Types of folk crafts and artistic crafts. Peasant crafts of Ukrainians in the past. Their types and features Wicker weaving

Who among us doesn’t love beautiful dishes with an original design! Especially if it is made by the hands of craftsmen who know the traditions from their grandfather and great-grandfather. Potter is an ancient profession, and in Ukraine this craft was widespread in all regions, since our country boasts deposits of various clays used for the production of ceramic dishes and all kinds of trinkets.

And now the traditions of glorious potters are alive. Today we will tell you about them in our review: where you can see how dishes are made on a pottery wheel, try yourself in this craft and buy interesting products and cute trinkets made of clay.

History of pottery: before and after the potter's wheel

Pottery is an ancient craft, and it arose in the Neolithic era. It developed where there was a raw material for fishing - clay, and the territory of Ukraine is just a fertile region for this.

Pottery in Ukraine reached a particular flourishing during the era of Trypillian culture. At first, clay products were sculpted by hand and fired over an open fire or in ordinary ovens. Everything changed dramatically after the invention of the potter's wheel.

Rough manual work was transformed, the craft of potters developed, which was improved from century to century, becoming a real art. People have learned to make many products from clay, this is not only dishes, but also various souvenirs, jewelry, toys, tiles (or, as they used to say, tiles).

“It’s not the gods who burn the pots,” says the popular proverb. But in fact, the craft of a potter is not a simple one, and in order to create beauty from ordinary clay, you need to work hard for years, perfecting your skill.

Photo source: ufest.in.ua.

Ceramists also have special secrets. They begin with the preparation of clay. Since ancient times, after extracting it from clay, they left it to “ripen,” stirring with a shovel and pouring water on it so that it became plastic. It is believed that some types of clay should be kept in the open air for a year or two before use, this improves their properties. And clay for porcelain was kept in special pits for decades.

You can get acquainted with the traditions of pottery in Ukraine and other decorative and applied arts without leaving the capital - in, a famous artist and collector.

How to apply a drawing

Pottery can be of natural color, and for decoration it is applied before firing. engobe - a coating of liquid clay. Engobes come in a variety of colors in nature. Dyes could also be added to the clay. A relief pattern can be applied to the engobe. Characteristic decorations are stripes and plaits of various shapes.

Photo source: esu.com.ua.

In addition, various techniques were used:

• glossing (glazing) - on a dry shard;
• horning - applying engobe in a stream onto the finished product using a special horn, then the craftsmen replaced it with a rubber bulb;
• straightening - scratching patterns;
• flanding - using a sharp object, three or four multi-colored engobe ribbons were connected; in the finished product they looked like stars.

Another technology for applying a pattern is glaze. It is applied to an already dried product.

Traditions of pottery in Ukraine

Today, pottery, like other handicrafts, has become somewhat of a thing of the past. But still, in the regions where it was widespread, there are still continuers of traditions. Today it is more of an art than a trade.

Each region of pottery in Ukraine had a characteristic technique and distinctive features, by which it was possible to determine the origin of a particular product. And now we will try to understand these features.

Oposhnya - pottery capital

It is not for nothing that the village of Oposhnya in the Poltava region is considered the capital of pottery in Ukraine, because craftsmen have long glorified this region. The famous Oposhnya dishes were thin-walled. It is characterized by two- or three-color painting in the form of dashes, curves, dots, and the like. Oposhnya was also famous for its clay decorative sculptures and children's toys.

Photo source: ceramiko.livejournal.com.

Modern craftsmen apply floral patterns, usually large ones, to their products. The flowers are similar to those that are typical for wall painting among Ukrainians. The patterns are usually light yellow, done on a white, red-brown or green background.

According to researchers, it was the Poltava region that was the leader in pottery, as well as in the study of this craft, for more than 100 years. Since the end of the 19th century, products by local craftsmen began to enjoy success in Europe, among collectors.

Back in 1894, the first specialized educational institution on the left bank of Ukraine was opened in Oposhna - the Zemsky Model Pottery Workshop. Poltava resident Yakov Ryzhenko was the first to defend a scientific dissertation on ceramics in 1929.

Oposhnya is an interesting tourist site; it is located right in the middle of the route through Gogol’s places, between Velikiye Sorochintsy and Dikanka. There is beautiful nature, friendly people, and ecotourism is developing here. And today you will receive incredible pleasure from the rich collection of the museum and live communication with modern potters.

Photo source: travel-guide.at.ua.

It is in Opishna that today there is a scientific institution for the study of traditions and techniques of craft - the Institute of Pottery and Ceramology at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It is headed by Oles Poshyvaylo, the successor of the famous dynasty of potters. The excursion routes of Oposhni include a visit to the memorial museum-estate of the Poshivaylo family, Memorial.

Painting by Yavdokha Poshyvaylo, an exhibit of the family estate museum. Photo source: prostir.museum.

The National Festival “Pottery Shift” has already become traditional, attracting craftsmen from all over Ukraine.

