CAFTAN.

It is the cornerstone of the Russian wardrobe. Almost all other types of outerwear for men in Rus' were versions of the caftan. It was introduced into Russian fashion in the 10th century by the Varangians, who, in turn, spied it on the Persians. At first, only princes and boyars flaunted in it, but over time, the caftan penetrated the “toilets” of all other classes: from priests to peasants. For the nobility, caftans were sewn from light silk fabrics, brocade or satin, and fur trim was often made along the edges. Next to the edge, gold or silver lace was sewn along the floors, cuffs, and hem. The caftan was an extremely comfortable garment and hid the figure flaws of its wearer. He gave significance to plain people, solidity to thin people, grandeur to obese people.

FERYAZ.

This type of caftan was wide at the hem, up to three meters, with long sleeves hanging down to the ground. Thanks to the feryazi, the saying "work carelessly" was born. It was worn in both cold winters and hot summers. Summer feryazi were on a thin lining, and winter ones were on fur. This item of clothing was sewn from different fabrics - from brocade and velvet (wealthy people) to sermyaga and cotton fabrics (peasants). Rich people put the feryaz on other caftans, and the poor - directly on their shirts. The budget version of the feryazi was tied with cords, and its buttonholes were modest and did not exceed 3-5 in number. Exclusive caftans were decorated with seven expensive buttonholes with tassels, which could both be tied and fastened. Along the edge, the feryazi were sheathed with galloon or gold lace.

WARNING.

It is somewhat reminiscent of a feryaz, but the opashen is less solemn. As a rule, he served as a dust coat or summer coat. Opashen was sewn from cloth or wool without lining, without decorations, sometimes even without fasteners. Hem-length sleeves were sewn in at the back only. The entire front part of the armhole and sleeve hem was processed with piping or braid, thanks to which the fringe could be put on like a sleeveless jacket: the arms in the sleeves from the lower caftan were pushed through the slots, and the fringe sleeves remained hanging on the sides or tied back. In cold weather, they were drawn on hands, and part of the sleeve could hang, protecting the hand and fingers from the cold.

BEKESH.

"Casual" version of the caftan with a fitted short silhouette and fur trim. Sewn on fur or wadding with a fur or velvet collar. Russian boyars spied this caftan during the defense of Polotsk in 1579 from the soldiers of the Hungarian infantry, who fought on the side of the Poles. Actually the name of the caftan itself comes from the name of their Hungarian commander Kaspar Bekes. The Russian army lost Polotsk, but brought prisoners and "fashionable" Hungarians to Moscow. Measurements were taken from the caftans of the “tongues”, and another piece of clothing appeared in the Russian wardrobe.

ZIPUN.

Lightweight, minimalistic, homespun cloth version of the caftan. Zipun has no decorations and excesses in the form of a standing collar. But it is very functional: it does not restrict movement. Zipuns were worn mainly by peasants and Cossacks. The latter even called their Cossack trade - a campaign for zipuns. And robbers from the main road were called "zipunniks".

EPANCHA.

Epancha was created for bad weather. It was a sleeveless cloak with a wide turn-down collar. They sewed an epancha from cloth or felt and soaked it with drying oil. As a rule, these clothes were decorated with stripes in five places with two nests. Stripes - transverse stripes according to the number of buttons. Each patch had a loop for a button, so later the patches became known as buttonholes. Epancha was so popular in Rus' that it can even be seen on the coat of arms of Ryazan.

HEADDRESS.

It is impossible to imagine a Russian person of the 17th century who appeared on the street without a headdress. It was a monstrous violation of decorum. In pre-Petrine times, the central “head” attribute was a cap: a pointed or spherical shape with a slightly lagging band - a rim fitting the head. Noble people wore caps sewn from velvet, brocade or silk and upholstered in valuable fur. The common people were content with felted or felted hats, which they called “boots”. In hot weather or at home, the Russians wore the so-called "tafias", covering the tops of their hats, reminiscent of skullcaps. Noble citizens had tafyas embroidered with silk or gold threads and decorated with precious stones.

And about another extremely important accessory of the Russian wardrobe - the belt.
A fashionable accessory today - a belt - played a big role in the life and life of our ancestors. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as a kind of amulet that promotes well-being and good luck. The people believed in the powerful power of this garment.
Indecent absence
In the life and rituals of Russians, the belt has long been given great importance. Until now, our language stores the knowledge that we hastened to forget. For example, "to unbelt" means to lose the decency of behavior. A man without a belt was considered to be among the people, in society, extremely indecent. To ungird a man meant to dishonor him. By removing the belt, the grandson of Dmitry Donskoy, Prince Vasily Kosoy (mid-15th century), was offended at the feast. Because of this trick, even the war began.

Unbelted behind the treasure
According to Russian beliefs, it was “sinful” to walk without a belt. If a guy or a girl was going to hobnob with evil spirits, they took off their belt. This symbolized the familiarization with the other world. First of all, the catchers of the “fern flower” got rid of the stylish accessory on the night of Ivan Kupala.

wedding ceremonies
Until the middle of the 19th century, the ritual of reading belt patterns during the bride's bride's show was preserved in Rus'. A knowledgeable elderly woman showed the assembled bride's products and explained the meaning of each pattern.
But gradually the tradition dies off - intricate sewing turns into a banal decoration.
So much skill the performer invested in the creation of belts is not accidental. When the girl was ready to get married, she gave the chosen one a belt. And she could no longer change her decisions after that - the groom had proof in his hands. These are the marriage documents in the old days.
At the wedding itself, the bride and groom were tied with a belt, connecting them into one. Belts were given to musicians at the wedding, to the groom's relatives and guests. Sometimes the bride handed out more than a hundred belts on the day of the celebration.

Pocket for money and candy
Both men and women hung a lot of improvised items from their belts: knives in sheaths, keys, tools. Was not uncommon and waist bag for various little things, it was called "pocket". Sewing pockets directly onto clothing is a much later fashion. Since ancient times, the belt has been the keeper of the "kalita", that is, the wallet. The coachmen plugged the whip of a scourge or whip into their belt. For women, a pocket was attached to the belt, with keys to pantries and chests. There was also a bag of sweets for children - they called him "gourmet".

Sign of dignity
Belt belts have been the most important sign of male honor since ancient times - women never wore them. "Girdle" or "loin" was considered almost the main sign of military dignity. The men's leather belt was 1.5-2 cm wide, had a metal buckle and a tip, and sometimes it was completely covered with patterned plaques.
Belts made of wild aurochs leather were especially famous. They tried to get the material right on the hunt, when the beast had already received a mortal wound, but had not yet expired. These belts were rare, the mighty and fearless forest bulls were very dangerous. Hunting for a tour in the old days was equated to a duel with an armed enemy.

