Handmade Christmas trees were born not in the forest, but in the houses of crafts: each district presented its New Year's beauty to the competition, which was held by the Mogilev Regional Methodological Center for Folk Art and Cultural and Educational Work. Straw weaving, ceramics, vytinanka, embroidery, felting, woodcarving - these Christmas decorations can be used to compose the alphabet of Belarusian traditional crafts.
It was possible to buy Christmas decorations and souvenirs in ethno style at the fair from the hands of craftsmen. Moreover, the assortment changes every day. Houses of crafts took turns holding a creative presentation, each district trying to emphasize its craft brand. Masters from Krasnopolye decided to surprise Mogilev residents with original ceramic souvenirs, the choice of craft was not accidental. The jug is even depicted on the coat of arms of the regional center, and recently they began to hold a regional festival of folk crafts "Krasnapolskі Glechyk" there. The head of the house of crafts , Valentina Moskalkova, hopes that soon the revived craft can also become a tourist brand of Krasnopolye:
– Thanks to the initiative of the regional museum, a workshop for the development of pottery was opened in our city in 2018. Master classes for everyone, even come from Mogilev. The day before, at a seminar on the development of territories, we discussed how to fit the increasingly popular craft lessons into tourist routes. Clubs for adults, especially when it comes to pensioners and the disabled, is also a craft that we put into our hands as a tool for self-employment.
Olga Andrianova leads the circle "Folk Doll". She brought funny figurines of Krasnopol potters to the New Year's fair:
“People like our straw angels, Christmas decorations made of ceramics with ornaments, because this is not stamping, but handmade. Each souvenir keeps the warmth of the hands of the master, and natural materials - clay, wood, linen - are just nice to hold in your hands.
Olga Pobelustik from the Kruglyansky House of Crafts brought amulets:
- Here is a whole collection for women: the confidante doll - a girlfriend who is told innermost thoughts and secrets, Plantain - a talisman on the road, Krupenichka - for well-being and satiety in the house, Herbalist, Pelenashka, Lovebirds ... I also do the reconstruction of towels: I take pictures in the museum, I draw patterns and embroider. Even as a child, I could watch my grandmother embroider for hours, enchanted.
Not only children, but also their parents come to the Gorki Children's School of Arts and Crafts for the New Year's workshop. Director Lyudmila Stavskaya confirms that folk crafts are coming into fashion:
“Every year more and more Belarusians open handicrafts, and many of our graduates associate life with folk art, returning to us as teachers. We have over three hundred students. Everyone chooses a craft that is closer to his liking. The girls from the studio "Enchantress" create entire collections of fashionable clothes from straw. And now the most popular ceramics workshop, the guys have created a whole rabbit farm - a symbol of the coming year.
So that the guests of the fair did not freeze in the cold, the competition of game programs came in very handy. It was not the houses of crafts that competed here, but the regional centers of culture. During the day for children, and in the evening for adults. Although, as it turned out, guests of the 40+ holiday agreed to dance with Santa Claus with pleasure. The same artists will rock in their regional centers.
