Wooden figurines of hens, blacksmiths, and bears… They can be set in motion. These funny figurines are known throughout the world as “Bogorodskoye” toys, as Bogorodskoye is a village near Moscow where they have been made from time immemorial. The way this ancient folk craft developed was shown at an exhibition that opened at the Russian Museum in St Petersburg. On display are over 200 rare exhibits from various museums and private collections.
The craft of making wooden toys in the village of Bogorodskoye, which is some 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) from the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Monastery, emerged under the influence of that world-famous monastery. In the 16th century, it was a major centre of crafts in Russia. The talent of the local craftsmen gradually won recognition, and a tradition developed to bring home toys bought near the monastery’s walls. Even unpainted figurines were in great demand; they showed the natural beauty of the wood since figurines were cut from a whole piece of log. Usually lime-tree wood was used for the purpose because it is mild and easy to work. The main theme of craftsmen was peasant life and everyday labour. Craftsmen depicted what they saw, in the form of toys; they tried to convey how difficult peasant life was. In the second half of the 19th century, genre scenes became popular. Groups of figurines that could be set into motion performed peasant jobs; this was, no doubt, a sign of the respect for labour which was a keynote of the Bogorodskoye craft. Another favourite theme of craftsmen was bears. Numerous variants of the figurine titled “A peasant man and a bear” are considered to be a symbol of the Bogorodskoye craft.
In the late 19th century, folk toys were studied and collected as a kind of peasant art. The Russian Museum in St Petersburg houses the country’s richest collection of Bogorodskoye toys and sculpture. A substantial part of the collection is made up of 20th century figurines and compositions dealing with historical, Russian epic, and biblical themes. That was not typical of the Bogorodskoye craft earlier; they cover almost all major events in Russian history. Being loyal to old traditions, contemporary craftsmen continue a search of new images and forms. Their works are gathered and presented in a separate section of the exposition.
26 August 2008
Voice of Russia World Service
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=eng&q=31659&cid=62&p=26.08.2008
Editor’s Note:
I have even seen a Bogorodskoye figurine of a bear pecking at a computer! It was CUTE. Do we have a Bogorodskoye bear in our house? Need you ask? Sheesh…
BMD
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