Oriental chic
The belt of our ancestors was a necessary part of men's clothing, and a kind of distinction. The peasants also wore this accessory, but the material and technique in which the “loin” was made depended on the condition, rank and position of the owner. With the expansion of trade relations, precious fabrics, porcelain, lacquer and bone products poured from the East, magnificent oriental belts began to appear. They were woven by hand from gold and silver threads. Half a meter wide belt and a length of up to 4.5 m made it possible to fold it in half, wrap it around the waist twice over the caftan and tie it just below the stomach, lowering the ends. This is how eminent gentry in Poland and boyars in Rus' wore belts.

Very interesting stuff Old Russian caftans of the "eastern" type
(fashion, origin, chronology) link

The belt in the traditional culture of the Belarusians was a significant and extremely multifunctional item. It was a necessary component of clothing, performed a variety of symbolic and ritual functions, and was also used in everyday life for various purposes.

In the traditional Belarusian costume, which on the whole was characterized by restraint and conciseness of decor, the belt was given great importance. I.A. Serbov in the ethnographic essay “Vichinsky Glades” (1928), dedicated to the material culture of the inhabitants of the southern part of the Luninets district of the Brest region, noted: “The belt, as we see, is a necessary accessory of any costume.

An attentive man without a belt will not cross the threshold of his hut and will not appear on the street, and women wear their andarak, skirt and apron on their belts. Needlewomen poke or weave belts from colored threads or draw different patterns on them - stripes, checks, stars, etc. The best woven belts are distinguished by their beauty and extraordinary density” 1.
In a traditional costume, the belt performed several functions at once: practical, symbolic, magical, apotropaic (protective), ethical, symbolic, aesthetic.

The practical significance of the belt is obvious - it supported and fixed clothes at the waist. The men belted the shirt they wore loose. Women tied a belt to a poneva, an andarak (in some places in Polesye, Ponemonya and Central Belarus, the belt was sewn to the andarak). Outerwear among Belarusians often did not have fasteners and the floors were kept closed only with the help of a belt, which was tied in several girths. On the belts they wore various accessories necessary in everyday life: women - keys, a comb, men - a knife, a pipe for smoking, a tobacco pouch, a kochadyg (a tool for weaving bast shoes), a small leather bag - a kalit, a sabbath, in which they kept money, flint , steel, tinder and other necessary little things. A sickle, an ax, mittens, etc. were plugged into the belt when they went to work.

No less important in the folk costume was the symbolic role of the belt, as well as the magical and apotropaic role closely associated with it. A belt tied around the human body was a circle, and a vicious circle, according to popular belief, blocked the path of evil spirits, protected from the evil eye and diseases. Hence the obligatory requirement to gird and the widespread use of the belt in rituals. In addition, wearing a belt was an ethical norm, especially for men. Leaving the house without girdling it was considered indecent: “appearing without a hat and barefoot will not surprise strangers like appearing without a belt” 2.

The belt also played the role of a kind of sign that distinguished a person in a social environment. Belts differed depending on gender, age, place of residence, etc. Like the entire complex of clothing as a whole, the belt and the way it was worn provided information about what area a person came from. In different regions of Belarus, the belt was tied in different ways - in front, behind, on the side (left or right) or in such a way that the ends went down along the legs from both sides. The method of tying often indicated marital status - after the wedding, it could change. So, for example, in the village of Voishtovichi, Volozhin district, Minsk region. guys before marriage and girls before marriage tied a belt on the left, and after the wedding - on the right 3.

In the village of Rogozno, Zhabinka district, Brest region. girls and single guys tied their belts on the left, married women - on the right, and married men - in the middle 4. Children and youth traditionally wore belts that were narrower and more modest in decor than adults. So, in the village of Krasny Bor, Berezinsky district, Minsk region. wide patterned belts were tied only by older men, while boys and teenagers wore narrow simple belts 5. In some places, married men wore wide bright belts, and young guys wore narrow belts of pale colors 6. The difference between male and female belts was that women were usually narrower.

In the aforementioned village of Rogozno, men and women tied a knot on their belt in different ways, which was called “mazol” here. “Babsky mazol” was tied in such a way that the short ends of the belt stuck out in different directions, “male mazol” was flat 4. In general, the peculiarities of using belts were due to local traditions and could differ significantly even in neighboring areas.

Among other things, the belt was an ornament, giving the costume complex completeness and integrity. Often it was the only decorative element - especially in men's clothing, which was restrained in color (white, gray, brown colors predominated) and not as richly ornamented as women's. The belt in this case became an accent, a bright color spot in the suit. I.A. Serbov, describing the clothes of Belarusians-Poleshuks, noted: “A belt among Poleshuks serves as the best decoration, therefore it is extremely diverse in its patterns and ends in magnificent kutas or fringe” 7.

The belts used in the folk costume on the territory of Belarus were mostly home-made - woven or woven. They were distinguished by great diversity: each region, and sometimes even a small area, was characterized by its own unique ways of decoration. The material used was wool and linen. The most characteristic thread color is red, but green, blue, white, yellow, purple, and black colors were also widely used in patterned belts. Solid and striped belts were common in the southern part of Belarus; products with a rhombo-geometric ornament existed almost throughout the entire territory. The ends of the belts were usually decorated with fringes or tassels of various shapes (“kitsits”).

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the belt as a necessary part of the costume has gradually begun to fall into disuse. In the women's suit, this happened earlier, since the skirts were fixed at the waist with strings and the practical need for a belt disappeared. Men (especially the elderly) kept the custom of girdling longer. But under the influence of urban fashion, by the middle of the 20th century, the shirt was worn tucked into trousers, and the belt was replaced with a purchased belt. Nevertheless, the role of the belt as a symbolic gift and ceremonial item was preserved for a long time.

The belt, which looked like a strip, a ribbon, symbolized the road, first of all, the path of life. In addition, just as the road connects different places, so the belt displayed a symbolic connection between various phenomena, objects and people. It was possible to tie things with a belt - not only literally, but also figuratively. The symbolism of the tied belt coincided with the symbolism of the circle - it guarded, protected from adverse effects. Accordingly, the belt also acquired the meaning of a border that separates one's own and others, good and evil, pure and impure. And an untied belt meant a break in the border or a transition through it.

