How to draw Russian patterns. The meaning of elements of Russian folk ornament of embroidery and hand weaving

Ornament is the language of millennia. The word “ornament” comes from the Latin ornare and literally translated it means “decoration, pattern.” Academician B. A. Rybakov said this about the meaningfulness of the ornament: “When looking at intricate patterns, we rarely think about their symbolism, we rarely look for meaning in the ornament. It often seems to us that there is no more thoughtless, light and meaningless area of ​​art than ornament. Meanwhile, in the folk ornament, as in ancient writings, the thousand-year wisdom of the people, the beginnings of their worldview and the first attempts of man to influence the mysterious forces of nature through the means of art were deposited.” However, it would be wrong, when talking about ornaments, to reduce everything to decoration (14).

Ornament is a special type of artistic creativity, which, according to many researchers, does not exist in the form of an independent work, it only decorates this or that thing. Many researchers note that the ornament is a rather complex artistic structure, the creation of which uses various means of expression. Among them are color, texture and the mathematical foundations of ornamental composition - rhythm, symmetry; graphic expression of ornamental lines, their elasticity and mobility, flexibility or angularity; plastic - in relief ornaments; and, finally, the expressive qualities of the natural motifs used, the beauty of the painted flower, the bend of the stem, the pattern of the leaf. Almost always, simple signs that are perceived by our enlightened eyes as circles, wavy lines, zigzags or crosses, actually had a completely different meaning for the creators of these compositions. The artistic, figurative language of the ornament is diverse. Fulfilling the task of decorative significance, it often plays the role of a social, gender and age marker, ethnicity, and is a means of expressing the people's worldview (6).

The winding line was often a symbol of water - an unusual substance with mysterious properties, one of the primary elements of the world. The circle represented a solar (solar) sign. The cross was often a talisman that counteracted the forces of evil. An ornament with such signs gave a thing a special meaning, as if immersing it in the fabric of complex relationships between man and the world within the framework of a certain picture of the world (16).

However, humanity is “growing up” and the time of belief in the mystical meaning of ancient symbols and their real power has passed. We know about ancient myths, but we don't believe in them. With the loss of faith in the magical power of signs, their innermost meaning began to disappear from the ornaments, and they really began to turn into one of the decorative elements. However, there are still places on Earth, including in Russia, where the picture of the world “recorded” with ornaments is still reproduced, lives in people and objects, which means that the ornaments created within the framework of this picture of the world have not lost their power and hidden meaning and meaning. One of these places is the settlements of small peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of Russia (16).

Russian ornament is rightfully called one of the most interesting phenomena in world artistic culture.

It represents a unique world of artistic images. Over the centuries, Russian ornament has been modified and transformed, but invariably amazed the imagination of contemporaries with its poetry and beauty of lines and colors. Ornament accompanied a person in his daily life. Floral, geometric, zoomorphic and other motifs decorated human homes, religious and household objects, clothing, and handwritten books. The patterns applied to the object carried the foundations of the universe. The artist comprehended the world around him and sought to express his attitude towards it by combining different elements, varying the line or color ratio. The ornament could fill all the free space with a continuous carpet or decorate only some parts of the product, emphasizing their artistic and plastic expressiveness (1).

The ornament is built on the rhythmic alternation of depicted motifs, a derivative of the form and a structure subordinate to it. The ornament cannot be calculated mathematically; it covers the surface of the object, repeating its curves, emphasizing them or hiding them. It is impossible to calculate what the curl laid by the master will be like. The internal structure of the ornament has a figurative, applied and semantic origin. A pattern always has an applied side; it is strictly connected with the function of the object on which it is applied, with its shape and material. And finally, any ornament has one meaning or another. It can have the direct meaning of writing, reflect with its rhythms in a complexly mediated form the real rhythms of life, and carry symbolic meanings fixed by tradition. All ornaments have their own names, which are very stable, taking into account the vast territory of their distribution. To decipher the meaning of ornaments, both the explanations of craftswomen and religious and mythological ideas, as well as stable folklore and everyday expressions are used, since they are based on the same system of ideas about the world. Ideas about the picture of the world are passed on from generation to generation, and it is only partially realized (see Appendix 6).

The time of the appearance of the first ornamental compositions in Russian art is unknown, but it can be assumed that interest in decorating objects developed simultaneously with the development of the surrounding world (4, p.6).

