rivets. The twisting operation of iron was used to create screws from square rods. The above assortment of blacksmith products exhausts all peasant implements necessary for building a house, agriculture, hunting and defense. Old Russian blacksmiths of the X-XIII centuries. mastered all the basic technical methods of iron processing and determined the technical level of village smithies for centuries.

The basic shape of the sickle and scythe with a short handle was found in the 9th-11th centuries. Old Russian axes underwent a significant change by the X-XIII centuries. acquired a form close to the modern one. The saw was not used in rural architecture. Iron nails were widely used for carpentry work. They are almost always found in every burial with a coffin. The nails had a four-sided shape with a folded top. By the 9th-10th centuries, patrimonial, rural and urban craft already existed in Kievan Rus. Russian urban craft entered the 11th century with a rich supply of technical skills. The village and the city were still completely disconnected until that time. The village, served by artisans, lived in a small closed world. The sales area was extremely small: 10-15 kilometers in radius.

Urban blacksmiths were more skilled craftsmen than village blacksmiths. During the excavations of ancient Russian cities, it turned out that almost every city house was the dwelling of a craftsman. Since the beginning of the existence of the Kievan state, they have shown a high skill of forging from iron and steel of a wide variety of objects - from a heavy ploughshare and a helmet with patterned iron lace to fine needles; arrows and chain mail rings riveted with miniature rivets; weapons and household implements from the mounds of the 9th-10th centuries. In addition to the blacksmith's craft, they owned plumbing and weapons business. All of these crafts have some similarities in the way they work iron and steel. Therefore, quite often artisans who were engaged in one of these crafts combined it with others. In the cities, the technique of making iron was more perfect than in the countryside. City smithies, like blast furnaces, were usually located on the outskirts of the city. The equipment of the city forges differed from the village ones - in greater complexity.

The city anvil made it possible, firstly, to forge things that had a void inside, for example, a tribe, spear bushings, rings, and most importantly, it allowed the use of an assortment of figured linings for forgings of a complex profile. Such pads are widely used in modern blacksmithing when forging curved surfaces. Some forged items, starting from the 9th-10th centuries, bear traces of processing with the help of such linings. In those cases where double-sided machining was required, obviously, both a backing and a die-chisel of the same profile were used to make the forging symmetrical. Washers and stamps were also used in the manufacture of battle axes.

The assortment of hammers, forge pincers and chisels from the city blacksmiths was more varied than that of their village counterparts: from small to huge. Starting from the IX-X centuries. Russian craftsmen used files for processing iron. Old Russian city smithies, locksmiths and weapons workshops in the X-XIII centuries. had: forges, furs, simple anvils, anvils with a spur and a cutout, inserts into the anvil (of various profiles), sledgehammers, hand hammers, cleaver hammers (for chopping) or chisels, punch hammers (barbs), hand chisels, hand punches, pliers simple, pliers with hooks, small pliers, vice (primitive type), files, circular sharpeners. With the help of this varied tool, which does not differ from the equipment of modern forges, Russian craftsmen prepared many different things.

Among them are agricultural implements (massive plow plowshares and openers, plow knives, scythes, sickles, axes, honey cutters); tools for artisans (knives, adzes, chisels, saws, scrapers, spoons, punches and curly hammers of chasers, knives for planers, calipers for bone ornamentation, scissors, etc.); household items (nails, knives, chained arks, door breaks, staples, rings, buckles, needles, steelyards, weights, boilers, hearth chains, locks and keys, ship rivets, armchairs, bows and bucket hoops, etc.); weapons, armor and harness (swords, shields, arrows, sabers, spears, battle axes, helmets, chain mail, bits, spurs, stirrups, whips, horseshoes, crossbows). The initial complete isolation of artisans begins to break.