The diverse symbolism of the belt determined the important role it played in all the rituals of the life cycle of the Belarusians.
In maternity rituals, the use of the belt was aimed at facilitating the process of childbirth. The woman in labor was unbelted 8; in case of difficult childbirth, a red belt was spread on the floor, through which she had to cross 9. This symbolic overcoming of the border between the worlds was supposed to help the baby to be born. The newborn was girded for the first time after baptism, which meant his separation from the other world and entry into the world of people. The first belt as a gift to the child was brought by the midwife, who took birth on 10, 11.

The belt was an important attribute of the wedding ceremony. A wedding is the creation of a family, the union of two people, as well as the family of the groom and the bride, so the belt as a magical connecting thing was widely used at different stages of the ceremony. In addition, in this case, he also symbolized vitality and fertility. The bride gave belts to the groom and the matchmaker on zapoina 12, which meant consent to marriage; the belt was placed on the handbrake on which the young people stood during the wedding 12, 13; the mother of the groom met the newlyweds with a pie and a belt 12. The special role of the belt was also emphasized in the wedding songs “They married Hannulka, they married, / They tied it with a silk belt; / And you can’t cut it with a knife, / You can’t tear it with your hands / So they have been centuries for centuries” 14.

Sometimes the significance of the belt in the wedding ceremony was additionally emphasized by special ornamentation: for example, in the Gantsevichi district of the Brest region, the pattern that was specially poked out on wedding belts was called “unbreakable hreshchyk” (an unbreakable cross) 15.
During matchmaking and weddings, belts were one of the obligatory gifts - both from the side of the bride to the groom and his family, and from the side of the groom - to the bride and her family. In addition, the bride gave belts to matchmakers, boyfriends, musicians and other participants in the ceremony. Here is a fragment of the description of a wedding in the Grodno district of the Grodno province: “... at the entrance to the bride’s hut, the floor is swept in front of her, for which she throws the belt; then someone lights a torch and the young woman throws another belt on it, she throws the third belt to the one who brought the scrambled eggs; the fourth is for the one who made the bed” 12.

Naturally, the Belarusians tried to prepare as many belts as possible for the wedding - “the young woman gives out about a hundred belts, so girls from 9-12 years old begin to weave them” 16. And now in Belarusian villages you can meet old women who, having remained unmarried, keep whole balls of belts prepared for the wedding.
After the wedding, the newlywed left the belts in those places from which she expected prosperity: so that there was a lot of bread, the belt was hung in the barn, cattle - in the barn, property - on chests. In the village of Novoselki, Baranovichi district, Brest region, the chest was tied with a belt with a special pattern “at the key” (in the key) 17. The young woman also left the belt on the stove, which was the center of the dwelling, on the log of the well; she tied a broom with a belt, with which she first swept a hut in her husband's house. In this case, the belt became a symbolic sacrifice to the spirits of the new place of residence. It should be noted that in Belarus there was also a custom to donate belts to a church or church 2.

The belt was also present in the funeral rite: in this case, its role was to establish a symbolic connection between the world of people and the afterlife. The belt was necessarily tied to the deceased; it was laid across the coffin 8, tied instead of reins to the horse that carried the coffin to the cemetery 12, 18.

The use of a belt as a magical thing was also present in a number of other customs and rituals: tying in pairs of any homogeneous objects on New Year's Eve so that all domestic animals were "steamed" 19, throwing a belt under the feet of cattle at the first pasture in the field, so that it would hold together and did not run away 20. In the Gomel district of the Mogilev province at the end of the 19th century. on St. George's Day, there was a custom to “snuggle” - the girls went into the forest or into the field, cooked scrambled eggs under a birch, at this time the girls chose a girlfriend for themselves for a whole year and exchanged belts and scarves with her, after which they said “We had a feast” 21 .

The belt was also used in divination and love magic. The process of girdling is often mentioned in conspiracies from illness and fear, for example, “the mother gave birth, girded the dawn, trampled all his enemies ...” 22.
In addition, in the traditional life of the Belarusians, the belt found the most diverse application.
Long woven and braided sashes were used as slings for babies. This tradition was preserved for a long time - for example, in the Berezinsky district of the Minsk region, swaddled children were tied with a belt back in the 1960s. 23.

Simple one-color (black, white, occasionally red) narrow belts woven on planks were used as bast shoes. In the village of Pershai, Volozhin district, Minsk region. at the beginning of the 20th century. weaved “braids” - short narrow belts that women tied around their heads, and girls wove into braids, tying a bow at the ends 3.
Narrow belts were used instead of a rope garter where necessary: ​​they were tied around jugs, tied to baskets, and cradles for babies were hung on them. Even at the beginning of the XXI century. old women in the Gantsevichi district of the Brest region. woven patterned belts were tied to linen “torbochkas” (handbags), with which they went for bread 24. In the Grodno region, carpets were made from patterned belts.

Belts were also used in folk games. For example, in the Goretsky district of the Mogilev region, there was a game called “Knockouts”: a guy took a belt, approached a girl he liked, and hit her with a belt, after which they went for a walk together 25. In the Berezinsky district of the Minsk region, during the game, the guy gave the end of the belt to the girl, and she wrapped it around herself 26. In addition, the belt was used as a rope through which they jumped.
At present, patterned belts made using traditional weaving and weaving techniques are widely used in stage and ceremonial costumes. Their manufacture continues to be carried out by folk craftsmen, art craft enterprises, and lovers of traditional culture. The belt is one of the most popular modern Belarusian souvenirs.