Researchers, Russian and foreign, have made attempts to study the art of constructing ornamental compositions. Archaeologists, ethnographers, historians, and art critics have written about Russian ornament. First of all, the attention of the scientific world was drawn to the study of art of the 11th-17th centuries. Among the most famous scientists who dealt with the issue of ornament were F. G. Solntsev, F. I. Buslaev, I. M. Snegirev, V. I. Butovsky, V. V. Stasov, the famous French scientist E. Violet-le-Duc . They studied Russian ornament in all its manifestations - not only as a unique phenomenon, but also as an integral part of the form and decor of various objects. Everything was decorated with ornaments, from large works of architecture to small household utensils. And the ornament manifested itself most clearly in Russian embroidery (1, p.9).

According to the motifs used in the ornament, it is divided into: geometric, consisting of abstract shapes (dots, straight, broken, zigzag, mesh intersecting lines; circles, rhombuses, polyhedrons, stars, crosses, spirals; more complex specifically ornamental motifs - meander, etc. . P.); plant, stylizing leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. (lotus, papyrus, palmette, acanthus, etc.); zoomorphic, or animal, stylizing figures or parts of figures of real or fantastic animals. Human figures, architectural fragments, weapons, various signs and emblems (coats of arms) are also used as motifs; anthropomorphic, divided into two large groups: a) archaic, reflecting ancient mythological ideas, b) everyday (or genre). A special type of ornament is represented by stylized inscriptions on architectural structures (for example, on Central Asian medieval mosques) or in books (the so-called ligature). There are often complex combinations of various motifs (geometric and animal forms - so-called teratology, geometric and plant - arabesques) (5).

Russian ornament is a poorly studied area; much in it remains unexplored and unclear. Folklore traditions, Christian doctrine, the heritage of Eastern and Western European countries - all this influenced the formation of Russian ornament.

Russian ornaments took on diverse elements, were enriched and transformed into new forms. The richness and diversity of forms and types of Russian ornament testifies to the creative thinking of the masters and their high artistic taste (1, p. 7).

Friends, greetings!

As promised, I dedicate this article to the placement of patterns and ornaments on traditional Russian clothing. And in particular, on a woman's shirt, shirt.
A shirt without patterns is not so beautiful, you must admit.

But the shirt with embroidery is a sight for sore eyes. In Ukraine, such a shirt is called an embroidered shirt.

The type and type of patterns was determined by the purpose of the shirt and clothing in general. It was everyday, festive, ritual and wedding. We also need to realize that our ancestors did not just decorate clothes and “give them an aesthetic appearance,” but they reflected the world around them, their ideas about it and their relationship with this world.

For example, this is what academician Boris Aleksandrovich Rybakov wrote in his work “Paganism of Ancient Rus'”:
“Let us pay attention to the fact that both in architecture and in clothing the same principle of placement of spell ornaments was consistently applied; all openings, all openings through which all sorts of evil spirits could penetrate to a person were decorated. Clothes were covered with a magical protective pattern: collars, shirt cuffs, hem, slits on a shirt or sundress. The fabric itself was considered impenetrable to the spirits of evil, since its production involved objects abundantly equipped with magical ornaments (ruffles, spinning wheels, weaving mills). It was important to protect those places where the enchanted fabric of clothing ended and the human body began.”

Therefore, it is no coincidence that the locations of the pattern were:

Gate - 1,
mantles and shoulders - 2,
sleeves – 3,
hem - 4.

The collar was usually decorated with a narrow strip of weaving or embroidery, and later with an appliqué of bright stripes of fabric.

On ancient shirts, the entire chest part was embroidered with a dense ornament, and in later ones it was made up of pieces of calico and braid.
Sometimes there are quite interesting attempts to reconstruct the Russian shirt.

The mantles and shoulders were embroidered with protective ornaments. The edges of the fabric and seams were protected with ornaments.

In traditional women's shirts, the back was not embroidered with ornaments (most likely for reasons of convenience and practicality). Embroidered capes and scarves were used to protect the back. What you see in the photo is a modern trend.

Often the completely ornamented sleeves turned out to be the most decorated part of the shirt.

A wedding shirt is rightfully considered the most beautiful. Embroidered with complex ornate patterns, the main place among which was invariably occupied by a red ornament, this shirt was prepared specifically for the festive celebration. After the wedding, the shirt did not lose its meaning. A Russian woman wore it on holidays until the birth of her first child, and then, according to custom, she carefully kept it.

Festive and ritual shirts were decorated with special care.

The most interesting from the point of view of ornaments were ritual shirts.

Common mowing for the entire village was not only work, but also a holiday. Girls and women wore ritual, mowing shirts - “pokosnitsy”.
Pokosnitsa is an old shirt. Simple and easy to use.
The upper part of such a shirt was made of thin white linen; its sleeves were wide, usually shortened. The width of the embroidered pattern on the hem sometimes reached thirty centimeters or more. As a rule, the most ancient of ornaments and patterns—calendar ones—were embroidered on the hem.