The production of weapons and military armor was especially developed. Swords and battle axes, quivers with arrows, sabers and knives, chain mail and shields were developed by the master armourers. The manufacture of weapons and armor was associated with a particularly careful processing of metal and required skillful work techniques. Although the swords that existed in Russia in the 9th-10th centuries are mainly Frankish blades, archaeologists nevertheless find in their excavations the presence of artisans-gunsmiths among the Russian townspeople of the 9th-10th centuries. In a number of burials, bundles of forged rings for iron chain mail, often found in Russian druzhina kurgans since the 9th century, were discovered. The ancient name of chain mail - armor - is often found on the pages of the chronicle. The manufacture of chain mail was laborious.

Technological operations included: forging iron wire, welding, joining and riveting of iron rings. Archaeologists have discovered the burial of a chain mail master of the 10th century. In the 9th-10th centuries, chain mail becomes an obligatory accessory of Russian armor. The ancient name of chain mail - armor - is often found on the pages of the chronicle. True, opinions are expressed about the origin of Russian chain mails about obtaining them either from nomads or from the countries of the East. Nevertheless, the Arabs, noting the presence of chain mail among the Slavs, do not mention their import from outside. And the abundance of chain mail in druzhina kurgans may indicate that chain mail masters worked in Russian cities. This also applies to helmets. Russian historians believe that the Varangian helmets were too sharply distinguished by their conical shape. Russian shishak helmets were riveted from iron wedge-shaped strips.

This type of helmets includes the famous helmet of Yaroslav Vsevolodovich, which he threw on the battlefield of Lipetsk in 1216. It is an excellent example of Russian arms and jewelry making of the 12th-13th centuries. The tradition has affected the general shape of the helmet, but technically it is very different from the helmets of the 9th-10th centuries. Its entire body is forged from one piece, and not riveted from separate plates. This made the helmet considerably lighter and more durable.

Even more skill was required from the master gunsmith. An example of jewelry work in weapons technology of the XII-XIII centuries is, as it is believed, the light steel hatchet of Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. The surface of the metal is covered with notches, and on these notches (in a hot state) sheet silver is stuffed, on top of which an ornament is applied with engraving, gilding and niello. Oval or almond-shaped shields were made of wood with an iron core and iron fittings.

Steel and hardening of steel products occupied a special place in blacksmithing and arms business. Even among the village mound axes of the XI-XIII centuries, there is a welded steel blade. The hardness of steel, flexibility, easy weldability and ability to tolerate hardening were well known to the Romans. But welding on steel has always been considered the most difficult task in all forging work, because iron and steel have different welding temperatures. Steel hardening, i.e. more or less rapid cooling of a red-hot object in water or in another way is also well known to the ancient blacksmiths of Russia. Urban blacksmithing was distinguished by a variety of techniques, the complexity of equipment, and many specialties associated with this production. In the XI-XIII centuries, city craftsmen work for a wide market, i.e. production becomes mass production.

The list of urban artisans includes iron smiths, blizzards, armourers, armorers, shield makers, helmet makers, arrow makers, lock makers, and nail makers. In the XII century, the development of the craft continues. In metal, Russian craftsmen embodied a bizarre mixture of Christian and archaic pagan images, combining all this with local Russian motives and plots. In the technique of the craft, improvements continue to increase the mass production. Posad craftsmen imitate the products of court craftsmen. In the 13th century, a number of new craft centers were created with their own characteristics in technique and style.

But since the second half of the 12th century, as it is sometimes stated, we have not observed any decline in craft since the second half of the 12th century, either in Kiev or in other places. On the contrary, culture grows, embracing new areas and inventing new techniques. In the second half of the 12th century and in the 13th century, despite the unfavorable conditions of feudal fragmentation, Russian craft reached its fullest technical and artistic flourishing. The development of feudal relations and feudal ownership of land in the XII - first half of the XIII century. caused a change in the form of the political system, which found its expression in feudal fragmentation, i.e. creation of relatively independent states-principalities. During this period, blacksmithing and metalworking and arms business, forging and stamping continued to develop in all principalities. In wealthy farms, more and more plows with iron plowshares began to appear. Craftsmen are looking for new ways of working. Novgorod gunsmiths in the XII - XIII centuries, using new technology, began to produce saber blades of much greater strength, hardness and flexibility.

