Festival shopping. What surprises the City of Masters at the "Slavianski Bazaar" in Vitebsk?
Vera Pankovets, a craftswoman from Borisov, Minsk region, creates author's knitted items from polyester cord. The craftswoman has been engaged in creativity for about four years and has even managed to record several master classes on YouTube.
– I brought handmade owls and toys for children made using this technique to "Slavyanka". The backstory of my hobby is modern: I saw it on the internet, tried it, and got hooked, – shared the craftswoman. – I put my soul into every work. Among my polyester cord items, carpets attract special attention. For example, it takes me a week to make an almost two-meter-long one. But a jacquard one with a double-sided pattern can take a whole month. The difficulty is that it is important to do everything accurately and not rush. If you loosen the inner thread, loops immediately appear. If you tighten the "sides" too much, the product becomes uneven.
Vera Pankovets is not visiting the International Arts Festival "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" for the first time; she knows that guests and residents of the festive city are waiting for her works.
– I really like the atmosphere of the city. Vitebsk is so beautiful these days; wherever you go, you find peace for your soul. There are always open and sincere people here who will delight you with kind words and lift your spirits with a smile. Every time I leave with only the best impressions, – shared Vera Pankovets.
Natalia and Petr Terekhov, a couple, came to Vitebsk from the Russian city of Vladimir. To look more colorful, they specially sewed folk costumes for the fair.
– In the past, I worked as a technologist in garment production, and my husband was a chief power engineer. Initially, kitchen textiles were just a hobby for me. Then Peter also started cutting out the items I sew, – noted Natalia.
On the counter, in addition to tablecloths, towels, and pot holders, there are designer bags and traditional Russian clothing: men's linen shirts with a slanted collar, caps, and kokoshniks for beautiful ladies.
Wooden spoons with a juniper scent, ladles, plates, and various toys were brought by Roman Khrapksiy together with his father Dmitry. Interestingly, Dmitry first encountered the craft as a schoolboy, and then, as he got older, he abandoned the hobby. Years later, Dmitry's skill was noticed by craftsman Viktor Atapin, who gifted his colleague his tools.
– Now I also keep my father company in the workshop. Together we attend fairs and festivals. My first attempt, and arguably my favorite, was a horse. I made this figurine in half a day, – said Roman.
At the "Slavyanski Kaleidoscope" fair, which unfolded on Kirov Street, the white and blue paintings on porcelain – Gzhel crystal – attract attention. Here you can also find aromatic herbal teas and honey, clothing, headwear, leather and wool items and souvenirs, jewelry, and various sweets. For example, Tatyana Petrova from Vitebsk brought beadwork and polymer clay items, as well as handmade gingerbread cookies with a festival theme.
The variety of handmade works makes you stop and examine everything in great detail. The торговые ряды (trading rows) feature works made of wood, wool, straw, and wicker, as well as jewelry made of metal, leather, decorative stones, and beads. Crafts for the soul compete with sweets, tea, and street fast food.