Photo source: telegraf.in.ua.

The village of Khomutets in the Poltava region is also known for its pottery traditions.

Podolsk potters

In Podolia, famous centers of pottery were Bubnovka (Vinnytsia region), Dybintsy, Irpen (Kiev region) and others.

Distinctive features of Podolsk ceramics are a fiery red background and lush original ornaments: flowers, bunches of grapes, branches with fruits.

Photo source: vinceramics.inf.ua.

Characteristic of Bubnovskaya ceramics was the production of huge pots “for borscht”. Also here they made painted dishes, toys - rams, horses, goose, and figurines of people.

Photo source: kraina-ua.com.

In Bubnovka there are still modern masters who continue the traditions of their ancestors. A museum-estate of the potters of the Gerasimenko brothers has been created in the village.

And in Vinnitsa there is a memorial at the heart of the exhibition - ceramic products from the creative heritage of the master.

If we talk about modern Dybintsy, today ecotourism is developing here, and as entertainment, guests are offered a master class in pottery.

Pottery in Chernihiv region

Chernihiv region has long been a pottery region. In the 17th century, the products of this region were characterized by decorations in the form of geometric patterns; in the 18th century, local potters became famous for their white glazed dishes, which resembled earthenware. Painting was applied to the white glaze. And some masters used a specific technique of splashes and smudges for decoration.

The Chernihiv region was also famous for its tile industry, which reached its peak in the 18th century and expanded to the Poltava and Slobozhanshchina regions. The centers of pottery in the Chernihiv region were Ichnya, Gorodnya, Korop, Nizhyn, Oleshnya, Shatrishchi.

Pottery of Polesie

Products from Polesie (present-day Zhitomir, Volyn, Rivne regions) were characterized by baroque ornaments. Traditionally, in the first half of the 19th century, various krinkas, makitras, bowls and plates, and flowerpots were made here.

The distinctive features of Volyn ceramics were gray, black, blue-black colors - the so-called “sivaks”. And patterns in the form of pine trees, columns, fir trees, and cages. And also dark smoky ceramics.

Photo source: 3.bp.blogspot.com.

One of the most famous pottery centers in Volyn is the village of Rakita. Previously, there were potters here “throughout the hut” - that is, virtually every second person was engaged in the craft. Characteristic were the squat-shaped krinki with thin ears.

Construction ceramics also actively developed in Polesie. It is interesting that elongated clay pots began to be built into the vaults of temples to improve acoustics. For example, the Dmitrovskaya Church in Vladimir-Volynsky.

Pottery in the Hutsul region

The most famous pottery center in the Hutsul region was and remains Kosiv. Local craftsmen created highly artistic engraved painting techniques, original tiles for decorating stoves, lamps, painted bowls and many other original products. Tiled stoves made in Kosovo were readily installed in Romania and Hungary. The variety of designs is amazing: from stylized plant patterns to images of animals, people and entire everyday scenes.

Photo source: svitppt.com.ua.

Ceramic products were made using a unique engraving technique - painted products covered with white clay and dried. After the first firing in a pottery kiln, the product was painted with green, brown, yellow, and less often blue paints (there was no white glaze in Kosovo, only white engobe - before firing). The product was covered with transparent glaze and burned a second time. This technique is the only one in the world. Today, both traditional floral patterns and images of scenes from the life of the Hutsuls are popular.

Photo source: etnoxata.com.ua.

And in the village of Kobolchin, Sokiryansky district, a regional pottery museum has been opened. There are more than a thousand exhibits in the collection, and there is a pottery workshop.

Where to learn pottery and buy ceramics

In art salons you will definitely find shelves with ceramic souvenirs and dishes. But to buy original products by famous contemporary masters, it is worth visiting specialized exhibitions. As already mentioned, a festival is held annually in Oposhna. It is already known that “Shift 2017” will take place from June 26 to July 2. Here you, of course, can attend master classes and buy ceramics not only from Oposhnya masters, but also from potters from other regions.

And if you want to learn more seriously, and you have time for this, Oposhnya offers to become a participant in the summer pottery academy from June 12 to July 2. Training is paid. A pottery master class is also offered at the Stary Khutor estate. .

Photo source: opishne-museum.gov.ua.

By the way, in the Poltava region there is a specialized higher educational institution - the Mirgorod Art and Industrial College named after Gogol, which dates back to 1895 (formerly a ceramic technical school).

You can also buy original pottery and more at the annual festival that takes place in Velikie Sorochintsy, glorified by Gogol.

You can buy original products of Hutsul craftsmen at a unique place - so if you are traveling around Bukovyna, do not forget to visit it.

Photo source: vsitury.com.ua.

Creative workshops of folk craftsmen of this region invite you to master classes.

The art of pottery is thoroughly taught at the Kosovo Institute of Decorative Applied Arts of the Lviv Academy of Arts.

In Kyiv, a pottery school operates on the territory, as well as in. Today you can find many offers for teaching the ancient craft of potter.