Do not rely on someone else's opinion, book "truths" or what great people have said, know that this is their experience, you have to go through everything on your own.

The ancient crafts of Russia are one of the pillars on which the original culture of our state is based. They take their origin in a primitive society, when all activity was collective, and the tools of labor were the simplest. However, already in those days, our ancestors were characterized by a striving for beauty. The tools and household items created together were decorated with ornaments, they were given a special form. As a rule, all, as they would say now, decorative elements possessed magical properties: they protected, attracted good luck. The Eastern Slavs were similar in this regard to other tribes. The ancient crafts of Russia were distinguished by special techniques and techniques, original motives. By the time the Kiev state was created, our ancestors were already masters in many types of applied arts.
Blacksmith - artisan and sorcerer About what ancient crafts in Russia enjoyed special honor, it is easy to understand from numerous legends, legends and sayings. Often in stories there is a blacksmith who makes a miracle sword for the hero, often he is endowed with magical abilities and wisdom. Metalworking in Russia was indeed one of the most demanded skills. She was one of the first to emerge as an independent craft. The blacksmith was revered and respected, and iron was considered a protective material, capable of protecting its owner not only from evil people, but also from evil spirits, with proper processing and respectful attitude towards him. The development of handicrafts in Kievan Rus reached astonishing heights: our ancestors knew practically all modern types of metal processing. Most often, forging, filigree, niello, casting and chasing were used.

Fine art Jewelry is worthy of special mention. In it, in Russia, they also reached significant heights. The favorite techniques were already named filigree (filigree), niello, as well as granulation and enamel (enamel). The creation of the masters of the times of Kievan Rus and later is sometimes amazing. For example, enamel resembled a mosaic with such a carefully written pattern that in the eyes of the characters captured, one could distinguish a dark pupil and a light white. Similar pictures were created from pieces of colored glass. They were pounded and mixed with a little water. The resulting mass was filled into the parts of the articles and then baked several times. As a result, the enamel was fused with the metal

Metal lace and splashes The cloth was an openwork ornament made of the finest gold or silver wire. This technique was used to make various jewelry, boxes and some other household items. Filigree gave them airiness and special lightness. Without exaggeration, such products can be called made of metal lace.

Grain was also a frequent decoration of various products. It resembled the smallest drops splashed over the surface of the jewelry. The craftsmanship of the craftsmen knew no bounds: the thickness of the balls often did not exceed 0.4 mm.

Mobile was an alloy of silver and sulfur. When making jewelry, a drawing was scratched out on a metal blank. Then everything was poured with black and sent to bake. Under the influence of high temperature, the alloys were combined, the pattern was filled with a mixture of sulfur and silver. After that, the master only needed to remove the excess areas of the mobile. The resulting products were distinguished by the contrast of the noble shine of the metal and the matte surface of the pattern.

Pottery was the second in time to appear after metal processing in Russia. Initially, dishes and other utensils were sculpted by hand. However, crafts in Russia developed rapidly, and in the 9-10 centuries. the Slavs already used the potter's wheel. As a result, pottery spread throughout the state. Pottery workshops are no longer a rarity. Each of them created products that were somehow different from the creations of other artisans. The masters adhered, in modern terms, to their own style. The differences could relate to technological issues: temperature and time of firing, the composition of the clay, or the decor: the colors used, shape features, various additional decorating elements. With the adoption of Christianity, crafts in Russia began to develop in accordance with Orthodox canons. Potters, in addition to traditional toys and utensils, began to make various items necessary for the church, and tiles - decorative tiles that were used as decoration. Living material The ancient crafts of Russia are hard to imagine without woodcarving. It also arose from our ancestors a very long time ago. Toys and furniture, interior items and dwellings were decorated with carvings. Wood was considered a warm, living material. Like metal, it was able to protect, save from harm, therefore, wooden products were found everywhere in the ancient state. The availability of the material also played a huge role in this. Dwellings were built from wood, spinning wheels and spindles, toys and cradles, sledges and arcs were made. At all times in Russia, he was treated with great honor. The master tried to understand the soul, enclosed in a piece of wood, and, creating an everyday or sacred object, to reveal it as much as possible, without adding too much from himself.