I don't claim the truth, I'm just looking for it, just like everyone else. I understand that opinions and judgments about the same issue can be different. I would welcome if you have a reasoned opinion different from mine.

However, I believed and still believe that seekers of true traditionalism in our culture and clothing, as part of it, should pay attention to the Russian North. Why - there should be a separate, historical article about this, but to put it in a nutshell (in the language of images, in the language of a fairy tale) - the Koschei were unable to capture the Russian North. That is why what has been there from time immemorial has been preserved there.

According to Lyudmila Fedorovna Kislukha, a researcher of cultural traditions in clothing of the Russian North, the word “shirt” and shirt were rarely used; more specific names for these types of clothing, more specific and accepted in each locality, were used more often, as well as depending on the purpose of the shirt.

About other types of traditional clothing and names - in the following articles.

Folk ornament of weaving and embroidery - ancient writings. But at the same time, this is an unusual sign system for transmitting information with a rigidly fixed meaning of each element, since the components of an ornament are always a mythological image and a whole complex of ideas associated with this image. Having arisen at the origins of time, in the depths of proto-culture, where thinking was not yet differentiated, ornamental symbols are in principle the same among all peoples of the world, differing only in the type of graphics or minor details. Thus, there is a known case when a Mexican weaver recognized an ornament from the Arkhangelsk province of Russia as her national pattern. Elements of ornament will have different names (and sometimes meaning!) among different peoples, but everywhere they will denote a similar mythological complex of ideas, a similar archetype, the assessment and interpretation of which can be polar opposite. Therefore, an ornamental composition cannot be read as a simple set of certain signs: when deciphering it, the meaning of each symbol must be chosen from a number of options depending on all the elements used in it, as well as the color and location, purpose of the ornament, clarifying certain shades of the described images .

The images of archetypes underlying ornamental compositions are associated with the image of two main schemes of the cosmogonic process, known to ancient mythology.

Scheme 1

At a time when Heaven and Earth were not yet separated from each other, in the center of the World Ocean rose the World Mountain - Alatyr - the stone of Russian folk conspiracies and fairy tales - on the top of which there was a deep well full of water and leading into the bowels of the mountain - the other world - where in the underground palace - cave - Labyrinth lived the God of the Earth - the Underworld - the Thunder Bear:

Most of the time the Bear slept in darkness and cold, vigilantly guarding his treasure - fire, in the form of a cauldron full of molten gold or precious stone. Once a year, the Goddess of the Sky, the Horned Deer, descended into the Labyrinth, bypassing the water whirlpool-tunnel: , dipped her horns in gold and returned back to Heaven. The Heat and Light emanating from the horns melted the snow and ice; the water penetrated into the Labyrinth and woke up the sleeping Thunderer: .

When he woke up, he took off his bear skin , turning into a bird, and rushed in pursuit of the kidnapper.

Having overtaken the fugitive, the God of the Earth entered into marriage with her, causing a thunderstorm and pouring streams of life-giving waters onto the Earth:

.

Mighty wings raised fiery whirlwinds, carrying the seeds of life in different directions: .

(Later the whirlwind transformed into an independent deity of the wind - Stribog .)

The deer shed her golden horns, which were returned to the winner as a guarantee of the marriage, and hid in the underground palace.

Deprived of heat and light, the Earth was covered with snow and ice. The giant bird fell asleep, gradually growing overgrown with wool and fur, and again turned into a Bear.

It is easy to see that this diagram describes the alternation of polar day and night in the northern latitudes of the Earth with the absence of solar eclipses characteristic of this region. The penetration of the bearers of the myth into the middle and southern latitudes, their encounter with the phenomenon of a solar eclipse and contact with the inhabitants of the southern regions develops the myth...

One day, when the Deer with fiery horns had already risen into the Sky, and the Bear had not yet woken up, a Dragon (Lion, Leopard, Cat, Boar...) crawled out of the depths of the Abyss (Pekel World), attacked the defenseless Deer, and, tearing her apart pieces, took possession of the Golden Horns. Not knowing how to handle fire, the Beast caused a world flood, and then almost caused a world fire, but the awakened Thunderer in a fierce struggle defeated his opponent, chained him as an eternal guard at the entrance to the palace and returned the fire.

The Thunderer watered the remains of the Deer with dead and living water, causing the Horns to grow into the World Tree , separating Heaven from Earth. On the branches of this tree, the Fleece and Horns of the Deer rose into the sky, turning into the Sun, Moon and Stars. The Thunderer could now ascend to Heaven and descend to Earth along the trunk and branches of the Tree, connecting the worlds in the image of the Moon: .

To prevent the misfortune from happening again, he placed guards on the four sides of the world to protect the Tree from the penetration of creatures from the Abyss.