Creating beauty is great, and it's never too late to discover your talent. Or start collecting a home collection of ceramics, which may become your family's heirloom.

The world history of ceramics began in ancient times, from the moment when man learned to process clay. The impetus was the vital need for containers and the availability of readily available material in the form of clay. Initially these were thick-walled vessels, molded by hand. With the development of pottery, the technology for making clay products was improved, various additives were added depending on the place of residence, firing and molding techniques were added, the shapes of products were diversified, and decoration elements appeared.

This is confirmed by finds from different eras found during archaeological excavations in different parts of the world. And the word “ceramics” itself comes from the Greek “keramos” - fired clay.

Historical milestones of Ukrainian ceramics

Archaeological finds of clay products on the territory of Ukraine date back to the end of the Copper-Stone Age, i.e. 2.5 thousand years BC. Clay household items found at the beginning of the 20th century by archaeologist Khvoiko V. near the village of Trypillya allowed him to conclude about the existence of the Trypillya culture, named after the place of the first finds.

The discovered artifacts belonged to an entire culture of the Neolithic era, dating back to 4 - 2 thousand years BC. The dishes were made of clay mixed with quartz sand and freshwater mollusk shells. It was made by hand, with a thick bottom and uneven wall thickness. The outer surface was smooth, painted and fired with red paint. Large dishes were made of two parts. In comparison with examples of dishes of that era found in the territories of other countries, Trypillian was a work of art.

Pottery in Ukraine is the oldest craft. The land is rich in deposits of high-quality ordinary and kaolin clays with a variety of colors: from white and cream to dark gray and brown. The centuries-old history and culture of the region in ornamental motifs influenced the development of pottery and ceramics in Ukraine.

In the 7th century, the Slavic era began in the development of Ukrainian ceramics. It is characterized by the presence in dark gray ceramics of Roman features of embossed patterns with parallel and wavy lines and notches.

Since the 10th century, the potter's wheel began to be used in pottery, and technologies for manufacturing materials, firing, and processing were improved. By the end of the century, open-pit mining of kaolin clay began. In addition to dishes, potters began to make figurative sculptures, toys and religious items. A new technology for processing products with glaze has appeared. Tiles and tiles are being improved.

At the end of the 15th century, in the wake of the development of pottery, artels began to appear. The shape of products for household needs, decorations, and ornaments has become more diverse.

Since the 17th century, centers of ceramic production began to form. Their placement on the territory of Ukraine was disproportionate due to the uneven deposits of pottery clay. In the 19th century, these centers began to develop their own characteristics, depending on the natural qualities of the clay, local traditions and the technical level of production.

The 20th century was characterized by a decline in the pottery craft during collectivization and a rise in the post-war period when production was destroyed. At the end of the 20th century, with the advent of affordable and high-quality factory-made tableware on the market, pottery went into decline.

From ancient to modern

Thanks to the warmth and environmental friendliness of natural materials, the preservation of national traditions in ornamental motifs and forms, and the imparting of new aesthetics through modern technologies, ceramics remains in demand today. Ceramic dishes preserve the nutritional value of the product and taste, and decorative items will decorate the interior and give it originality.

Ceramic products are produced by sintering clay or its mixtures with mineral additives. The main types of ceramics are porcelain, earthenware, majolica, and terracotta. To improve the quality of products and the decorative appearance of ceramics, certain technologies developed over the course of their development are used, some of them:

• Glazing is the coating of a raw product with a thin glassy layer, called glaze, to increase strength and moisture resistance.
• Smoking is oxygen-free firing of a product, as a result of which the color of the surface of the product becomes from dark brown to black with a silvery tint.
• Milking is the processing of a product in several stages, during which the product is soaked in milk, dried and fired until it becomes golden or dark chocolate in color.
• Engobe - coating of a raw product with a colored or white-burning clay suspension called engob.
• Flandrovka is a complex, several-stage decoration technology in which the applied engobe, in a circular motion, is quickly cut by a master using a device into rhythmically alternating vertical lines.
• Rituation is a unique Carpathian technology in several stages, in which the product is covered with white clay, fired, painted, glazed, and baked.

Despite the commonality of forms of Ukrainian folk ceramics, each pottery center has its own characteristics and originality. Based on the characteristic features of decorative decoration of ceramic products in Ukraine, several zones can be identified:

Transnistria

The territory of the Dnieper pottery is Vasilkov, Irpen, Petrivtsy, Dybintsy, Morintsy, Gnilets. Characteristic features of the works of the Dnieper masters are floral patterns with dots, dashes, zigzag and straight lines on a pink, white or red background. Dnieper craftsmen are famous for their well-drawn utensils for daily use, and figured drinkware in the images of birds and animals.

Vasilkovskaya majolica is well known in Ukraine and abroad, producing 60 types of ceramic products. The simple-shaped products are decorated with colored clays and national ornaments.