The Novgorodians were considered the most skillful carvers. Some time ago, on the territory of the ancient city, an impressive monument of wooden architecture was found: an eleven-meter column dating from the 11th century. Its entire length is decorated with carving, the motives of which are never repeated. Forgotten techniques As often happens, with the advent of new materials and technologies, obsolete knowledge fade into the background, sometimes it is completely lost, sometimes it remains only in the form of rare items that have not been destroyed by time. Many crafts of Kievan Rus became impoverished in this way. For example, today few people know that woodcarving, having stood in the service of Christianity, was used not only to create the interior and exterior decoration of the interiors of churches. The craftsmen made iconostases and icon cases - this is a fairly well-known fact. The art of wooden icon painting has been lost in time. Very little is known today about the creation of images of saints using woodcarving. Stone craftsmen of Crafts in Russia were associated with the most different materials, common in the territory of settlement of the Eastern Slavs. In addition to those already mentioned, the craftsmen used stone. Products made from it were not inferior in grace and beauty to wooden creations. Buildings, most often built of white limestone, slate or marble, were decorated with stone carvings. Rarely did it occur on smaller objects. Bone combs and icons were widespread in Russia. The craftsmen worked on the creation of small images of the saints. Such icons could be worn around the neck, hanging on a strap. Often, stone carvings complemented church tiles. -

Situation of craftsmen Ancient crafts in Russia were valued differently. They were divided into two groups. Among the revered were jewelry (goldsmithing), icon painting and some others. For example, pottery was one of the "dirty" ones. In most cases, the craftsmen worked to order. The craftsmen belonged to different strata of society. Free craftsmen could be found in the cities. They were engaged in blacksmithing, jewelry, chasing and icon painting. Dependent artisans and slaves lived in princely and boyar courts, estates and estates. Various craftsmen could be found in monasteries as well. Creations of female hands

It was in the monasteries that such ancient crafts of Russia as sewing and weaving developed most of all. Women were engaged in them. The products of the craftswomen of that time amaze with their beauty even today. The fabrics were made from hemp, linen or wool. The fabric production process became much easier with the advent of the horizontal loom. It happened at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. Patterned weaving was a widespread type of women's needlework: branded weaving, embroidery on canvas, “silk embroidery” (embroidery using embroidery frames), and so on. Craftswomen decorated church utensils and household items with various patterns. Old Russian sewing was often exported by merchants to other countries. There it also enjoyed universal admiration. Temporary Decline The heyday in history is most often followed by years and sometimes centuries of wilting. It was in this state that the crafts of Russia of the 14th century were located, during the most lasting domination of the Mongol-Tatar khans. Many craftsmen died during the battles in an attempt to defend their hometowns. During the existence of the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia, the development of jewelry was almost completely stopped, the production of enamel, filigree and grain ceased. Other types of crafts suffered no less. However, the revival of applied art began in the next, 15th century. Prosperity Again The period from the 15th to the 17th century was the time of the strengthening of the new Russian state. The center of the unification of the principalities was Moscow. Ancient crafts, which existed in Russia from time immemorial, again began to gain strength. The nobility tried to surround herself with exquisite objects, luxury and wealth. Artisans who were engaged in stone or wood carving, weaving and embroidery, and jewelry came to the court of the prince, and then the king. Commodity-money relations are also developing. As a result, crafts in Russia in the 16th century became the main source of income for residents of many cities. Handicraft arts and crafts are gradually being formed.

The oldest among them is considered to have arisen in the 16-17 centuries in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Here, craftsmen were engaged in wood and bone carving, and a little later, a toy craft arose. A world star After the 15th century, almost all crafts in Russia began to develop actively. Khokhloma painting and Dymkovo toys are especially familiar to children. These types of arts and crafts are still very popular today, not only in our country, but also abroad. Khokhlomoy enriched crafts in Russia in the 17th century. This type of painting was used to decorate various wooden dishes and furniture. Khokhloma is well recognizable thanks to its traditional color scheme: red, black and green on a gold background. The painting masters had their secrets. For example, for the background, not gold powder was applied to a wooden blank, but a mixture of tin and silver. Then the product was covered with a special compound and baked several times in the oven. In this way, the desired golden hue was achieved. The Khokhloma painting always completely covered the product: the tree was not noticeable at all.