Illustrations

In the picture at the beginning of the article - Maria Nikolaevna Staselovich, born in 1927, from the village of Sakovshchina, Volozhin district, Minsk region, teaches the art of weaving traditional belts. 2007 Photo by the author - P.A. Bogdan.
Traditional Belarusian belts. From the collection of the Museum of Ancient Belarusian Culture (MDK) GNU Institute of Art History, Ethnography and Folklore. K.Krapiva NAS of Belarus. Photo of the author. Residents of the village of Zburazh, Malorita district, Brest region, in traditional costumes. 1998 Photo by M.N. Vinnikova.
A resident of the village of Zburazh, Malorita district, Brest region. in traditional costume. 1998 Photo by M.N. Vinnikova.
A girl in a traditional costume of the Kalinkovichi district of the Gomel region From the collection of the MDK. Photo by M.N. Vinnikova.
A man in a traditional costume of the Berezinsky district of the Minsk region. Photo of the author.
Girls in traditional costumes of the Shklovsky district of the Mogilev region. From the MDK collection. Photo by M.N. Vinnikova.
Andarak with a belt sewn to it. Early 20th century village of Yakshitsy, Berezinsky district, Minsk region. From the MDK collection. Photo of the author.
Belts. Weaving on boards. Berezinsky district of the Minsk region. 1930s Photo of the author.
Belts. Weaving on boards. Berezinsky district of the Minsk region. Mid 20th century Photo of the author.
Belt. Weaving on the wall (sprang technique). 1930s Stolin district of the Brest region. From the MDK collection. Photo by N.P. Melnikov.
Belt. Weaving on the wall (sprang technique). Late XIX - early XX century. Western Polissya. From the MDK collection. Photo by N.P. Melnikov.
Belt. Diagonal weaving. Early 20th century Luninets district of the Brest region. From the MDK collection. Photo by N.P. Melnikov.
Belt. Broken weaving on a thread. Early 20th century Grodno district of the Grodno region. From the MDK collection. Photo by the author.
Belt. Broken weaving on a thread. Early 20th century Klimovichi district of the Mogilev region. Photo of the author.
Belt. Broken weaving on a thread. 1930s Svetlogorsk district of the Gomel region. From the MDK collection. Photo by N.P. Melnikov.
Belts woven for the wedding. Volozhinsky district of the Minsk region. 2004. Photo from the archive of the Student Ethnographic Society (Minsk).
Spoons tied with a belt. Exposition of the Museum of Ethnography (Mogilev). 2007 Photo by the author.
Belts tied as handles to linen bags (“bags”), the village of Lyusino, Gantsevichi district, Brest region, 2004. Photo by the author.
Residents of the village of Lelikovo, Kobrin district, Brest region. in stage costumes at the folklore festival Voices of Polissya. 2007 Photo by M.N. Vinnikova.
Weaving a belt on a thread. The weaving festival of Matchyna Krosna in Starye Dorogi, Minsk Region, 2008. Photo by the author.
Weaving a belt on a thread. 2007 Photo by the author.
Modern woven Belarusian belts. 2009 Photo by the author.

Journal version of the report at the XV International Scientific and Practical Conference "Fashion and Design: Historical Experience - New Technologies" (June 27-30, 2012, St. Petersburg).

NOTES
Used sources

1 Serbaў I.A. Vіchynskіya palyane: material culture: ethnagraphic narys of Belarusian Paless. - Minsk: Belar. cultural fund, 2005. - p. 47

2 Nikiforovsky N.Ya. Essays on the common people's life in Vitebsk Belarus and a description of household items. - Vitebsk: Gubernskaya type., 1895. - S. 107, 108

3 Field materials M.N. Vinnikova. Volozhinsky district, Minsk region 1993

4 Bogdan P.A. Belt in the traditional costume of the Belarusian Polissya // Fashion and design: historical experience - new technologies: materials of the 10th Intern. scientific Conf., St. Petersburg, June 26-28, 2007 / St. Petersburg. state University of Technology and Design, Ros. ethnographical museum; under. ed. N.M. Kalashnikova. - St. Petersburg, 2007. - S. 141.

6 Krachkovsky Yu.F. Life of a Western Russian peasant. - M .: Edition of the imperial. Islands of Russian history and antiquities at Moscow University, 1874. - C. 189.

7 Serbov I.A. Signs of communal life in Polissya: Poleshuks // Sat. departments of Russian language and literature Imperial. Acad. Sciences / Imperial. Acad. Sciences. - Petrograd, 1915. - T. XCIV, No. 1. - P.5.

8 Romanov E.R. Life of a Belarusian // Belarusian collection. - Vilna, 1912. - Issue. VIII. - S. 323, 531

9 Chubinsky P.P. Materials and research: vol. 4: rituals: homelands, christenings, weddings, funerals // Proceedings of an ethnographic and statistical expedition to the Western Russian Territory, equipped with the Imperial. Russian geogr. Island: Southwestern Department / Imper. Rus. Geogr. Oh. - St. Petersburg, 1877. - S. 4.

10 Belarusian folk adzen / L.A. Malchanava [i insh.]; pad red. VC. Bandarchyk. - Minsk: Science and technology, 1975. - S. 53.

11 Peshina T. Mayo Spyaryzhzha // Mastatstva. - 1997. - No. 6. - S. 72.

12 Shane P.V. Materials for studying the life and language of the Russian population of the North-Western Territory: vol. I, part II: household and family life of a Belarusian in rituals and songs // Sat. departments of Russian language and literature Imperial. acad. Sciences / Imperial. acad. Sciences. - St. Petersburg, 1890. - T. LI, No. 3. - S. 233, 261, 363-364, 383, 515, 521.

13 Bobrovsky P. Materials for the geography and statistics of Russia, collected by officers of the General Staff: Grodno province. - St. Petersburg: Type. Department of the General Staff, 1863. - Part I. - S. 830.

14 Experience in describing the Mogilev province in historical, physical-geographical, ethnographic, industrial, agricultural, forestry, educational, medical and statistical terms: in 3 books. / under. ed. A.S. Dembovetsky. - Mogilev: Type. Provincial government, 1882-1884. - Prince. 1. - S. 567.

15 Recorded by Mukha M.I., director of the Gantsevichi House of Crafts.

16 Tyszkiewicz E.H. Description Powiatu Borysowskiego pod względem statystycznym, geognostycznym, historycznym, gospodarczym, przemysłowo-handlowym i lekarskim: z dodaniem wiadomości: o obyczajach, spiewach, przysłowiach i ubiorach ludu, gusłach - Wilno: Druk. Ant. Marcinowskiego, 1847. - S. 362.

17 Field materials M.N. Vinnikova. Baranovichi district, Brest region 1992

18 Shane P.V. Belarusian folk songs with rituals, customs and superstitions related to them, with an explanatory dictionary and grammatical notes. - St. Petersburg: Imper. Russian geogr. o-vo, 1874. - S. 373.

19 Nikiforovsky N.Ya. Folk signs and beliefs, superstitious rites and customs, legendary tales of persons and places. - Vitebsk: Provincial type-lithography., 1897. - S. 230.

20 Materials on the ethnography of the Grodno province: no. 1 / under. ed. E. Romanova. - Vilna: Publication of the Office of the Vilna educational district, 1911. - S. 77.

21 Sokolova V.K. Spring-summer calendar rites of Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians: XIX - early XX century. - M.: Nauka, 1979. - S. 177.

22 Zamovs / National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Institute of Arts, Ethnagraphy and Folklore; way of life G.A. Bartashevich; redkal.: A.S. Fyadosik (gal. ed.) [і інш.]. - Minsk: Belarus. Navuka, 2000. - S. 284.

23 Bogdan P.A. Byarezinsky payasy // Byarezinsky system: metad. dapamozhnіk rural club workers / Metad. Barezin's office. district. Houses of culture, Addzel traditional culture. - Berazino, 2008. - S. 11.

