Handicrafts

Veliky Ustyug has always been a centre for handicrafts. Even in the heathen times it achieved renown of a town of skilled craftsmen. No account of the artistic development of the town would be complete without mentioning decorative, applied and fine arts.

Original and distinctive are the productions of Veliky Ustyug's folk artists. The local traditions of decorative and applied arts have their roots in the hoary past. Here, in the land covered with woods, all the diversity of handicraft products - domestic utensils, children's toys, plates and dishes - were made of wood. In their craft the masters put their high workmanship and practical wisdom. And their productions acquired the value of genuine art.

In the 18th-19th centuries Veliky Ustyug developed some handicrafts which cannot be compared to anything in the history of the European art.

Among the popular Veliky Ustyug specialities are the Northern niello, coloured enamels with gold and silver veneer, carving on birch bark, the original technique of "tinplate frosting", woodcuts, production of polychrone tiles and the art of wooden statuary.

The boost of decorative, fine and applied arts was in the 16th-18th centuries, when Veliky Ustyug became a large trade and industrial centre of the country thanks to its advantageous location at the intersection of water ways. The geographic location contributed to the flourishing of art and boost of handicraft productions.

Icon-painting

Historic and artistic development of Veliky Ustyug let the researchers draw the conclusion that icon-painting in Veliky Ustyug was influenced to a certain degree by the Rostov and Suzdal schools of painting. The extent of penetration of Moscow art into Veliky Ustyug in the first half of the 16th century can also be found in the icon-painting of the northern town. But craftsmen from Veliky Ustyug have nothing in common with the Novgorod school. Refinement of painting and beauty of colour are quite characteristic qualities. As far as colour range is concerned, it is rather delicate and pure-gold, green and olive-green.

Throughout the 17th century the painters of Veliky Ustyug preserved the beauty of the colour range which was typical of the local school of painting.

Of the earlier works of Veliky Ustyug's art to be found in the museum, the icon ANNUNCIATION FROM USTYUG is of great artistic interest. It was painted in the 12th century. The icon is characterized by expressiveness and simplicity. Now it is kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow) and is considered to be a monument of the international reputation.

The icon of the CATHEDRAL OF ARCHANGEL MIKHAIL was painted in the 13th century. The most sacred icon of the VIRGIN HODEGETRIA also dates back to the 13th century. Its history is encompassed with numerous legends. The icon of the Virgin Hodegetria was one of the most worshipped Russian Orthodox icons. It is one of very few icons believers consider capable of performing miracles.

Among the most popular subjects for icon-painting in Veliky Ustyug were "God's fools" Procopius and John. They were not depicted in other Russian cities. In the icons of the 16th-17th centuries Procopius and John were potrayed together. The icon of PROCOPIUS AND JOHN OF VELIKY USTYUG is of great interest. At present it is kept in the village of Kolomenskoye near Moscow.

About 25 painters from Veliky Ustyug achieved renown all over Russia. Vasily Kolmogorov and Fyodor Zubov are the most famous ones. Many painters participated in wall-painting of Moscow's cathedrals.

Children's toys

Children's toy is a variety of wooden sculpture that has its roots in the hoary past and has always been an integral part of life. Self-taught craftsmen made toys of improvised materials. The toys are very expressive and have the seal of folk humour and keeness of observation.

A typical toy from Veliky Ustyug is a big wooden horse. One of the toys is kept in the museum of local lore of Veliky Ustyug.

Carving on birch bark

The handicraft is characterized by simplicity of processing and abundance of cheap materials. Carving on birch bark was widely used to decorate different things - boxes, chests and caskets. In the 18th century the village of Kurovo-Navolok situated near Ustyug became a local centre for artistic processing of birch bark. I.Veprev, the most renowned artisan, was awarded ten medals and diplomas for his craft, a diploma of the World Paris Exhibition of 1900 among them.

Niello

Unique and charming are niello adornments produced in Veliky Ustyug. Unlike wood carving and decorative ceramics that were provided with local raw materials artistic processing of metal was based on imported raw materials from the northern part of the country and the area near the Urals. The florishing of this art dates from the 17th-18th centuries when the market of Veliky Ustyug was on the rise.

Later the town became a major centre for jeweller's art, namely production of niello adornments. When the handicraft was in its infancy I.Zhilin, M. Klimshin, A. Moshnin were considered to be the best jewellers.

In the 19th century the artisans from Veliky Ustyug mastered new methods typical of classicism. The shape of adornments became simpler, austere composition replaced intricate ornamental design. Architectural monuments, geographical maps, panoramas of cities appeared on the adornments. Over a hundred years the most favourite subjects of Veliky Ustyug's masters were views of the town from the Sukhona River.

By the middle of the 19th century the master M. Koshkov decorated niello adornments with vegetable ornaments. The master passed the craft on to his grandson Mikhail Chirkov who played a key role in further development of his handicraft. Over several decades he was the only artisan in the town who managed to preserve all the methods and unique technics so as to hand them on from generation to generation. Thanks to Mikhail Chirkov the northern niello is one of the most unique handicrafts which has gained the world fame. The adornments were displayed at the world exhibitions in Paris, Brussels, Montreal, New York and Osaka.

Many craftsmen from Veliky Ustyug achieved renown throughout the whole country. The watchmakers the Virichevs assembled and installed a striking clock on the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. The artisans producing locks, pots and buttons put their high workmanship in these simple domestic things and brought fame to Veliky Ustyug, a north - eastern town in the Vologda Oblast.