Russia: valenki exhibition opens in Ishim
An exhibition of ‘valenki’, traditional Russian winter footwear made of wool felt, has opened in the Siberian town of Ishim. Valenki are regarded as part of Russia’s national heritage. The felted boots made from dried sheep’s wool and are usually rigid in their form.
The first written mention of the felt boots was in the oldest known piece of Old Russian literature, The Tale of Igor’s Campaign, which dates back to the late 12th century. Traditionally, valenki were worn in harsh cold weather typical of Russia. Emperor Peter I believed in the healing properties of valenki. His recommendation for those suffering from a hangover in the morning was to put valenki on bare feet and have a bowl of sour cabbage soup.
Archaeologists believe that valenki arrived in Siberia in the 4th century BC. Ishim is the venue of many valenki-related events as part of the Siberian Valenki Festival, Galina Lukoshina of the Local Historical and Art Museum, said in an interview with local media.
“The exhibition features a coachman’s valenki of the 19th century,” he said. “Siberian coachmen wore knee-high felt boots to stay warm, and they had them painted too. Carts of goods arrived at the Nikolsky Fair in Ishim, which was a major trading place in Siberia in those days. Coachmen, or yamschiks in Russian, could not do without valenki.”
A variety of valenki are on display, from plain ones worn by 19th century peasants, to contemporary glitzy ones, adorned with exquisite designs, furs, stones, or beads, painted in original patterns, embroidered, embossed, short, long, white, or coloured.
The Ishim Historical and Art Museum has played host to the Siberian Valenki Festival for six years. The next Siberian Valenki Festival will take place in Ishim on January 27 2012.