25 Chandakova Z.U. Regional and local assemblies of the traditional kastsyum Magilёshchyny: Goratsky district // Traditional national kastsyum Magilёshchyny: history and modernity: materials abl. navuk.-pract. canf., Magilёў, 27-28 listapada 2008 / Department of Culture of Magilёўsk ablvykankam, UK “Magilevskі abl. metad. Center of People's Creativity and Cult of Light Work”; redkal.: A.F. Khmyalkov [i insh.]. - Magilёў, 2008. - S. 150.

26 Recorded by Sinilo A.N., a teacher at a secondary school in the village of Bogushevichi, Berezinsky district, Minsk region.

Now, among the many cute crafts of the so-called "hand-made", it is difficult to find something outstanding in terms of its artistic value and authenticity. Such a rarity cannot be made simply “from the head”, without traditions passed down from century to century. Striking in their magical beauty

How long does the Slavic belt weave?

Do you know how long it takes to weave such a Russian folk belt on a reed? 6 minutes per centimeter. A little? And twenty-one hours for one belt is already solid?Three days of continuous workrequiring inspiration, subtle finger movements and intense attentiveness.Mistakes are not allowed. As a result, we get the opportunity to gird our waist with such a delightful handmade woven belt - and wonder if it is worth such an effort? And that kind of money?

Everything is very simple. You yourself can appreciate how important it is for you to have a thing that has absorbed all the wisdom of the ages. Judge for yourself.

This Slavic belt is made using the technique of ancient warp weaving. Do you know this?

Scolding - not because - that such a complex weaving that it remains only to scold. The name comes from the word "take" - when creating a pattern, the warp threads "sneak" with the help of a plank - a pickle. The threads remaining above the board remain visible, and those below are covered with colored ones.

Branoe weavingone of the oldest techniques for ornamenting fabrics, decorative design of household and ritual items made of fabric. The name comes from the way the pattern is created (the words " take "), when the warp threads "sneak" with the help ofspecial board - bralnitsy. Those threads that remain above the plank remain white in the pattern, and those threads that remain at the bottom of the pickle will be woven with weft threads of a different color. So, when combining threads of different colors, northern brane patterns are obtained. Nowimagine that there are 40 main threads on the machine along the width of one beltand be amazed that each row of transverse colored threads is threaded in a certain order through many warp threads. In one centimeter of the belt there are at least twelve longitudinal rows.

And now it’s easy to imagine all this unimaginable work - one longitudinal row, when the pattern is pulled through 40 threads that lie amazingly close to each other, each row is lined with a shuttle, and this is done by an experienced craftsman in just 30 seconds. So three days of continuous work is only for an experienced master.

And yet it's so beautiful, so ornamental, juicy and amazing that they did not spare any work before. Marble patterns decorated not only clothes, but also towels with tablecloths. For a long time, along the banks of the Pinega, craftswomen wove red patterns on white.earth» (background). Keeps our memory namesAnna Ivanovna Cheremnaya, Maria Alekseevna Shchegolikhina, Anastasia Ivanovna Belyaevathat the hereditary techniques of northern magical patterned weaving were able to pass on to the current generation.

Worthy admiration is the two-day branaya technique, when the master works not with one duck, but with two. It's just that your head is spinning when you look at the fantastic dexterity and infallibility of the master's movements. Attention, patience and perseverance, however, allows you to perform the most complex patterns.

And now, this miracle can be held in quivering hands - dense, strong, and flexible at the same time, sparkling with tints of colors, like the northern lights, warm from the energy of kind human hands,Slavic belt. It practically does not stretch, retaining its shape, and soft woolen threads of fringe at the ends of this work of the master turn out to be such a pleasant contrast to the touch.

Another way to make a Slavic belt is berdo

"Berdo" - a thin board with a width slightly larger than the palm of your hand. The longer the berdechka, the wider the future belt. Thin narrow cuts parallel to each other were made across the berdechka. Holes were drilled in each partition. The odd thread was passed into the cut of the beard, the even thread into the hole. The buttock was alternately raised or lowered, and each time a weft thread was passed into the formed pharynx and knocked out with a shuttle. This process was repeated many timesand as a result, a woven belt was formed.

And every time there were magic patterns on the Slavic belt

You can talk endlessly about northern ancient patterns. Let's take a closer look at the woven belts. Here is the famous "Russian cross", a combination of masculine and feminine principles. Here is the “field” sign, a symbol of prosperity, prosperity, family strength, combined with the image of the “world mountain” and “gods”, and here is the “swastika”, traditional for the North, a symbol of the eternal movement of life.

And here is a purely male belt with the signs of a lizard-dragon, the lord of the infernal world, the guardian of the abyss. Located on this belt, it protects the owner's physical sphere from "transition to another world", from untimely death and is adjacent to the image" world tree ”, in the form of a “triangle with branches”, which brings power and strength to the pattern, connecting three worlds in the image of the World Tree: Nav, Yav and Rule.

Anyone can get such a woven belt made by the masters of the Northern Tale

But not everyone is a connoisseur of beauty, and not everyone will see in Slavic beltwisdom of the past. Well, only real Russian heirs of traditions will appreciate the warmth laid by the hands of a northern master in these wonderful belts, they will appreciatedurability and color fastness of woolen threadsused in the manufacture. And, who knows, perhaps it was just such a belt that the hero of the northern fairy tale, the guy Look, was worried about when he met Veles,God of Wisdom and Magic? Didn't these protective belts with Slavic patterns help people in ancient, already fabulous times, to build their lives in harmony with this world?

Such a Russian national belt will remain in your family for a long time!

This belt will outlive all wardrobe cleanings, all the clothes you wear today,no hand would dare to throw away this work of art. Even children who will ever inherit this woven belt will consider it an integral part of your tribal way of life. An indelible impression of its true beauty will remain every timehe will be a proud symbol to encircle the camp. This belt will keep its colors, its warmth and your wise love for your Family for many years.

Consider buying thisSlavic belt right now. This is easy to do by allowing yourself to hit the "buy" button. Moreover, now the delivery of such a belt will be free for you. Those handmade belts that you see in our shop are a limited offer, which is explained very simply. There are just very few such woven belts. Not only with us. And in principle, in this white world. It is truth.

Read our next article "Clothes of the Slavs and modern style" by clicking on.

Read even more interestingabout Slavic clothes .

find out what were the amulets in the old days And How .

Now, among the many cute crafts of the so-called "hand-made", it is difficult to find something outstanding in terms of its artistic value and authenticity. Such a rarity cannot be made simply “from the head”, without traditions passed down from century to century. Striking in their magical beauty - a stunning example of traditional folk art.">

Belt in Russian folk costume

Among the various types of applied art in our country, the manufacture of belts occupies one of the most important places.