Scheme 2:

At the beginning of time, the Great Virgin Goddess

fell into the waters of the primordial ocean and found salvation on the back of a giant Snake (Lizard, Turtle, etc.):

Having become pregnant, she became the mother of two twin sons, one of whom was very stubborn (angry, cruel, etc.), and the other fair (kind, warm-hearted, etc.). When the due date approached, the stubborn child, despite the warnings of his brother, made his own exit from the mother's body, killing her, while the second child was born in the proper manner. The soul of the Goddess ascended to Heaven along the branches of the World Tree that grew from her body, but since with her death evil entered the world, the inhabitants of the Heavenly World surrounded the “affected” area of ​​space with guards so that death and evil could not penetrate into other worlds.

Born twin brothers began to create their own world, and one of them constantly interfered with the other - spoiling or destroying what had been created.

A variant of the same myth is the legend about twins - a brother and sister, who, out of ignorance of their relationship, entered into a love affair. Upon learning of the incest, one of them dies (or a brother kills his sister), as a result of which the world is desecrated.

The same type includes myths about the struggle between the Virgin-Sun and the Serpent, or myths about the furious Fire-Virgin-Sun, rushing across the sky in a chariot drawn by two charioteers .

***

No matter how this world arose, traditional thinking ordered the people living in it to behave in the image and likeness of the ancestors-Gods who created it: things, clothes, housing were made according to a once and for all established model, weddings were played, significant events and dates were formalized. In ornamental compositions this was reflected by the use of identical symbols with different meanings depending on their location on clothing. For example, the same sign "Orepei":
in the shoulder area a woman’s costume will be read as a world mountain or Alatyr-stone with a Deity sitting on it: ;
in the elbow area as "ancestor" ;
at the hem- as an entrance to the other world , or also "ancestor".

A characteristic auxiliary pattern allows one to highlight the images of the Gods - the image of chariots, in which, according to the ideas of the ancients, the Deities moved in space. These chariots were driven by animal charioteers characteristic of each Deity - snakes, birds, horses, deer, animals...

With the identification of new Divine hypostases, shades appear in the reading of certain elements of the ornament, and their graphic changes. Thus, the selection from the Archetype of the World Deity of images that personify its individual qualities - the wind (Stribog), Thunder (Perun), the Water King (Vodishche), the Lord of the Other World - Svarga (Svarog), the Deity of the Earth, Fertility (Veles), the Guardian of Grain, Harvest, Grain Reserves, Fruit-bearing power of Grain (Yari), fruit-bearing fire (Pereplut, Yarilo, Semargl) - leads to the emergence of symbols based on one graphic image, just as mythological characters themselves retain common properties or attributes - the ability to control waters, cause a whirlwind, rain, etc., forge, command lightning:

With the change in leading social roles in society - the emergence and development of the patriarchal structure - cultural heroes change their gender and the “gender” interpretation of symbols similarly changes:

But the meaning of the combined symbol - the eight-pointed cross

remains the same: the union of the feminine and masculine principles, the monad, the fertilized egg, life and death - fate. It is no coincidence that with the adoption of Christianity it received the popular name “Star of the Virgin Mary”. The interpretation stands out somewhat due to the variant of this symbol - . A number of ethnographers note the presence in the languages ​​of the peoples of the North Caucasus and Ancient Scythia of traces of the ancient idea of ​​the Universe as a five-fold structure: in addition to the familiar concepts of the three-dimensional level - Heaven, Middle World, Earth (or Underworld) - it also contained Peklo and Bok (Lateral space ). At the same time, the most ancient cosmogonic models usually characterize the Universe as feminine. The five-row space of the Universe - the Great Mother, stretching to the four cardinal directions and generating Life - is approximately how one can clarify the reading of this symbol.

How does symbolism work? Let's start with the fact that any graphic image has a weak torsion field that bends the surrounding space:

Energy (leptonic) models (damage, evil eye, etc.), falling into the zone of curved space, are either repelled or become fixed in the image zone, or self-destruct as a result of uneven curvature. A uniform grid of graphic images on the surface of clothing or household items, created by patterned weaving or embroidery, provides its energetic effect. At the same time, the most uniform grid (and, therefore, a stronger effect) is given by an ornament of a geometric and geometrized type, in which the thickness of all lines is the same (Reference: the famous Mezen knitted patterns were always typed according to the following principle - at the beginning of the pattern there was a row of alternating 3 loops of the colors used - the ornamental grid was initially uniform). Another important principle of the energy work of the ornamental network is the principle of changing polarity in the ornamental line and in the composition as a whole.

