(27 Jul 2021) LEAD IN:
Russia's ancient city of Kazan is being transformed into a hub of arts and crafts from eras past.
Across the city, a festival of ethnic fashion and folk art is showcasing the varied cultures of the people living in Russia.
STORY-LINE
In every exhibit here ancient traditions are blended with the craftsmanship of modern artists.
This festival of ethnic fashion and folk art called "Lifestyle - Cultural Code" presents the varied cultures of the people living in Russia.
Different parts of the festival are taking place at venues around the city of Kazan.
It's an ancient city, once home of the Bulgar nation before they were conquered by the Tartars.
The Gallery of Modern Art houses an exhibition on three floors; there are exhibits made of wood, metal, crystal, clay and textiles.
"We wanted to show that our traditions are still relevant nowadays, still on demand, traditional crafts are on demand, crafts and traditional arts are and you know, in the context of globalization, it is very important to preserve local identities and this festival allows us to demonstrate this wealth that we, as a generation, are obliged to preserve, and, of course, to make it popular among young people," says Irada Ayupova, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan.
Ethnic history of the Tatar people is believed to come from Volga Bulgaria - a medieval state that existed in the Middle Volga region in the 9th - 13th centuries.
The collection of jewellery presented at the exhibition is the modern interpretation of the ancient Bulgar style.
Historically ducks were a very common symbol used in ancient Bulgar decorations and jewellery, but little is known about what other decorative elements they included.
The designer's have to use their imagination with just a few lithographs to indicate what the jewellers of the past would have done.
"The ancient Bulgar is known all over the world for its little ducks. Unfortunately, nobody knows what surrounded the ducks, and therefore, looking at lithographs and archaeological fragments, I tried to create a collection that would be synchronous with the ducks. And since it is only jewellery that remained from the Bulgar costume, it is a very important part in the study of this material," says jewellery designer Ravkat Mukhametshin Altyn Hasite.
A festival of folk art of this scale is being held in the country for the first time.
There are 200 works of decorative and applied arts from masters from 20 regions of Russia.
"What amazed me - the unique technology of the Andreevskaya Manufactory, which I looked at - these porcelain items, painting on porcelain – it is very gorgeous. Jewellery with floral motifs, Faberge eggs - a la Faberge eggs - are very interesting exhibits. I want to say that this incredible variety and such uniqueness of works, it gives such an impetus and inspiration to create something more interesting," says visitor Dina Lebedeva.
A significant part of the festival was dedicated to fashion - almost 20 fashion designers presented their collections at dozens of fashion shows.
Visitors could see both traditional national dress and modern collections inspired by ethnic designs.
Fashion designer Lyudmila Ponomareva uses ethnic symbols and natural fabrics: silk, wool, and cotton.
In her collection "Tazheran Steppes" a combination of felt and chiffon gives a new tune to the image, conveying the strength and ease of a modern woman.
The fashion catwalks spilled over onto the grounds of the Kazan Kremlin.
The garments are a fusion of styles from the different regions of Russia.
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