The domestic trade of the Moscow and Nizhnij Novgorod regions
Gorodets is the city in the Nizhny Novgorod region, a berth on the left side of the river Volga, 35 km upwards from Nizhny Novgorod. One of the Volga-based oldest settlements, it is founded in the second half of the XII century (according to one source in 1152, according to other one in 1172).
Gorodets wood-based painting is the famous folk craft of Nizhny Novgorod that appeared in the 18 century. The masters adorned their items with painting, carving and oak marquetry. Pilasters, platbands, hinges, gates were covered with daedal carved patterns. And up to now Gorodets gladdens with the preserved beauty of raised carvings of the houses.
The original painting first intended for spinning wheels appeared together with carving in the ancient Gorodets. Village painters imitating cheap popular prints adorned the same with merry turns of people’s manners enframed with flower garlands and large bright roses. Now A. Konovalov who restored the crafts at the end of sixties having established the plant “Gorodets painting”, is called the patriarch of Gorodets painting. Without loosing the traditional ornament with opulent roses, horses and birds, the plant developed many new items: smart decorative panels, furniture, children’s toys. The plant produces and sells the consumer goods.
The diverse assortment of items with traditional and ornamental and subject painting which marked 150th anniversary in 1997: bread case, boards for cutting and pies, kitchen sets of many items, sets for tea, spices, boxes, saltcellars, cases, wall-based decorative panels, vases.
Furniture: sets for kitchens, rooms, antechamber, country-side houses, saunas, office, for children.
Children’s toys
Items with hollow Gorodets carving.
Icons.
Semenov is the ancient largest center of artistic wood treatment. The area rich in forests, actively settled in the XVII century gathered a lot of skilled masters among old believers and fugitive craftsmen. They were engaged in wood carving, making of wooden dishes, Khokhloma painting. By order of Yekaterina II in 1779 the village of Semenovo was transformed in the city. The city of Semenov and suburbs thereof are famous for the making of wooden items and painting the same since the old times. Khokhloma having ageold artistic and crafts traditions, now became one of the brightest and popular crafts of the modern Russian folk art.
Khokhloma is the original Russian folk craft existing for more than 300 years, a unique phenomenon not only within Russia, but in the world art.
The joint-stock company “khokhloma painting” dates from 1916 and is famous worldwide for its wooden items with Khokhloma painting. The assortment includes more than 300 items of practical and decorative & souvenir purpose”: sets for fish-soup, dessert, carved buckets, wine bowls, candlesticks, rests, cooper pieces, panels, music boxes and painted furniture. |