Zaporozhye art and ceramic workshops, using modern technologies, produce souvenirs and ceramics, including handmade ones. Utensils in the style of Ukrainian flavor Vishenka and Polyanka are well known on the market.
Outside Ukraine, the “Petrikovskaya painting” of the masters of Petrikovka, in the Dnepropetrovsk region, is well known.

In addition to wood, craftsmen also paint ceramics. Their own style “Curly” or “Bulb” is characterized by fantastic flower shapes, made with openwork smooth lines in rich bright colors, with floral patterns of asters, dahlias, roses, and cornflowers. Petrikovskaya painting is included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list.

Poltava region

Poltava region was famous for its ceramics Oposhnya, Khomutets, Kamyshnya. The Poltava village of Oposhnya is currently the center of production of pottery ceramics in Ukraine. Oposhninsky ceramics are distinguished by the original technique of painting using the flandrovka method.

The ceramic products are made from local gray clay, which after firing takes on a light brown tone. Potters from Poltava region produce thin-walled products painted in up to three colors.

The floral ornament is woven from flowers, spikelets, bunches of grapes, twigs, bouquets and wreaths. In addition to everyday glazed dishes, smoked ceramics, decorative sculptures, and toys are made.

The main light yellow color of the pattern lies on a red-brown, white or green background and is emphasized by the contrasting colors of the lines. The simple shape of the flowers is taken from traditional Ukrainian wall paintings.

Podolia

The centers of Podolsk pottery are Bubnovka, Bar, Vinnitsa, Gaysin. Painted ceramics, ordinary dishes, candlesticks, figurines of animals and birds, and toys are made here. Podolsk craftsmen are distinguished by the bright red-ocher background of their products with white, yellowish, and green color designs. Lush flowers, grape bunches, and tree branches with fruits are used for decoration. One product can combine the techniques of contour drawing and flanging.

In addition, products with a dark brown, almost black, and brown-ocher background without gloss with a geometric pattern were widely developed. The village of Goncharovka is famous for its black ceramics.

Galicia

In Galicia, pottery is most developed in Gavarechchina, Kosovo, Kolomyia, Galich, Drohobych. The products of Galich masters are characterized by a highly artistic technique of engraved painting on dishes, candlesticks, figurines, and bells. The colors of nature are used for the background: the sun is yellow, the earth is brown, grass and tree leaves are green. Along with geometric and plant motifs, the ornament contains floral rosettes with petals of fantastic shapes. The subtle beauty of the outlines stands out in the straightened, as in a herbarium, shapes of leaves, twigs, and flowers.

The technology of Kosovo ceramics is unique, which is classified as a UNESCO spiritual heritage. It is so complex that it still cannot be faked or copied. Her own style is a tricolor of brown, yellow and green on a white background with subject compositions and Hutsul Kolomyaks.

Gavaret ceramics, made using the smoking technology from two types of clays: fresh and oily, were also awarded a gold medal at the international exhibition. Black with a bluish tint, the products are distinguished, in addition to color, by their lightness and thin walls.
Original tiles, painted bowls, dishes and other items contain images of animals and human figures. The silhouettes of women and men, musicians, farmers, shepherds, millers, and soldiers are clear and clearly visible.

Transcarpathia

In addition to everyday tableware, they also produce painted holiday dishes, as well as candlesticks, tiles, and souvenirs.
In Transcarpathia, ceramics are produced by Uzhgorod, Vinogradovo, and Khust. They are characterized by broad strokes of floral patterns. Freehand drawing is done on a pink background and covered with glaze.

Bukovina

Traditional Bukovina pottery is practiced in Kobolchyn and Horodenka. In Bukovina, the ornament on ceramic products repeats the features of Galicia and Transcarpathia, as well as local motifs.

Slobozhanshchina

Polissya In Slobozhanshchina, guild ceramics are produced in Kharkov, Izyum, Novaya Vodolaga, and Prosyanoye. Deposits of high-quality clay are found throughout almost the entire Kharkov territory, along the Seversky Donets and its tributaries. The range of ceramic products includes household and decorative tableware, sculptural products, and facing tiles.

Decoration of products is carried out by drawing or ritualizing the ornament, glazing. Ceramics are characterized by blue color, embossed patterns similar to wood carvings, polychrome painting, and black smoke. The heat-resistant pots of Slobozhanshchina are well known.

Polesie

Pottery in Polesie is represented by molded dishes with polished decoration. On a black or light brown background of products on the walls, the ornament is made with ridge, straight parallel or wavy lines.

Volyn

The characteristic features of Volyn ceramics are both simple designs in the form of dots, wavy lines, circles, dashes, and more complex ones: straight or beveled mesh, spirals, flowers, leaves, pine trees. The combination of elements allows the use of many variants of the ornament, which always respects the laconicism and integrity of the composition. Engraving or glossing was used to decorate products. Terracotta pottery was covered with red clay, sometimes white or black, as well as several of its colors. The technique of partial glossing and geometric patterns are used for black smoked ceramics. In addition to traditional products, Volyn craftsmen produce decorative and souvenir products.