Color also contributes. For example, on the territory of our Ryazan region, the leading element, from which the pattern received its name, was always made white, and the background field was filled with color, mainly shades of red; the white color of the ornament passed the influence of surrounding energies to the owner or “reflected” the negative, as if “refracted” through the prism of the form and meaning of the symbol, dispersing everything else; and the background field is energy of a certain frequency...

And, of course, the magical meaning of the symbol...

In women's and men's costumes, zones corresponding to Heaven, the Middle World and Earth can be distinguished. Depending on the location in a specific area, the magical effect of the applied image changes.

Female

Male

In addition, the places where the densest ornamental mesh is applied coincide with the locations of the largest nerve plexuses of the human body, corresponding to the main energy centers or chakras. The zone of the heart center is intensively protected - literally “on four sides.” There is one more subtlety - in a woman’s suit, the pattern located on the front always primarily protects its owner and her expected child, but in a man’s suit it primarily actively influences those around her (the same woman, for example), and The protective pattern itself comes from the back - this explains the presence of “female” symbols on the chest embroidery of men’s shirts, especially festive and wedding ones.

Where did the symbols come from? Why are they almost the same for all nations? Symbols are information. The most ancient of them have a geometric or geometrized shape. Let us assume that it is based on information about some universal processes.

There is an interesting scheme of ideas about the structure of the Universe among the ancient Slavs-Russians, published by A. Ivanitsky in the essay “The Ways of the Great Russian” (almanac “Slavs”) and given in abbreviations by M. Shatunov (“Russian Health”, M., 1998, p. 159). Let's continue this diagram, completing it in accordance with the movement of the Solar ecliptic across the sky from the position of an earthly observer relative to the change of seasons (Fig. 1). Let us obtain an egg-shaped matrix (in accordance with Russian traditions, I will call it “Roda’s egg”) and look at this egg from the end side (Fig. 2). Comparing both projections with the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci and the spirals of the “golden section” of Drunvalo Melchizedek (D. Melchizedek. “The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life”, vol. 1, pp. 229-230, “Sofia”, 2001), we see that the Egg explains their origin. Now let's connect all three drawings. The result is a matrix in which it is easy to see all the elements of Russian (and not only) ornament known to us, divided, moreover, by belonging to the Worlds of Pravi (frontal projection), Navi (lateral projection) and Yavi (geometrized shape of the “golden section” spirals).

Mara Minina

The patterns made on clothes, tablecloths, and towels by unknown craftswomen of past centuries still sparkle brightly and shimmer with rainbow colors. These symbolic images, in the opinion of our great-grandfathers, were supposed to bring good luck and prosperity to their owners, save them “from famine and pestilence,” ward off the influence of evil forces, protect the warrior from wounds on the battlefield, and promote procreation.

Until the middle of the 19th century, the “decorations” were not changed, so as not to violate or distort the ancient sacred meaning, they were passed on from generation to generation, carefully observing the “canons”. Ornaments are akin to ancient writings and, like them, can tell a lot about the worldview of a person in those distant eras. For a long time, people remembered the purpose of ornaments. Back in the 20-30s of the 20th century, residents of some northern Russian villages demonstrated their knowledge of the meaning of the depicted pattern in front of the oldest craftswoman of the village at special “readings”: young girls brought finished works to the gatherings and talked about them in front of “the whole world.”

In some places in the outback you can still hear the ancient names of patterns: “vodyanik”, “Perun”, although the masters are most often unable to explain their meaning. And yet, ancient patterns live on. They live and delight with their beauty. They sometimes live contrary to the beliefs of society or its individual groups, contrary to the guidelines of a particular government regime. Once, while working in the archives of the Ryazan Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, I laughed a lot when reading the correspondence of the Ryazan mayor and the Skopinsky bishop (19th century): both correspondents subtly scolded the “depraved” Russian women who, despite the great church holidays, stubbornly walked around around the city in “obscenely” embroidered “underwear” - a folk shirt with embroidery along the hem. Custom required that the embroideries be displayed, and the craftswomen depicted on them either a woman giving birth, or even “patterns of the first night.”

But it was not at all funny to remember the stories of old people heard on expeditions about how during the Great Patriotic War, and sometimes even more recently, hundreds of folk “decorations” with the image of a swastika, one of the most beloved Slavic ornaments, were barbarously destroyed. And advanced technologies of the 21st century threaten to completely wipe out Russian folk crafts with their low productivity and primitive technologies from the face of the Earth.

And yet, despite everything, the ornament lives. To this day, there are people who know how to decorate and want to wear traditional Russian clothes. On long winter evenings, Slavic girls and women embroidered and wove patterns with a torch, one more intricate than the other, decorating their “row” with them, so that later, at the holiday, they could show off in front of the “community”. Was it only beauty that they felt? Was it only the desire for creative self-expression that guided them? Or was there and continues to exist today in ancient symbols something very important - unknown to us today?