Bright and unrepeatable Another famous art craft, which apparently originates from this period, is the Dymkovo toy. It got its name from its place of origin. Kirovskaya Sloboda Dymkovo was famous for its red clay. In the whole world there are no products like a bright and cheerful toy. It is interesting that the production technology is quite simple, and if you wish, you can make such a figurine yourself.

The crafts of Ancient Russia are not forgotten even today. You can even say that they are going through a new stage of development. There is a revival of interest in the folk traditions of ancient times: beliefs, costume, customs and crafts. Crafts are actively studied both in the relevant specialties at universities and independently. Handicraft is in great demand today, and therefore craftsmen are happy to turn to traditional craft. At the same time, the technology is undergoing various changes: new compounds, paints, bases and fixers are used, in some cases - electrical devices. On the other hand, in individual cases, the mode of production as a whole remains unchanged. It should be noted that the study of the question of what crafts developed in Russia is important for understanding the original Russian culture, helps to imbue with its spirit. The renewed interest in this topic indicates the relevance of such processes. We can say that crafts in Russia (photos of products that fill the Internet in a lot, only confirm this) are still alive and continue to develop. - Read more on FB.ru:

The ancient crafts of Russia are one of the pillars on which the original culture of our state is based. They take their origin in a primitive society, when all activity was collective, and the tools of labor were the simplest. However, already in those days, our ancestors were characterized by a striving for beauty. The tools and household items created together were decorated with ornaments, they were given a special form. As a rule, all, as they would say now, decorative elements possessed magical properties: they protected, attracted good luck. The Eastern Slavs were similar in this regard to other tribes. The ancient crafts of Russia were distinguished by special techniques and techniques, original motives. By the time the Kiev state was created, our ancestors were already masters in many types of applied arts.

Blacksmith - artisan and sorcerer

It is not difficult to understand which ancient crafts in Russia enjoyed special honor from numerous legends, legends and sayings. Often in stories there is a blacksmith who makes a miracle sword for the hero, often he is endowed with magical abilities and wisdom.

Metalworking in Russia was indeed one of the most demanded skills. She was one of the first to emerge as an independent craft. The blacksmith was revered and respected, and iron was considered a protective material, capable of protecting its owner not only from evil people, but also from evil spirits, with proper processing and respectful attitude towards him.

The development of handicrafts in Kievan Rus reached astonishing heights: our ancestors knew practically all modern types of metal processing. Most often, forging, filigree, niello, casting and chasing were used.

Subtle art

The jewelry business deserves a separate mention. In it, in Russia, they also reached significant heights. The favorite techniques were already named filigree (filigree), niello, as well as granulation and enamel (enamel). The creation of the masters of the times of Kievan Rus and later is sometimes amazing. For example, enamel resembled a mosaic with such a carefully written pattern that in the eyes of the characters captured, one could distinguish a dark pupil and a light white. Similar pictures were created from pieces of colored glass. They were pounded and mixed with a little water. The resulting mass was filled into the parts of the articles and then baked several times. As a result, the enamel was fused with the metal.

Metallic lace and splatter

The cloth was an openwork ornament made of the finest gold or silver wire. This technique was used to make various jewelry, boxes and some other household items. Filigree gave them airiness and special lightness. Without exaggeration, such products can be called made of metal lace.

Grain was also a frequent decoration of various products. It resembled the smallest drops splashed over the surface of the jewelry. The craftsmanship of the craftsmen knew no bounds: the thickness of the balls often did not exceed 0.4 mm.

Mobile was an alloy of silver and sulfur. When making jewelry, a drawing was scratched out on a metal blank. Then everything was poured with black and sent to bake. Under the influence of high temperature, the alloys were combined, the pattern was filled with a mixture of sulfur and silver. After that, the master only needed to remove the excess areas of the mobile. The resulting products were distinguished by the contrast of the noble shine of the metal and the matte surface of the pattern.