Such products differed in the value of the material, in the art of its processing and in the artistry of execution. This art has been constantly improved in the subtleties of workmanship, in the beauty of coloring and decoration. Belts that came out of the hands of a skilled craftsman often reached a truly artistic level.

The belt is an integral part of Russian folk clothing, both male and female. The practical purpose of the belt is to hold clothing on the camp. They girdled shirts, strengthened hip clothes, girded swing outerwear, sometimes without fasteners.

The material, size and purpose of the belt made it possible for the master to reveal his artistic abilities. Each belt can be seen as an example of the craftsmanship of its time.

The existing numerous variety of types of peasant belts and their terminology is a clear evidence of people's memory and cultural contacts with neighboring ethnic groups.

An apron or apron is a narrow belt for an undershirt. Sash - a wide belt for girdling outerwear, made of fabric or woolen or semi-woolen yarn, its length reached three meters. Sashes were made on crosses or with the help of a reed; the surface could be either smooth or with a relief pattern. The sash was wrapped around twice, starting from the front. Women tied a sash only on the left side (application), and men - on any side. Often the sash was not tied, but the ends were tucked under it (Appendix). Pokromka or hem, hem - a braided, woven or felted narrow belt up to three meters long made of woolen threads for girdling a sundress and skirt. The belt was either immediately tied in front (appendix), or first wrapped around the waist, starting from the stomach, twice. Belt or girdle, girdle, girdle, girdle, girdle, girdle, girdle, girdle - a wide woven braid, sometimes with a fringe at the ends, for girdling outerwear. The width of the belts ranged from 5 to 20 cm, and the length - from 1 to 3 meters, and women's belts were usually longer than men's (up to 5 m) and often wrapped around the figure several times (Appendix). Belt - a cord or braid of various types, sometimes with tassels, for bandaging on a men's shirt or women's sundress (application). Stolbunets - a wide woven belt with transverse stripes (application). Vest (or mesh) - a baptismal belt 1-3 cm wide, worn on a naked body. Cheres or cheresel, loincloth, loincloth (from the word "cheresla", that is, "lower back") - the same as a belt, as well as a long pouch with an intestine in which they carry money, girded under clothing. In different regions of Russia, such terms as gulunets, nominal, krai, kraika, pleteshok, podzhivotnik, verbal, pole, sukonnik were also used to designate belts.

A great variety is noted in the technique of making belts of yarn and threads. According to the manufacturing technique, they were divided into wicker, woven and knitted. Woven belts included twitched, woven on a fork, woven along the wall and others.

Pulling the belts was known in the southern part of the Kaluga province (local form), it consisted in a kind of weaving on five fingers with the participation of two workers - one twisted the warp loops through the fingers, and the other twisted it with her hand, pulling the loops like ducks (application). dividing the warp threads into two groups - even and odd - and pulling the extreme threads like a duck to the middle (appendix). Weaving after the wall did not consist in interlacing the warp threads located between two pegs on the wall (appendix); it is known in the southwestern provinces (Kaluga, Oryol, Kursk).

Weaving with the help of a bottle gave round (in cross section) belts. Hanks of a multi-colored garus descended into a bottle, weaving was carried out with the help of pins stuck in a cork (appendix).

Woven belts (except for those that were woven on the mill) were made using planks, nanite, and a pickle.

The fabric on the boards was made using square boards with four holes, from the rotation of which 1/4 of the base was replaced each time (appendix). The width of the belt was determined by the number of wooden planks with holes in the corners through which the woolen warp threads were threaded. A weft thread was threaded into the shed formed by the warp threads, then all the planks were turned 90 degrees, and the process was repeated. In Russia, this method has been known since the late Neolithic; at the end of the 19th century, it was common among all Russians.

Fabric enanity consisted in tying odd warp threads with the help of thread loops, pulling and lowering which formed a pharynx; the method was known to all Russians (application). Probably, this method of weaving was the prototype of weaving on a horizontal loom. Before the advent of the reed and steps, it could have existed for a long time as a loom for making fabrics.

The fabric on the reed was carried out with the help of a reed with holes on the canes and wide holes between the reeds (appendix). The even warp threads were passed through the holes in the reeds, and the odd ones between the holes in the reeds. Raising and lowering the reed contributed to the formation of a pharynx. Weaving on a berdechka was known among the population of the northwestern and partially central provinces.

The weaving of wide belts and sashes on a horizontal loom was no different from the usual manufacture of fabrics. Only the loom for weaving the belt was sometimes made smaller. The belt pattern often consisted of longitudinal stripes. It should be noted a peculiar ornament, which was found in the Kursk region. The “arrow” pattern was obtained by dyeing the thread in different colors in parts; the base was tied with knots and each part of it, enclosed between them, was painted separately. This technique was also known in Central Asia.

Knitted belts were knitted like a stocking on five needles: they were known as a local form in the Oryol province. Since in finished form they were close to belts made by weaving on the wall, it can be assumed that the knitting of belts was a simplified type of ancient, very complex weaving on the wall.

The forms of belts changed from province to province, but there were only two ways of girdling in men's and women's costumes, as in ancient times:

· the belt tightly embraced the waist, and its ends were hidden behind the belt, so that it became invisible - typical for Russian settlements in Transbaikalia (appendix);

The belt was put on display and therefore the ends of the belt, hanging down, were richly decorated - indicative of a number of provinces of European Russia (appendix).

In different territories of the region, the ways of wearing belts by men and women differed: “Belts were worn by men and women. But women have brushes on the left, men in front” (Irbitsky district), “The men tied the food back, and the women tied the brushes in front” (Kamensky district).

Simple belts were usually woven from homemade sheep's wool dyed with vegetable dyes. Belts for a summer suit were usually not very long and rather narrow, about 20 mm wide. Belts for outerwear were made wide: “Girdles with a palm width, with a tassel. The ends were plugged, hanging with a tassel”, “The girdle was big, large, that’s some width and length, maybe two meters. Wrapped around more than once, enchanted, tassels dangling. Wide for work. And the belt was graceful, thin, with a finger.

Festive belts are usually made of fine purchased wool of high quality - garusa, their width is usually more than 4 cm: “They wove themselves from garusu. It's so wide, this hem (about eight centimeters). They did everything: they did it with stripes. She wove in crosses. If you have atlases, then you will make all sorts of atlases across. And when you scurry, if you do it, it will be like that in a stripe. The most elegant, bright and smooth belts were made of silk: “Girdles were not bought before. And there were such twisted silk ones. The threads are so thin. There were tassels on both ends. All sorts: blue, and red, and burgundy.