For the first time I had to deal with the unusual properties of folk ornament in my youth, when I worked at the Ryazan Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve. It was necessary to take a photo in an ancient folk costume. In the cathedral where the filming took place, because of the cold, I had to wear a fur jacket, but... as soon as I put on embroidered linen clothes, it suddenly became warm: the thin fabric warmed me! In an incomprehensible way! Later, while expecting the birth of a child, I realized that the folk patterns that Russian women made, in addition to beauty, also gave the expectant mother peace and patience. When I painted ornaments for the planned works, my health miraculously improved, the swelling went away. Later, having mastered the craft of hand weaving, I began to notice how my mood changed in the process of making differently ornamented products.

Surprisingly, folk ornaments and “decorations” are the same all over the world: the graphics are slightly different, the colors and shades change, but the appearance, rhythm, and meaning are quite recognizable. There is a known case when a Mexican weaver recognized the zero pattern of a women's shirt from the Arkhangelsk province as her national one. What is this? Accident? Or are different folk traditions based on the same deep knowledge, sometimes inaccessible to us, because it is expressed in a language unfamiliar to us - harmony, beauty and love - and before understanding it, it is necessary to master the language itself?

This book is the result of my desire to raise questions related to the meaning of folk textile patterns and the peculiarities of their effect on the “wearer” of the clothes decorated with them or the person looking at the patterns. It uses information from many, sometimes unconventional, sources: history, ethnography, mythology, bioenergy, modern alternative medicine, etc. Maybe this is not entirely correct: is it possible to embrace the immensity? But Russian folk culture has always seemed to me so comprehensive and multifaceted that, in my opinion, it is necessary to study it only comprehensively, having experienced the very way of thinking of our ancestors.

I believe that this is best illustrated by the process of drawing folk textile patterns. At first, it took me a month to complete such a drawing while preserving all the design features (and this was with lined paper, a pencil, and correction tools). And every time the question arose: what would we do without them? On a loom? And not from the middle, where the pattern clearly unfolds, but from the edge? And instead of a drawing, at best, there is a diagram scratched with a nail on a board. What kind of spatial imagination, what kind of coordinated interhemispheric connections of the brain do you need to have in order to do this? A must see! But an ordinary weaver could do this...

And further. I really want the ancient art of ornament to be preserved and not to disappear, so that the skills, traditions and beauty of folk culture continue to live, delight and benefit people. After all, this beauty has incredible kind energy (one would like to say - soul), capable of helping people. I would like to believe that the topics raised in my story will be of interest to new researchers, and then such an amazing phenomenon as Russian folk textile ornament can really be understood from different angles. In the meantime, the ancient image-writings continue to wait for their full reading. Well, let's try to get started?

The study of folk “decorations” began in the 19th century. The first descriptions of textile patterns and attempts to find the hidden meaning in them were made by famous people: members of the Imperial Archaeological Society and numerous scientific archival commissions of the Russian Empire. They managed to record priceless material, now - alas! -lost irretrievably: the original folk names of individual elements of the ornament, more or less not yet distorted by the disappearance of patriarchal peasant life. In the 1920s, their work was continued by regional societies of local historians. Relatively systematized materials were published in regional publications or ended up in archives. Of the available ones, the works of the Smolensk ethnographer E.N. seemed the most interesting to me. Klet-nova, Ryazan ethnographer N.I. Lebedeva, famous archaeologist V.A. Gorodtsova (I.001) and materials from a unique study of Sapozhkovsky local historians P. and S. Stakhanov.

A lot of literature devoted to the description of folk embroidery and weaving patterns throughout the USSR was published in the 1950-1970s. A number of art albums and catalogs of folk costume are being published. Studying the ornaments of the peoples of Siberia, S. Ivanov developed schemes for the formation of ornamental forms depending on the type of symmetry used. The interest of historians, archaeologists, and art historians in the meaning of images is growing: special research is being undertaken by G.P. Durasov, G.S.

Maslova, B.A. Rybakov (I.002), A. Ambrose.

In the 90s of the last century, materials for studying local traditions reappeared. New researchers of museum collections and amateur collectors paid attention to previously overlooked details of decorations of folk clothing, which made it possible to trace the reflection of Slavic pagan culture and social and tribal information about the owner in folk costume. It became possible to study the history of an ancient and widespread symbol among the Slavs - the swastika. Numerous attempts to practically reconstruct the use and meaning of folk ornament were made by supporters of reviving paganism. A. Golan, in his major work, traced the unified mythological basis of ornamental symbols among the peoples of the world, and the works of M.F. Parmon exhaustively covered the features of the cut and shape of folk clothing.