1. 1. Pottery Embroidery Wood carving Vitinanka Wickery weaving Petrikov painting
2. 2. The territory of the pottery center of Vyshgorod. Pottery Museum
3. 3. Pavilion over the pottery center
4. 4. Old Russian pottery forge Old Russian pottery forge
5. 5. Museum exhibition Works of contemporary masters
6. Oposhnya is the center of Ukrainian pottery. More than 40 varieties of clay have been discovered here. Once upon a time in this village almost everyone was a potter. This wonderful museum is famous not only in Ukraine, but also in the world. Products from Oposhna are purchased by the best museums in the world. The museum contains a collection of works of pottery from the best masters of Ukraine of the past and present. Some of the sculptures are exhibited in the open air, while the most valuable ones are kept indoors in the museum. During the excursion, everyone can try themselves at the pottery wheel.
7. 7. Museum - an open-air reserve of Ukrainian pottery
8. 8. This type of work is called vitinanka - openwork paper cutting. Not to be confused with origami! Not so long ago this art was still popular in Podolia, the Dnieper region, and the Carpathian region. In Ukraine it comes from ancient times, from pagan times. Vitinankas were used to decorate beams, stoves and windows in houses as amulets, and were given to each other at Christmas and Easter. Each region has its own characteristics. The Dnieper region is characterized by colorful compositions: flowerpots, bouquets. Podolsk vitinankas are limited in color and convey ornamental motifs: branches with birds, circles, stars. The Carpathian ones are distinguished by their geometric shapes and plant compositions.
9. 9. The village of Petrikovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region is one of the few where the traditions of ancient folk crafts are carefully preserved. The famous Petrykivka painting has long become the hallmark of Ukraine. A manual on this type of art has even been published in Canada. Petrikovka was founded 230 years ago by Peter Kalnyshevsky himself. And immediately an interesting custom arose in this free Cossack village: women began to paint the walls of their huts with colorful floral patterns. They were painted with brushes made of cat hair, matches wrapped in soft material, and simply with fingers. The paints were diluted with eggs and milk, and the colors were chosen - the brightest, to match the colorful nature of the Dnieper region. Housewives competed with each other, trying to make their home the most picturesque, and looked jealously at other people's art. They said about the most successful paintings: beautiful, like in a church. But if the house remained white, they stopped greeting the owner as if she were a stranger. Petrikovskaya painting is a visiting card of Ukraine
10. 10. The building in which Petrikovka craftswomen work Gallery of works by Petrikovka craftsmen
11. 11. The most diligent housewives in Petrikovka were called “chepurushkas”. Thanks to them, painting skills were passed on from generation to generation until the 30s of the twentieth century. Works performed by "chepurushkas"
12. 12. For a whole year, the villagers of Iza take care of the vine, fertilize it, hill it up, water it abundantly, and then, in the fall on Pokrov (October 14), in one day they cut off everything grown to the last branch. Even at school, classes are canceled on weekdays. In a word, the village is closed - everyone has gone to the planting. And so on from year to year. A freshly cut vine rod is not suitable for weaving. Because it breaks. But when lozin is boiled for three hours in boiling water, it becomes flexible, like the back of a young Hutsul woman. Some artisans organize cooking at home: they take a bathtub into the garden, put water and vines in it, build two fires under the bottom, and just have time to add firewood.
13. As expected, the fire here burns underground. The oven, made of brick (probably pre-war fired), the semicircular mouth of which could easily fit a cow, is surrounded by a meter-long earthen embankment, very similar to a partisan dugout. A rectangular boiler is fixed above the stove. Capacity - 1000 liters of water and 200 kg of vines. Rods placed in boiling water, like pasta, absorb all the water, swell and, as a result, do not cook, but are steamed. The swollen vine constantly sticks out of the cauldron.
14. 14. Wood carving is an art that dates back thousands of years. Products made from this environmentally friendly, warm material have decorated homes from time immemorial and now help create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort in homes.
15. 15. Embroidery is the art of sewing decorative stitches on material. This is a very ancient art. Remains of embroidered clothing were found during archaeological excavations of the ruins of Assyrian and Persian cities. The Old Testament describes the beauty of the embroidery on the festive clothes of the Jews in biblical times. Embroidery is a type of decorative and applied art in which an image is made on fabrics, leather and other materials. Linen, cotton, wool, silk, metal threads, as well as hair, beads, pearls, coins or sparkles are used.
16. 16. Ornamental motifs of Ukrainian embroidery are rooted in local flora and fauna, in historical tradition. In ancient times, the main ornamental motifs reflected elements of the symbolism of various ancient cults.
17. 17. When creating ornaments for embroidery, artists at all times turned to nature, but did not simply copy it, but processed it, simplified it by stylizing, preserving what was most characteristic. In Ukrainian folk embroidery there are floral, geometric, plant-geometrized ornaments, ornaments with images of animals, ornaments with emblems. Floral ornaments consist of stylized (simplified) flowers, leaves, buds, and stems. Geometric ornaments consist of a variety of geometric shapes: triangles, rhombuses, squares, stars, etc. In the embroidery of towels, napkins, tablecloths, panels, stylized animals, birds, and insects are found in the ornaments.
18. 18. Prepared by primary school teacher T.V. Berezhnaya.