The belt is a bright decorative element of the costume, so the color scheme of the belts was quite diverse. Coloring is the most elementary concrete-sensual sign of everyday, festive, mourning clothes. Coloristics also performed the functions of a stable ethnic, ethno-local, gender and age characteristics and was determined both by the natural color of raw materials, and by the peculiarities of a person’s aesthetic perception of each color, the psychology of this people, and emotional associations associated with traditional life ideas.

Color is a special way of expressing human feelings. He was given great importance in folk costume as a means of greatest expressiveness. It is known that the emotional and psychological impact of color on a person manifests itself in various effects on the senses (exciting, calming, depressing). A person perceives colors as warm and cold, joyful and sad, voluminous and flat, light and heavy.

The age affiliation of clothes was expressed through the color scheme: for children - delicate, light pastel colors; for teenagers bright, contrasting; for adults - complex color combinations from bright to pastel; for the elderly, the elderly - a calm, often dark color scheme.

The color scheme also indicated the place of residence of a person: black embroidery, black color of girl's sundresses - Voronezh province, blazing red tones of costumes - Ryazan, splendor sparkling and iridescent with all colors of the rainbow - unique Ust-Tsilma.

Color was also an important organizing principle of the entire composition of the folk costume, as it revealed a peculiar hierarchy of elements, highlighting its main parts, emphasizing the tiered articulation of the form.

The traditional color for belts was red - the color of fire, blood, the sun, symbolizing vitality, longevity, fertility and power. Red means beautiful, festive. The words "red sun", "spring - red", "red girl" and others expressed ideas about the highest beauty. In traditional costumes in Rus', up to 33 shades of this color were used, each with its own name. Among them are scarlet and bloody, meat, worm, or scarlet, red, crimson, crimson, black (sparkling red), red-brick, crimson other . The red color among Russians, like many other peoples, was used as a common remedy against the evil eye. Different shades and intensity of red create a very subtle harmony. Black color was used, as a rule, to enrich and enhance the sound of the main tones, but in some cases it is the leading one. The black color was a symbol of the earth, peace and constancy, detachment, sorrow and mourning, the white color was a symbol of purity, mercy and sadness. As the methods of making woven strips improve, patterned belts become widespread.

The researchers note that in the second half of the 19th century there was a change in the color system associated with the spread of chemical alizarin dyes. “It was,” writes T. M. Razina, “a very significant moment in art: the calm, deep, restrained tones of natural dyes were replaced by bright, sonorous, ringing, piercing tones; in the art of textiles of the second half of the 19th century, there was a creative development of a new The people saw new possibilities for artistic solutions, learned to achieve the integrity of color and boldly used the expanded and sonorous palette in fabrics and embroidered products, and one cannot reproach the excellent works of this time with excessive variegation or loudness ".

The most visible part of the belt is its ends, to which special attention was paid during the development. The decoration of the ends usually consists of rhythmically alternating individual flowers, bouquets or wreaths (from three to seven). Less common are rosettes and figures. The pattern is usually herbal. A mark was often placed in the corner of the border of the end of the belt. The mark sometimes had a cult meaning. The ends of the belts are decorated with tassels and pompons - "kitits", "kutas" made of multi-colored garus wool, beads, sequins, pearls, glass beads, silver or gold thread (appendix). In the South Great Russian complex, mahrs (or bows, or backs, or undermocks) were attached to the belt (appendix). They were paired or single. They were made of fabric and ribbons and decorated with embroidery, sequins, and sometimes buttons. Mahrs were worn at the waist at the back or on the sides. Belts and girdles “with words”, that is, with the words of a prayer or a proverb woven along the belt strip, as well as with words of dedication on gift belts, are becoming widespread. Sometimes the name of the owner of the belt or belt was indicated, and even the name of the craftswoman. Belts with prayers were woven mainly in monasteries. Semi-literate, and most often completely illiterate, peasant women made many touching mistakes in the inscriptions. It happened that they simply typed letters without any meaning and even turned them over (application).

Very often the belts were decorated with embroidery. Embroidery of folk clothes is distinguished by a wide variety of techniques and methods. For embroidery, special threads with a special twist were used. They were made from linen and wool fibers and dyed with natural dyes. The old techniques of Russian embroidery include: counted stitch, set (imitation of weaving), colored interlacing (interlacing the mesh with colored threads), double-sided cross, white stitching on the "pulled" mesh, tambour embroidery, and by the beginning of the 20th century, urban embroidery had penetrated all corners of Russia. black and red cross-stitch on canvas.

Embroidery on peasant clothes not only adorned them and delighted those around them with the charm of patterns, but also had to protect the one who wore these clothes from trouble, from an evil person. Individual elements of embroidery had a symbolic meaning. A woman embroidered Christmas trees - it means that she wishes a person a prosperous and happy life, because spruce is a tree of life and goodness. Human life is constantly connected with water. Therefore, water must be treated with respect. You need to be friends with her. And the woman embroiders wavy lines on clothes, arranging them in a strictly established order, as if calling on the water element to never bring misfortune to a loved one, to help him and take care of him.

Thus, the manufacture of belts is one of the types of applied art in our country and occupies one of the most important places. This art was constantly improved in the subtlety of workmanship, in the beauty of coloring and decoration. The material, size and purpose of the belt made it possible for the master to reveal his artistic abilities. Each belt can be seen as an example of the craftsmanship of its time. The production of belts from woolen, linen, hemp threads and bast was mainly done by the peasants themselves. In the 19th century, wealthy peasants had purchased belts of urban crafts or factory production. Simple belts were usually woven from home-made sheep's wool dyed with vegetable dyes. Festive belts were made from fine purchased high quality wool - garusa. Also, the belt is a bright decorative element of the costume, so the color scheme of the belts was quite diverse. The traditional color for belts was red - the color of fire, blood, the sun, symbolizing vitality, longevity, fertility and power. The most visible part of the belt is its ends, sometimes they are decorated with tassels and pompoms - "kitits", "kutas" made of multi-colored garus wool , beads, sequins, pearls, glass beads, silver or gold thread. Most often, belts were decorated with embroidery, which was distinguished by a wide variety of techniques and methods. The old techniques of Russian embroidery include: counted stitch, set (imitation of weaving), colored interweaving (interlacing the mesh with colored threads), double-sided cross, white stitching on the "pulled out" mesh, tambour embroidery.

