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Sholokhov Museum will Show the Art of Kazan Tatars

An exhibition “Arts and Crafts of Kazan Tatars: the History and the Present” presented by the National Museum of the Tatarstan Republic, the major regional museum of Russia.

The National Museum keeps over 900 thousand unique exhibits telling about the cultural and historical heritage of the peoples of Tatarstan, Russia and the world. One of the ethnographic collections is the monuments of arts and crafts of Kazan Tatars.

At the exhibition opening ceremony the guests were greeted by the folklore group “Pravoslavny Don” performing old folk Cossack songs.

Olga Anistratenko, Deputy Director of the Museum-Reserve of M.A.Sholokhov, stressed the great importance of the exhibition project presented by the National Museum of the Tatarstan Republic in the homeland of the great Russian writer Mikhail Sholokhov. The guests from Tatarstan – Ilnur Rashitovich Gazizulin, a senior museum researcher, and Larisa Vasilyevna Frolova, an artist and restorer, noted that there is much in common in the cultures of the Upper Don Cossacks and Kazan Tatars, and invited the audience to the first excursion about the exhibition.

The visitors heard an interesting narration about the unique culture of the Tatar people, national traditions and the art of the masters of different epochs. A great interest was aroused by the national costumes, of which headwear (kalfaks and skullcaps) was indispensable attribute. A spectacular addition to the national women’s costumes was silver jewelry, where the unique pattern identity was created by the finest filigree lace pattern and multicoloured stones.

The costume details, household items (towels, napkins, curtains) and cult items (namazlyks, book covers for the Quran) are decorated with bright intricate patterns created by skilful hands of Tatar women. Throughout the centuries, embroidery in golden and coloured silk threads has been one of the prosperous crafts of Kazan and adjacent areas.

Since ancient times, the art of making traditional Tatar footwear has been inherited and preserved thanks to Kazan masters. The patterned footwear known as “Tatar”, “Kazan” or “Asian” has gained a great popularity and even won Europe by its originality.

The art of calligraphy is presented in the pictorial, graphic and embroidered shamails – decorative panels of religious and moral content that adorned the interiors of Tatar houses.

You are welcome to the exhibition “Arts and Crafts of Kazan Tatars: the History and the Present” which will run until May 15, 2016.

Valery Yemelyanov