As one of the predecessors of industrial production, it has been developed in Ukraine since ancient times, but for a long time it was separated from other types of activity.

Craft of the Antiquity and Middle Ages

The craft was developed in the ancient cities of the Northern Black Sea region. In the early period, starting from the 1st millennium, the separation of crafts from agriculture began. In princely times, crafts were distinguished by the complexity of the nature of production and higher quality. In large cities, more than 60 industries already existed: metallurgy, blacksmithing, processing of fur, wool, flax, bone, stone, glass production. The production of jewelry, clothing and religious buildings reached its peak. According to their social status, the artisans of Kievan Rus were divided into free and serfs, as well as princely, boyar and urban (the largest number). They mostly settled in one area or on one street of the city. To protect their interests, they created societies that can be considered the birth of guilds. The Tatar-Mongol invasion led to the decline of crafts. They were revived only during the times of the Galician-Volyn state. In the 2nd half of the 14th century - 1st half of the 15th century, a guild organization appeared in the system of Magdeburg law.

Craft of Modern Times

In the 2nd half of the 17th century, handicrafts in Western and Right Bank Ukraine decreased due to the general decline of cities and philistinism, the spread of non-guild crafts, the settlement of subjects of rural artisans at castles, master's courts in cities and suburbs, and the competition of goods of European artisans. Crafts developed better in Kyiv, Chernigov, Poltava, Novgorod-Seversky, Nezhin. In the 1st half of the 19th century, handicrafts felt the pressure of tax policy in the central and eastern lands, as well as in Galicia. In the 2nd half of the 19th century, the development of the factory industry and capitalism, the construction of railways, which facilitated the transportation of manufactured goods, the loss of the importance of craft workshops, and the low level of education of artisans had a negative impact. Craftsmen experienced a significant crisis due to their lack of competitiveness compared to factory products during the 1870-1890s.

20th century craft

Before World War I, in the 9 Ukrainian provinces of the Russian Empire, there were 700 thousand artisans and artisans, 57 thousand independent artisans, 105 thousand tax-exempt artisans and craftsmen, 135 thousand artisans in the food industry, and 45 thousand participants in various non-commodity trades. Handicraftsmen lived mainly in villages, artisans - in cities. In the early 20s. The importance of crafts increased partly due to the decline of the factory industry. The number of artisans and handicraftsmen in the Ukrainian SSR increased to 820 thousand by 1928. Over time, due to nationalization and the development of the factory industry, crafts fell into disrepair. The number of artisans and artisans in the Ukrainian SSR in 1939 was 57.7 thousand. After the liquidation of industrial cooperation in 1960, the handicraft and handicraft industries were transferred to the state regional industry system.

Folk crafts

The Ukrainian house was decorated with towels, sackcloth, and carpets. The floor was sprinkled with aromatic herbs to make it feel cozy and fresh.

The people's symbol of Ukraine, the national amulet is the towel. - is a symbol of harmony, love, beauty, happy destiny, hope, protection from evil forces. Each home was decorated with towels, embroidered by the hands of the hostess, or others that she inherited from her mother and grandmother. Towels not only decorated homes, they were also hung over doors and windows so that no evil could enter the house. A well-decorated towel hung on a peg near the porch, they used it to wipe their hands and dishes, cover a tub of dough and baked palyanitsa, they went with it to milk a cow, they began harvesting - the towel accompanied a person everywhere. The towel was called differently, depending on its purpose. A towel for wiping hands and face - wiping; for dishes, tables and lava - a washing machine; festive, for laying the table - lining; for tying matchmakers - a shoulder strap. And there was another one - the towel of fate. It was prepared by the mother even before the child was born. For the boy, she embroidered oak leaves on it, so that the son would be strong and courageous, and for the girl, she embroidered viburnum, so that the daughter would be beautiful, like a viburnum. After the birth of a child, this towel was placed by the mother under the baby's pillow. They carried the child with him to baptize, the mother blessed her son or daughter for marriage with him, and dressed the child with him on a long journey. This towel was treasured throughout life and placed in a coffin when a person died.

In each region of Ukraine towels have their own characteristic features. In the Kiev and Chernihiv regions, the dominant floral pattern is red, blue and black; Western Ukraine is characterized by a geometric pattern with bright colors.

Popular wisdom says that in his lifetime a person must build a house, plant a tree, and raise a child. And you need to start with building a house.

Once upon a time, our ancestors, when settling new lands, chose the best, most picturesque places to build housing.