In the life of a Belarusian from ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century, the belt was a necessary detailcostume, both everyday and festive. It was considered indecent to appearon people without a belt. Because, according to popular belief, a man without a belt was easily accessible tounclean power. From here came the expression - unbelt. Also, the belt carried a deepsymbolism, which was reflected in the participation of the belt in many rituals. He was endowed with magicalproperties, attributed to it the functions of a talisman and decorated with special symbols. Beltclosed the symbolic circle, so everything that should have been one whole was tiedbelt, for example, newlyweds. In the pre-wedding season, the girls wove belts in order to bestowall the groom's relatives at the wedding.

The width and length of the woven belt was determined by many factors, depending on whoit was intended - for a man or for a woman, for a girl or for a boy, forfestive clothes or everyday or ritual. Men wore belts high underchest, on the belt or below the belt, and women - on the waist.

In modern life, the belt plays the role of decoration for the most part. However, the oldbelt making techniques provide great opportunities for creativity and self-expression.Woven belt can be a great accessory for modern clothes.

According to the manufacturing technology, weaving belts is divided into 3 types:

on boards, thread and on the loom.

Weaving belts on boards.

Our ancestors used mainly woolen and linen threads when weaving belts. ATmodern conditions, you can also use these materials, as well as cottonthreads and threads made of synthetic fibers, which allows you to make belts bright, unusual.

Also for work you will need planks - fig. 1, a wooden knife for nailing a duck (Fig.2), shuttle for weft thread (Fig. 3), 2 safety pins for fastening planks.

Planks are 60x60 mm plates made of wood, metal orplastics. In each corner of the board there is a hole with a diameter of up to 5 mm.

The edges of the boards and the edges of the holes must be sanded, otherwise during the processweaving threads will quickly fray and tear. The corners of the boards are also necessaryround and grind for the same reason.

Planks can be from 4 to 30 or more, depending on the required width of the belt anddrawing complexity.

Weaving belts on planks was typical not only for Belarusians, but also for manyother peoples of Western Europe, Ancient Egypt, where boards withthree and six holes (Fig. 4).

At home, planks can be cut out of thin plastic or thick cardboard, andmake holes with a hole punch.

Shuttles for weft thread can also be made independently from plastic, densecardboard, plastic ruler or tin, as well as to adapt a special fishing"reeler" (Fig. 5). The most convenient length of the shuttle is 15-20 cm.wind the weft thread - this can be either the thread used for the warp, selected inedge color, or thinner (linen or synthetic).

The manufacture of belts on boards combines elements of vitya (boards in the processworks turn, forming flagella from threads) and weaving (flagellums are fixedweft thread). Each turn forms a pattern on the surface of the belt (Fig. 6).

The process of manufacturing woven belts consists of several stages:

1. Drawing up a filling scheme.
2. Calculation of the length of threads for warping.
3. Warping.

5. Weaving.
6. Making the ends of the belt.

It is best to master the technique of weaving on boards in the manufacture of a narrow, withsimple belt pattern. At the same time, the variety of patterns depends on the color combination.warp threads, from the threading direction (top or bottom) and from the direction of rotation boards.

1. Drawing up a filling scheme for the belt.

The belt diagram is as follows (Fig. 7), where A, B, C, D representholes in the tablet itself (signed clockwise), and the numbers representboard serial number.

2. Calculation of the length of the warp threads.

The length of the warp threads is calculated using the following formula:
length of the finished product + 15-20% for working out + 30-40 cm at the ends of the belt.
For example, it is necessary to weave a belt 2 meters long. Accordingly, threads are needed2.8 meters long each: 2 meters (product length) + 40 cm (20% of the finished belt length) +40 cm (the ends of the belt).

3. Warping

Warping or warping is the process of preparing the warp threads: their orderly arrangementin the quantity necessary for the manufacture of a certain width of the product. Number of threadseach color is counted according to the scheme. In this case (as shown in Fig. 7) it will be 6 threadsred and 18 white.

The photo shows the process of warping with the help of a special device, which is quitecan replace household improvised means.

After the threads are measured or laid, they are removed from the fixture and cut.Since the threads are long, for convenience in further work, they must be braided in a chain, aswhen crocheting (Fig. 8). At the same time, they can get mixed up, but after the processrefills in the boards of the thread will each fall into its place.

Having prepared the required number of boards, lay them out on the table in a row. Putbraid in front of you on the table and thread the ends of the threads into the holes of the planks according to the scheme.The arrows on the threading diagram show the direction of threading the boards: slopeto the right means that the threads are threaded into the hole from above, from the front side of the board (Fig.9.1), tilt to the left means that the threads are threaded from below, from the wrong side of the board (Fig.9.2). Accordingly, in the finished product, thread flagella will be stacked according togiven direction to form a pattern.

So, according to our scheme, all the boards will be threaded as follows (Fig. 10). When all the threads are threaded, carefully fold the boards one on one without turning over, andfasten with two pins (Fig. 11).

Then it is necessary to unravel the braid: the end of the warp, from which refueling was carried out,must be tied and secured to an immovable object. And, gradually unraveling the threads,move the planks forward. You can help yourself with a comb with rare teeth. SoThus, all the threads are each in its place. After that, stretch the planks into thatthe end from which refueling began.

5. Weaving

Attach one end of the warp to a fixed object, pull the threads and fasten

2nd the end on a high-backed chair on which weaving is done while sitting.

When the threads are fixed and taut, the planks become vertical and the threadsare divided into two layers, forming a pharynx.

Remove the pins, use the shuttle between the warp threads to lay the weft thread (Fig. 12) androtate all planks simultaneously by 90°, so that holes A take the positionholes B. In this case, part of the threads from the lower throat will go to the upper one, and from the upper one - tolower. A new pharynx will be obtained (Fig. 13). Lay the ducks again, turn the planks 90 ° inthe same side and nail the weft thread.

Perform a full turn of the boards around its axis (Fig. 14) - this forms a rapportdrawing. To repeat the pattern, perform the following 4 turns with laying the weftthreads between warp threads.

In the process of weaving, the warp threads of one plank, located behind it, are twistedeach other in flagella. This happens when the boards are rotated only inone direction. To eliminate twisting of the plank, fasten with pins, faruntie the end of the warp and untangle the flagella. Then continue weaving in the same order.You can unwind the flagella in another way: by turning the plates in the opposite directiondirection the same number of times. But at the same time, the direction of the rapport of the pattern will change.

At the time when work with the belt stops, fasten the planks with pins so that the threadsthe basics are not mixed up with each other. When the belt is ready, you need to fasten the weft threadand finish the ends.

Below are the filling schemes for weaving Belarusian belts. But there are alsovarious European weaving techniques. In them, the turns of the planks in one throatare carried out in different directions, due to which more complexornamental drawings.

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