Working with clay

Pottery was the second in time to appear after metal processing in Russia. Initially, dishes and other utensils were sculpted by hand. However, crafts in Russia developed rapidly, and in the 9-10 centuries. the Slavs already used the potter's wheel. As a result, pottery spread throughout the state. Pottery workshops are no longer a rarity. Each of them created products that were somehow different from the creations of other artisans. The masters adhered, in modern terms, to their own style. The differences could relate to technological issues: temperature and time of firing, the composition of the clay, or the decor: the colors used, shape features, various additional decorating elements.

With the adoption of Christianity, crafts in Russia began to develop in accordance with Orthodox canons. Potters, in addition to traditional toys and utensils, began to make various items necessary for the church, and tiles - decorative tiles that were used as decoration.

Live material

It is difficult to imagine the ancient crafts of Russia without woodcarving. It also arose from our ancestors a very long time ago. Toys and furniture, interior items and dwellings were decorated with carvings. Wood was considered a warm, living material. Like metal, it was able to protect, save from harm, therefore, wooden products were found everywhere in the ancient state. The availability of the material also played a huge role in this. Dwellings were built from wood, spinning wheels and spindles, toys and cradles, sledges and arcs were made. At all times in Russia, he was treated with great honor. The master tried to understand the soul, enclosed in a piece of wood, and, creating an everyday or sacred object, to reveal it as much as possible, without adding too much from himself.

The Novgorodians were considered the most skillful carvers. Some time ago, on the territory of the ancient city, an impressive monument of wooden architecture was found: an eleven-meter column dating from the 11th century. Its entire length is decorated with carving, the motives of which are never repeated.

Forgotten tricks

As often happens, with the advent of new materials and technologies, obsolete knowledge fade into the background, sometimes it is completely lost, sometimes it remains only in the form of rare items that have not been destroyed by time. Many crafts of Kievan Rus became impoverished in this way. For example, today few people know that woodcarving, having stood in the service of Christianity, was used not only to create the interior and exterior decoration of the interiors of churches. The craftsmen made iconostases and icon cases - this is a fairly well-known fact. The art of wooden icon painting has been lost in time. Very little is known today about the creation of images of saints using woodcarving.

Stone craftsmen

Crafts in Russia were associated with a variety of materials common in the territory. In addition to those already mentioned, the craftsmen used stone. Products made from it were not inferior in grace and beauty to wooden creations. buildings, most often built of white limestone, slate or marble, were decorated. Rarely did it occur on smaller objects. Bone combs and icons were widespread in Russia. The craftsmen worked on the creation of small images of the saints. Such icons could be worn around the neck, hanging on a strap. Often, stone carvings complemented church tiles.

The position of the masters

Ancient crafts in Russia were valued differently. They were divided into two groups. Among the revered were jewelry (goldsmithing), icon painting and some others. For example, pottery was one of the "dirty" ones.

In most cases, the craftsmen worked to order. The craftsmen belonged to different strata of society. Free craftsmen could be found in the cities. They were engaged in blacksmithing, jewelry, chasing and icon painting. Dependent artisans and slaves lived in princely and boyar courts, estates and estates. Various craftsmen could be found in monasteries as well.

Creations of female hands

It was in the monasteries that such ancient crafts of Russia as sewing and weaving developed most of all. Women were engaged in them. The products of the craftswomen of that time amaze with their beauty even today. The fabrics were made from hemp, linen or wool. The fabric production process became much easier with the advent of the horizontal loom. It happened at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries.

Patterned weaving was a widespread type of women's needlework: branded weaving, embroidery on canvas, “silk embroidery” (embroidery using embroidery frames), and so on. Craftswomen decorated with various patterns and household items. Old Russian sewing was often exported by merchants to other countries. There it also enjoyed universal admiration.