Houses in Ukraine were most often built from wood, clay, straw, reeds, and wicker. Although they were small, they were warm, elegant, with windows facing the sun. When choosing a place for their future home, Ukrainians adhered to certain traditions: where cattle like to lie, people will feel good there; if rye grew well in the place chosen for construction, then this place is good for a home. And it was also impossible to build there where there used to be cemeteries, where people often got sick, in vacant lots, on roadways, at crossroads.

They planted the house with hollyhocks, lovage, and mint; it was always cleanly bleached and very often painted.

The house was light and sunny, that’s why it was called the svetlitsa. The pride of every home was the stove - a symbol of home comfort and warmth. She stood in the left corner from the entrance. Food was cooked in the oven and it warmed the house. For this she was highly respected in the Ukrainian family. Every housewife, after heating the stove, swept it and often greased it with white clay.

Pottery has been made and widely used in Ukraine since time immemorial. This is perhaps the most ancient type of folk art, which carries invaluable information about the culture and ancient life. So what is pottery and how did it develop on the territory of our state?

Making various household products, dishes, toys, tiles, etc. from pottery clay. and firing these products is what pottery is. This craft is quite ancient, originating in Neolithic times, and later developed into a type of folk art. Clay is a plastic raw material at the time of product formation; after processing - firing (at a temperature of 900 degrees) - it becomes a solid material. Clay has a very wide palette of natural colors - starting from white, cream, moving to ocher, red, brown and dark gray. There are also ceramic paints, which generally give pottery products an amazing effect. They are made from colored clay - engobes. Decorative or transparent glazes are also used to cover the top of the finished product.

Potters of primitive times sculpted their products by hand: they covered a stone or any wooden form with small pieces of clay mass, no thicker than a finger, or twisted a ribbon of clay in a spiral, thus sculpting and perfecting a vessel that was cone-shaped, with thick walls and a sharp bottom . Such dishes did not have clearly defined roundness or a clear silhouette, but such a product performed its function. This technique has stood the test of time and existed on a par with working on a pottery wheel; it is still known to craftsmen today.

The potter's wheel was invented in the 4th millennium BC. At first it was manual and rotated rather slowly, then it was improved and became high-speed in the Middle Ages, received a foot drive, and this then became a significant revolution in the development of the entire pottery craft. The circular turning technique made it possible not only to increase the output of ceramic products, but also to make the products more perfect and elegant. The vessel made on such a circle had thin, light walls, its shapes had harmonious outlines, and it was possible to apply ornamental stripes, lines and other decorations to the surface.

Folk pottery masters used several techniques for decorating the finished product in their craft. These were glossing, chanting, horning, stamping, flanging, and sculpting.

Let's take a closer look at each of these techniques.

Ritting (or scratching, engraving, “cutting”) was done by making a deep groove with a small wooden stick or nail, like a pencil. This way a pattern of any shape could be scratched out.

Glossing (or also called burnishing) was carried out with a smooth object, it could be a stone, and lines, stripes and other decor were applied over a dry shard.

When they worked using the horning technique, a special horn was filled with engobe, and either a goose feather or a glass tube was inserted into the hole at the bottom. A trickle of engobe was thus easily applied to the surface of the finished product. Later, closer to our time, the horn was replaced for convenience with a rubber bulb. Using this technique, craftsmen drew lines, straight and wavy, and applied dots, leaves, rosettes or other patterns.

Flandering is a technique in which three or four ribbons of engobes of different colors were connected with a sharp object; it looked like marble stains, clear and zigzag. Today, pottery distinguishes four types of products according to purpose: various dishes for anything, sacred objects (icons, crosses, candlesticks, etc.), toys, objects for housing and its arrangement (these could be tiles, flowerpots, vases or other products for similar purposes).

When in the 10th century The Old Russian state was formed, the production of pottery gradually developed and grew. This was especially true for cities. Products began to be coated with opaque and later transparent glaze. Potters of Ancient Rus' usually made pots in which grain was stored, or bowls, mugs, pots, and jugs.

For the XIV century. It was typical to make convenient, inexpensive utensils for preparing dishes. It was decorated with polishing and wooden stamps - circles, rays, teeth, stars, swallows.

Pottery reached its highest level of development in the 17th-18th centuries. At this time, products were painted not only with engobes, but also with enamels - ceramic paint similar to glass. This opened up the possibility of using different colors and enriched the potters' palette. Popular at this time were floral ornaments and images of figures, which were mainly used to decorate bowls and tiles. The most widespread pottery craft was in the Poltava region, and among the Poltava pottery centers like Glinsk, Zinkov, Mirgorod, Oposhnya stood out the most. In 1789, about two hundred potters worked here, they produced festive utensils for various drinks (flasks, jars, jugs, barrels) and decorative sculptural ware: lions, lambs, roosters, horses, they were decorated with floral patterns. Glinsk was famous for the creativity of the Sulim family, who made flandrovka the leading technique of the city, sometimes combining it with floral patterns and motifs.

