Tours: Traditional Crafts of Russia

Khokhloma

This journey will take you to the places where the most famous types of Russian handicrafts were born. Almost all regions in Russia can boast a craft or two. Our route starts from the small towns around Moscow: Gzhel - the center of ceramics and porcelain, which gave the name of the elegant blue-and-white paintings, Sergiev Posad - the birthplace of Russian matroshka dolls. From there we'll go to Rostov, where in the 17th century was born the craft of enamel painting on metal. Then we'll head for Tula - the world's famous city of gunsmiths, blacksmiths also famous for its gingerbread. Then we'll visit the Volga, the vicinity of Nizhny Novgorod - the town of Semyonov - Gold Khokhloma Center - the unique red and black painting on wood. Then we'll visit Palekh, which gave the world its fine, elegant lacquered miniature and Vologda, the center of Russian lace. In general, the Volga is the richest region in the number of old crafts. There is also the ancient Vyatka, where the 15th -16th centuries the famous clay Dymkovo toy appeared.

In the north, in the village of Kholmogory, the home of the great Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, the old traditions are kept by the wood and bone carvers. The tour to the residence of the Father Frost, the city of Veliky Ustyug, will tell you about the oldest trades - the art of niello and bark weaving - the skill to create dishes and other household items from thin wood bark.

Every city will welcome you with a thrilling program. First and foremost will be the trip to a museum where you’ll see how and from what materials the masterpieces of folk art were produced in distant antiquity, where the roots of this type of folk art are. Afterwards it'll be the time to visit the craft shops, where modern masters of ancient techniques make their wonderful creations. There, as a rule, the visitors can attend workshops for everyone who wants to try himself as a folk artist.