Temporary decline

The heyday in history is most often followed by years, and sometimes centuries of wilting. It was in this state that the crafts of Russia of the 14th century were located, during the most lasting domination of the Mongol-Tatar khans. Many craftsmen died during the battles in an attempt to defend their hometowns. During the existence of the Mongol-Tatar yoke in Russia, the development of jewelry was almost completely stopped, the production of enamel, filigree and grain ceased. Other types of crafts suffered no less. However, the revival of applied art began in the next, 15th century.

Blooming again

The period from the 15th to the 17th century was the time of the strengthening of the new Russian state. The center of the unification of the principalities was Moscow. Ancient crafts that existed in Russia again began to gain strength. The nobility tried to surround herself with exquisite objects, luxury and wealth. Artisans who were engaged in stone or wood carving, weaving and embroidery, and jewelry came to the court of the prince, and then the king.

Commodity-money relations are also developing. As a result, crafts in Russia in the 16th century became the main source of income for residents of many cities. Handicraft arts and crafts are gradually being formed. The oldest among them is considered to have arisen in the 16-17 centuries in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Here, craftsmen were engaged in wood and bone carving, and a little later, a toy craft arose.

World star

After the 15th century, almost all crafts in Russia began to develop actively. Khokhloma painting and Dymkovo toys are especially familiar to children. These types of arts and crafts are still very popular today, not only in our country, but also abroad.

Khokhlomoy enriched crafts in Russia in the 17th century. This type of painting was used to decorate various types of furniture. Khokhloma is well recognizable thanks to its traditional color scheme: red, black and green on a gold background. The painting masters had their secrets. For example, for the background, not gold powder was applied to a wooden blank, but a mixture of tin and silver. Then the product was covered with a special compound and baked several times in the oven. In this way, the desired golden hue was achieved. The Khokhloma painting always completely covered the product: the tree was not noticeable at all.

Bright and unique

Another famous art craft, which originates, apparently, during this period, is that it got its name from its place of origin. Kirovskaya Sloboda Dymkovo was famous for its red clay. In the whole world there are no products like a bright and cheerful toy. It is interesting that the production technology is quite simple, and if you wish, you can make such a figurine yourself.

The crafts of Ancient Russia are not forgotten even today. You can even say that they are going through a new stage of development. There is a revival of interest in the folk traditions of ancient times: beliefs, costume, customs and crafts. Crafts are actively studied both in the relevant specialties at universities and independently. Handicraft is in great demand today, and therefore craftsmen are happy to turn to traditional craft. At the same time, the technology is undergoing various changes: new compounds, paints, bases and fixers are used, in some cases - electrical devices. On the other hand, in some cases, the whole remains unchanged.

It should be noted that the study of the question of what crafts developed in Russia is important for understanding the original Russian culture, helps to imbue with its spirit. The renewed interest in this topic indicates the relevance of such processes. We can say that crafts in Russia (photos of products that fill the Internet in a lot, only confirm this) are still alive and continue to develop.

The active development of handicrafts began in Ancient Russia at the end of the 13th century and was due to the emergence of highly specialized specialists in various industries. Crafts played a very important role in the development of the country, as they gave a powerful impetus to the construction of new cities and the economic development of the country. Today we will look at the most common types of handicraft activities and talk about their development.

Places of concentration of artisans

Cities in Ancient Rus were built on the basis of a favorable geographic location. They had to not only be close to trade routes, but also have a good location so that they could be easily defended in the event of war and a long siege. As a rule, they tried to build cities on hilly terrain or near the confluence of two rivers. The cities were inhabited not only by ordinary people, but also by representatives of the authorities, so they had a garrison with a sufficient number of soldiers for defense.

With the development of handicraft activities, craftsmen began to settle in the cities, thanks to which ordinary military garrisons began to gradually turn into large shopping centers... In the central square there was a princely estate, which was surrounded by a wall and barrage structures. Around the prince's estate, settlements were built, in which artisans lived and worked. Craftsmen of various trades and crafts created goods that were subsequently sold in other cities, which contributed to the rapid development of trade. The development was so rapid. That after three centuries, in Russia, there were about 60 different types of crafts.

