 According to a legend the first Russian migrants who arrived in the Urals were astonished with the light clothes of Kalmyk and Kazakh Djigits, skipping on the boundless steppes. The secret of opposition to fierce Ural frost turned to be uncommon: as the backing under their light clothing they used the shawls, sewed from the goat fur hair. Shawls were sewed without any patterns, fulfilling only the utilitarian function of keeping the warmth of the body.
This way of shawls sewing changed when the Russian Cossack women started working with different patterns. Very soon this innovation became ever more extended, and Orenburg downy shawls became known also beyond the limits of the region. Unusual fur hair of Orenburg goats together with the amazing patterns conquered new admirers.
Real glory to the Orenburg downy shawl arrived in the XIX century. Rural needle women began to obtain international rewards. Interest to the region grew so much that the overseas merchants arrived to distant Russian province for the down of famous goats. Foreign companies attempted to fix production in Europe and even South America. The goats were taken away for thousands of kilometers, but it occurred to be that after only 2-3 years after the migration goats lost their best properties. Only frosty Ural climate was good for the Orenburg goats.
After despairing to secure Orenburg goats, the foreigners started to buy down from Orenburg. Articles were so famous that one of the English companies, which were producing downy shawls, made notation "imitation for Orenburg".
War and the Iron Curtain of Soviet time in the XX century indicated the end of the epoch of the world fame of Orenburg region. However, this did not indicate the end of the development of down sewing trade. One of in novations became the use of down both of Orenburg and Volgograd goats. Volgograd goats` down was suitable for sewing white shawls, that was estimated by the local needle women.
Foundation of the Orenburg factory of downy shawls became another change. Needle women of famous down sewing regions became the masters of it. Saraktashsky forewomen rightfully occupied main place at the factory. The use of machines revealed great possibilities for the experiments: the possibility to bring any patterns to the downy articles actually in short time opened space for the fantasy. The middle part of shawl used to be sewed even better than by hand.
Again as in the XIX century Orenburg downy shawl proved to be in the center of attention, this time within the limits of the USSR. To arrive from the Orenburg without the downy shawl turned to be considered disrespect. People departing to Orenburg used to get one and the same task: to bring famous article.
The high demand on the famous Orenburg downy shawls was keeping for a long time and even nowadays to have an original article means to be a luxury.
|
Culture and Art 