In the sub-Dnieper pottery craft cells - Dybintsy, Reevka, Kanev, Sunki, Tsvetnoy, etc. - high-quality applied dishes, decorated with drawings, and figured drinkware, mainly in the form of animals and birds, were popular.

As for Podolia, pottery production was widespread there in Gaysin, Bar, Bubnovka, Smotrych, Letichev, etc. Bubnovskaya, for example, was characterized not only by clear plant patterns, but also by small sculpted bird figures that were placed on the tires of the market, dzbanok, etc. In Western Ukraine, the leading centers of pottery were considered Yavorov, Potelich, Pustyn, Kolomyia, Mukachevo, etc. The pottery workshop in Kolomyia was established in 1661. Here they produced dishes, as well as candlesticks and tiles, which were decorated with flandrovka or horning.

In the 19th century Each region that was engaged in pottery production began to have certain characteristics. They depended primarily on the quality of the materials used in the work, the level of technical development of production, the traditions of the region and other factors.

The products of the master potters of Opishni were distinguished by their originality. For example, one of the local craftsmen, Fyodor Chervinka, not only engraved on the wet surface of the product, but also stuck relief motifs of an ornamental nature onto it. Vasily Porosny introduced various fantasy fairy-tale birds and animals into the lace of floral patterns.

In Podolia, Andrei Gonchar from the village of Bubnovka was famous among potters: he was the first to introduce the production of red painted dishes in his native village. Potters from the village of Bar Pyotr Lukashenko and Pavel Samolovich decorated bowls with figurative compositions that revealed entire themes. Yakov Batsutsa worked in the village of Adamovka, who gained popularity not only within Ukraine, but also far beyond: he made spherical dishes and painted them with silhouette figures.

In the Hutsul region of the 19th century. Kosiv and Pistyn became leading centers of pottery. Kosovo ceramics became famous thanks to the creativity of the original Alexei Bakhmetyuk. His father, Pyotr Bakhmetyuk, was engaged in the manufacture of non-watered dishes. Aleksey, while still a young man, studied and worked with the then famous potter-tiler Ivan Baranyuk, who lived on the outskirts of Kosovo, in Moskalevka. Later, Alexey inherited his father's workshop, and his own creativity was marked by the original painting of tiles and dishes. The ornamentation of this master consists of flowers with many petals, triangular leaves, grape bunches, birds on the branches, goats, horses, deer. Boldly designed floral patterns were called “Bakhminshchina”.

The Pistin center of pottery craft is associated with the work of entire pottery families who became famous for their creativity: the Voloshchuks, Zondyuks, Koshaks, Mikhalevichs, Timchuks and other families. They specialized mainly in painted bowls, jugs, dishes, etc. Petr Timchuk also made unusual, unique figurines of rams, goats, and deer, which carried pots on their backs - they were used for indoor flowers.

Long-standing pottery centers of the Lviv region were formed - Gavarechchyna, Glinsk, Lagodov, Sasov, Sokal, Shpikolosy, Yavor, etc., which produced utensils for a wide range of purposes and various shapes.

Folk ceramics of the 20-30s of the XX century. in the villages of Adamovka, Bar, Dybintsy, Shatrishche, Oposhnya and other pottery centers was almost no different from similar products of the last century. However, we note that forced collectivization contributed to a significant decline in the pottery industry. They tried to establish pottery artels in many cells in the villages, but these attempts failed. The number of handicraft potters decreased, because the entire able-bodied population of the villages had to work on collective farms.

The post-war years made pottery a little more vibrant. There was very little applied utensils in everyday life, and this contributed to the restoration of ceramic production at a fairly rapid pace in the same Oposhny, Valki, Vasilkov. In the ancient centers of excellence, artels began to be created again - in Dybintsy, Bubnovka, Bar, Adamovka, Kosovo, Smotric. Among the outstanding masters who worked in them are the brothers Gerasimenko from Bubnovka, Gavrila Poshivaylo from Oposhna, Alexandra Pirozhok from Adamovka, Grigory and Pavlina Tsvilinkiv from Kosovo and others.

In the 60s, where there were still centers of gray ceramics, which were beautiful due to their shape, a brilliant, simple pattern only emphasized with its contrast the nobility and expressiveness of the finished product. Among such centers are Gorodishche (Poltava region), Shatrishche (Sumy region), Plakhtyanka (Kiev region), Pastyrskoye (Cherkassy region), Shpikolosy and Gavarechchyna (Lviv region).

However, since the 70-80s, pottery in Ukraine has gradually declined. There are fewer and fewer experienced potters left. Instead, semi-mechanized workshops for the production of ceramics and factories producing mass products that only imitate folk potters began to spread more and more.

Our variety offers you a huge variety. The greatest skill - which a great variety allows, being the centuries-old cradle of pottery art. We sincerely hope that ETHNOHATA's assortment will pleasantly surprise you.