Studies are being published that raise questions about the perception of symbols by the human consciousness, as well as the impact of the sign on our physical state - from this point of view, V.I. studies runic symbols. Loshilov. Psychologists and representatives of alternative medicine have accumulated considerable experience in assessing the impact of certain intangible factors on the human body, and our understanding of the properties of consciousness is constantly expanding. But no one has yet tried to consider folk ornament from this point of view.

Few people know that the first country in the world to spread the swastika is... Russia. This is a key ornament in embroidery and weaving of the Russian North; we are even ahead of India, where swastika amulets still decorate city houses. Agree, given the ideological context of the events of the 20th century, this is perceived, at least, as an irony of fate.

It is on our lands that polysyllabic solar motifs have been preserved, which, at times, are maternal even in relation to Indian motifs (you can read about this in the works of S.V. Zharnikova). This is dizzyingly archaic.

“feather grass” (Tula province), “horse”, “horse shank” (Ryazan province), “hare” (Pechora), “saffron milk cap” (Nizhny Novgorod province), “loach” (Tver province), “bowlegged” "(Voronezh province), etc. On the territory of the Vologda lands, the name of the swastika was even more diverse. “Kryuchya”, “kryukovets”, “hook” (Syamzhensky, Verkhovazhsky districts), “ognivo”, “ognivets”, “konegon” (horse-fire?) (Tarnogsky, Nyuksensky districts), “sver”, “cricket” ( Veliky Ustyug district), “leader”, “leader”, “zhgun”, (Kichm.-Gorodetsky, Nikolsky districts), “bright”, “shaggy bright”, “kosmach” (Totemsky region), “geese”, “chertogon” (Babushkinsky district), “mower”, “kosovik” (Sokolsky district), “crossroads”, “vratok” (Vologda, Gryazovets districts), “vranets”, “vratschun”, “vraschun” (Sheksninsky, Cherepovets districts), “ ugly" (Babaevsky district), "melnik" (Chagodoshchensky district), "krutyak" (Belozersky, Kirillovsky districts), "pylan" (Vytegorsky district). The most archaic of them, undoubtedly, is “Ognivets”. This name reflects the original meaning of the magical symbol of the swastika: “living fire” - “fire” - “flint” - “flint”.

“The Russian name for the swastika is “kolovrat”, i.e. “solstice” (“kolo” is the ancient Russian name for the sun, “vrat” is rotation, return). Kolovrat symbolized the victory of light (sun) over darkness, life over death, reality over reality. A swastika directed in the opposite direction was called “salting.” According to one version, “Kolovrat” meant the increase in daylight or the rising spring sun, while “posolon” ​​meant the decrease in daylight and the setting autumn sun. The existing confusion in the names is generated by a misunderstanding of the direction of the rotational movement of the Russian swastika. A “right” or “straight” swastika is often called a cross with its ends bent to the right. However, in the Russian pagan tradition, the semantic meaning of the swastika is as close as possible to the ancient one (the symbol of “living fire”), and therefore its curved ends should be considered precisely as flames, which, when the cross rotates to the right, naturally deviate to the left, and when it rotates to the left - to the right. The deflection of the flames in both cases occurs under the influence of the oncoming air flow. Therefore, a “kolovrat”, or “left-sided” swastika in Russia is a cross whose ends (“tongues of flame”) are bent to the right, and vice versa, a “posolonyu”, or “right-sided” swastika is a cross with ends bent to the left ( in this case, the swastika rotates clockwise, according to the sun, hence its name - “salting”). In the Old Believer “soling” - the ritual walking around churches by the sun - one can easily discern an ancient pagan ritual. (M.V. Surov “Everything and everyone will return”)”

Any nation has used various ornaments and patterns throughout its existence. Many images of stunning beauty have come to us from time immemorial. Each nation has its own unique style, depending on many factors. Culture, location on the planet and the individual characteristics of each master play a role. One cannot help but be glad that these national ornaments and patterns are an art that has reached our days and has not disappeared to this day.

Any people during their existence used various ornaments and patterns

The tendency to keep dishes with folk paintings at home and decorate the interior with ornaments and patterns is becoming more fashionable every day. Even if you are not an artist, you can purchase stencils or print them. Then use ready-made templates as your inner voice will tell you.

Folk workshops, where you can order such stencils or invite an artist, usually exist in the outback. But even in the capital, if you wish, you can find craftsmen who can apply both a simple ornament or pattern, and a more complex one. Decorating, for example, a child’s room with such painting is a great joy for children.

There are geometric ornaments that do not carry any subtext. There are those that contain some meanings and symbols.

Russian ornament: stencils that are easy to make yourself

Russian ornaments, for example, on embroidery, are known to everyone. Everyone has seen folk costumes at least once in their life. This is the kind of beauty that comes out of the hands of masters. And these are not the most difficult options. You can’t say anything - art is art. And Rus' has always been rich in talent.