Metallurgy

The extraction and processing of metals began in Russia at the beginning of the 11th century and was considered one of the most important industries. Blacksmiths have always been held in high esteem, since they made not only iron tools, but also weapons, metal armor and harness. Blacksmithing is mentioned and praised in many works of the folk epic of that time, and the blacksmiths themselves personify the image of courage, strength and kindness. Iron products of that time were made from ore, which was mined by miners in the swamps. Ore was smelted by blacksmiths in their workshops in special furnaces equipped with forges for blowing and creating heat.

Blacksmiths were rightfully considered the most important and significant craftsmen, since they gave rise to a new era in the development of the country and trade relations. Blacksmiths produced a huge amount of goods needed in all spheres of life of people of that time. The lords of the anvil and the hammer produced tools, weapons, and more. The weapon was of high quality and was famous far beyond the borders of Russia. The total number of varieties of forged products produced by blacksmiths in the 11th century is about 150 units.

Jewelry

Jewelry production occupies a separate niche in blacksmithing, as artisans had to possess an incredible level of skill to make them. Jewelry in Russia was so magnificent that modern scientists remain at a loss how the blacksmiths of that time managed to create such amazing jewelry masterpieces.

In the Middle Ages, various amulets and pendants, necklaces, earrings and yarn cast from bronze and made using the grain technology, which meant soldering small balls onto a metal base, were very popular in our country. Another technique that is also widely used is called filigree. It is based on soldering various patterns of thin wire onto the base, the spaces between which were painted over with enamel of various colors.

The technique of the mob deserves special attention, since the ornaments made with it were not only very popular among the nobility, but were also in demand in other countries. Such jewelry is based on a black metal plate, on which silver patterns were applied.

Pottery craft

The ability to sculpt clay products and burn them marked the beginning of a new era in construction, since houses began to be erected not only from log cabins, but also from bricks. In addition to bricks, dishes were made from clay. The first mention of pottery dates back to the 11th century. At that time, machine tools for work were already invented, which were a rotating circle driven by a foot drive. For the manufacture of dishes, special clay was used, which underwent preliminary processing, and the finished products were fired in ovens, which gave them incredible strength and durability.

In what branches of the craft have the craftsmen still achieved great success?

Speaking about the crafts of the XI-XII centuries, one should not forget about such activities as chasing, making ceramics and enamels, glass making, painting, as well as fine embroidery, since Slavic masters had no equal in these crafts. During archaeological excavations in Kiev, scientists managed to find ancient paintings made by ancient Russian masters, which are striking in their beauty.

Carpenters also achieved great success in their work, who were engaged in the construction of houses, fences and gates, barrels, ferries, wooden toys, fortresses and defensive structures, boats and ships, as well as other utensils. In terms of their demand, carpenters were not inferior to blacksmiths.

Art painting

Old Russian painters and artists were real professionals in their field and were famous for their skills far beyond the borders of the country. The comprehension of the art of artistic painting took place in special schools, each of which had a different orientation and trained artisans of a certain type.

Gzhel was one of the most popular and demanded areas of painting of that time. This craft is based on artistic painting of white porcelain items with blue paints. Some artisans made kitchen utensils and toys from porcelain, and then others painted them with various patterns and ornaments. Porcelain tiles decorated with blue patterns were especially popular.

Another popular type of painting was Zhostovo painting. It was a painting of various utensils, painted black, painted with patterns in bright colors and covered with a special varnish, which gives the items an incredible shine. The first items made in the style of this craft date back to the middle of the 18th century. It is worth noting that this type of craft was very difficult to master, and the manufacture of items took place in several stages and took a lot of time.

Khokhloma

Khokhloma is one of the varieties of artistic painting of tableware that originated in Russia at the beginning of the VIII century. Kitchen utensils were painted with flowers of unusual shapes and bright colors, as well as various folk ornaments that simply did not allow them to take their eyes off. Household items painted with this technique could last long enough, since the varnish was applied to them in several stages, after which the items were tempered in an oven. Some of the kitchen utensils have survived in excellent condition to this day.