What to see
What to see
In a craft centre the main attraction is not the display case but the work itself: how a brushstroke lands, how threads interlace, how a plain blank turns into a recognisable object. Rather than a list of addresses, we have gathered places and types of place (a craft museum, a workshop, an old town centre) with short tips on how to see them. There are no names of organisations, opening hours or prices here: museums and workshops set these themselves, and you should check them on their official websites.
The most interesting thing in a craft museum is often not in the middle of the room but in a corner: an old blank, a failed trial stroke, a tool polished smooth by hands.
How this section works: for each place we give only verified facts, namely where it is and what it is known for. Everything else is described in general terms, and visiting arrangements are set by the museums and workshops themselves.
Crafts of the Moscow region
Five places and themes you can reach in a day.
Gzhel
Where: Ramensky district, Moscow region
The home of blue-and-white ceramics. Even people who have never been near Moscow recognise the blue designs on a white ground, but in person you can see how varied the brushwork can be.
Tip: Look at the older pieces in the craft museum first and then at the new ones: that makes it easier to spot each artist's individual hand.
Zhostovo
Where: A village in the Moscow region
This is where metal trays are painted. In person you can see how a flat sheet of metal becomes a festive object you would hardly dare put on the table.
Tip: If the workshop is open to visitors, don't stand right behind the artist and don't ask questions during delicate work.
Pavlovsky Posad
Where: A town in the Moscow region
The town is known for its printed shawls. The design is neither embroidered nor painted by brush but printed onto the cloth, and the craft museum shows clearly how much patience such a pattern demands.
Tip: Unfold a shawl completely if you are allowed to: the design is meant for the whole cloth, not for a folded corner.
Sergiev Posad
Where: A town in the Moscow region
Sergiev Posad is traditionally regarded as the home of the matryoshka. It is a pleasant place to combine a walk through the old centre with the story of the most recognisable Russian toy.
Tip: Look closely at the painted faces of different matryoshkas: they show clearly where a hand was at work and where a template was used.
Crafts in small towns
Where: Small towns and villages of the Moscow region
Besides the famous centres, makers working in wood, ceramics, embroidery and weaving can be found in many small towns. You can learn about them in local museums and at town festivals.
Tip: Ask about workshops at the local history museum or the organisers of craft fairs.
The Volga and the North
Four places for a weekend or a trip of several days.
Semyonov
Where: A town in the Nizhny Novgorod region
Today's centre of Khokhloma, the painting on wood known for its gold, red and black colours. Historically the craft is linked to the former Semyonov district of the old Nizhny Novgorod province.
Tip: Look at how a piece appears at different stages of the work: it becomes clear why one object takes more than a day to make.
Gorodets
Where: A historic town in the Nizhny Novgorod region
Gorodets painting, a bright folk style of painting on wood, took shape in the area around historic Gorodets. Once you have seen it up close, it is easy to recognise, and a walk round the town helps you feel its home ground.
Tip: Stroll along the old streets to the craft museum: the town and the painting explain each other well.
Palekh
Where: Ivanovo region
A centre of lacquer miniatures: a whole story painted with the finest of brushes fits onto a small lacquered object.
Tip: Take your time: miniatures are studied up close and at length. If it is allowed, bring a magnifying glass.
Vologda
Where: Vologda region
The town of Vologda lace, made on bobbins. For those ready to travel further there are other famous crafts too: the Orenburg down shawl, knitted from goat down in Orenburg, and the painted clay Dymkovo toy from the Dymkovo settlement near Kirov.
Tip: Lace is best seen against a dark background, which shows the whole pattern. Don't touch the exhibits, even if they look sturdy.
Read next
- Routes
Three routes to the craftspeople: a day near Moscow, a weekend in the Nizhny Novgorod region and a trip to Vologda.
- Local guide
Guest etiquette in a workshop: photos only with permission, care with the work, the number 112 and winter roads.
- Destinations
Gzhel, Zhostovo and Pavlovsky Posad, Sergiev Posad, Semyonov and Gorodets, Palekh, Vologda: where to go.
Sources
- Encyclopaedic reference works on Russian folk crafts
- Websites of craft museums and workshops: check timetables and visiting rules on the official websites
- The guide's own editorial material
This guide describes trips to folk-craft centres in general terms. Museum and workshop opening arrangements, workshop class conditions and train and bus timetables change, so check them on official websites shortly before you set off.