If you decide to take up the art of ornamentation, you need to start with stencils, which are simpler. And it’s worth starting with a Russian ornament. If you can’t purchase stencils, you can make them yourself. Anyone can do these, you just need to show perseverance and patience.

If you decide to take up the art of ornamentation, you need to start with stencils, which are simpler

Once you get simple patterns, you can switch to more complex ones.

Gallery: ornaments and patterns (25 photos)

Buryat patterns: song of the steppe

The Buryat ornament, like the paintings of all Mongol-speaking representatives, basically consists of simple geometric figures:

• broken lines;
• zigzags;
• circles;
• diamonds;
• other figures.

If your hand is at least a little trained in the simplest drawings, you can take up Buryat ornaments and Mongolian designs. Here are some of them. It is easy to discern Buddhist motifs and Bashkir style in them.

Yakut ornament

Yakut works of art patterns amaze with their beauty. It is especially difficult to look away from works done in gold. Keeping in mind Yakut gold, it would be surprising not to see it in folk art.

It seems to be nothing complicated, but it looks magical.

Yakut works of art patterns amaze with their beauty

As in any form of art, there are also simpler ornaments. Among the geometric shapes, the Yakut people love to use circles.

Tatar pattern: patterns of a great people

Tatar and Bashkir craftsmen specialized in bright ornaments and patterns. This is especially visible in national clothing (hats, shoes with multi-colored mosaics).

Decorating your home with carpets of stunning beauty is one of the main highlights of the Tatar nation. Any home, whether rural or urban, was always filled with carpets that were superior in beauty to Persian ones. The Tatars have always been dominated by bright floral motifs.

Embroidered flowers can be seen not only on clothes, but also on household items. Towels, pillowcases, tablecloths, aprons, prayer rugs.

We can talk about headscarves for a very long time. Every house has a whole chest filled with such scarves. Everyday, festive, wedding - for each event there is its own scarf, and for each scarf - its own special pattern. This is such a beauty - a Tatar and Bashkir embroidered scarf that you can’t take your eyes off it

Tatar and Bashkir craftsmen specialized in bright ornaments and patterns

The most widespread was the art of ornamentation in carved wooden architecture. Then came embroidery, patterns on shoes and carpets. Fabric applique occupied a very small place among the Tatar people. But on the other hand, in this application, interestingly, oriental and Greek motifs were clearly visible.

The most popular was and remains floral ornament. Trefoil, carnation, tulip, dahlias, peonies and chrysanthemums - all this is very popular among Tatar craftswomen.

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Looking at these works of folk craft, I want the house to have at least one such pattern, pleasing to the eye.

Geometric patterns in the interior: the trend of the season

Geometric solutions in interior design are the most fashionable trend of the year. Strictness, harmony, aristocratic aesthetics - all this admires and is used in the work of designers more and more often.

Geometric style came to homes in different forms:

• like furniture
• as accessories
• like patterns and ornaments.

Such ideas are embodied today by designers in the design of apartments and offices.

Geometric solutions in interior design are the most fashionable trend of the year

Simple and beautiful. And this becomes the motto of fashionable modern designers and customers of such interiors who strive for harmony.

Oriental patterns: visiting a fairy tale

Oriental patterns are gaining popularity again today. More often they are used for painting fabrics, silk, and large canvases. Eastern ornament is based on rhythm and construction of elements, on abstraction and stylization of real things. The roots of this art go back to the culture of Persia and Mesopotamia. Each of the patterns symbolizes something. For example, an ordinary rosette is a symbol of the universal cycle. Made in the shape of a flower, it had many varieties. This is only one of the few symbols that have been deciphered. What other patterns hide within them may remain an eternal mystery.

Oriental patterns are gaining popularity again today

The most common motifs of oriental patterns are the plant motif, magical birds and the World Tree. The latter combines a lot of symbols along with real details. The oriental pattern has another feature. This is carpet filling. It is difficult to find an unoccupied space on the surface of the pattern. Lines, leaves, cones, spikelets, blades of grass - the entire space is filled with them. In particular, this technique is used in architecture, the manufacture of decorative dishes and clothing.

Patterns for children: creating together with kids

Developing a child’s abilities by teaching him the art of patterns and ornaments is a way that gives excellent results. Try making a light floral pattern first. Below are step-by-step instructions that make everything very easy to do.

The operating procedure is as follows:

Draw the selected area into eight identical sections. Draw horizontal lines and start making the ornament.

Complete the following sketch.

Add some small details at your discretion.

The unnecessary lines along which the sketch was made must be erased with an eraser.