Russia

The Block

The central image of the Russia block features the bird-goddess, Sirine, created by Tatiana Jouikova in vivid surface embroidery and outlined in gold. This fast-flying mythical figure is a prevalent symbol in art and literature and represents joy, luck and glory. She is a fitting metaphor for a country trying to rise above the many struggles of its past. ‘Painting’ embroidery (a form of counted-thread embroidery in which outline stitches of equal length form coloured lines to create geometric, angled forms), frames the centre.

The design, worked in traditional red thread, symbolizes warmth, the sun, joy and life. It is a typical pattern used to decorate clothing, curtains, cushions, and household linens, and rushnyks (ritual towels used at funerals, weddings, and as icon drapery). Embroidered towels are also used for the traditional offering of bread and salt to important guests.

Cultural Profile

The Federation of Russia, made up of 83 republics, covers almost one-eighth of the world’s land area, encompasses eleven time zones, and is home to the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal. It is a country of great ethnic diversity, reflected in its painting, music, dance, architecture, literature and drama. Russian is the official language, although many minority groups speak some 100 different languages, with Russian as a second language. Babushkas (Russian grandmothers) are said to hold Russian society together and therefore have very important roles within the family.

Russia has a strong identity and culture, even though the country spans over 8,000 kilometres and two continents. Traditions common throughout the country include drinking tea, with the samovar being at the center of this practice. The samovar comprises two parts: one kettle where a tea concentrate is brewed rests on a tank filled with hot water, which tea drinkers use to dilute the concentrate to their liking. The drink is served in glasses, with the podstakannik, the glass holder, keeping the glass and the drinker’s hands safe.

Russia’s strong literary tradition includes writers such as Tolstoy (War and Peace, Anna Karenina), Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment), Chekhov (The Cherry Orchard) and Pasternak (Dr. Zhivago). The country has dominated the world of ballet with its innovative techniques––the Bolshoi Ballet in particular, has trained some of the world’s best dancers. Classical music composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky and Prokovief have contributed many of the most important works in the world’s classical music repertoire. Folk music and choral singing, including the sacred music of the orthodox faith are important parts of the rich, Russian culture.

Russian folk art includes carved wooden utensils such as a kovsh (traditional drinking dipper) and wooden toys, the most famous of which is a Matryoshka, a set of seven peanut-shaped dolls that fit into one another. Bone carving of jewellery and small decorative items is done using mammoth and walrus bones. Paintings on wood are a famous Russian craft: vivid colours are applied to wooden furniture, shutters, doors and decorative items to create naïve scenes of horses, birds, flowers or village life. Lacquer painting has developed from the tradition of icon painting which was forbidden for much of the 20th century.

Notable textile arts include goldwork embroidery, fish skin cloth, and the embroidery of the many varied and colourful folk costumes. Russian shawls, with their easily recognizable vivid flower patterns, are made of wool or, in the case of the Orenburg downy pashmina, made of goat hair. The latter material is so finely made that the shawl itself fits through a wedding ring despite its 1.5　m x 1.5　m size.

Russians have made major contributions to research, applied sciences and mathematics. Space exploration, nuclear power generation, television, or the helicopter were invented or perfected by Russian scientists. On a lighter note, the most popular video game of all times, Tetris, was also created in Russia. Even though each game of Tetris is doomed from the start, millions of players have taken part, and the game is even credited with boosting critical thinking and language processing, as well as treating lazy eye condition and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Russian settlement in Canada began as early as the nineteenth century. A large group of Doukhobors came in 1899, establishing an agrarian community in Saskatchewan, and today there are an estimated 30,000 Doukhobors here. They are concentrated in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, and many continue to preserve their language, culture and traditions. Russians have made numerous contributions to Canadian life. Early immigrants helped ensure the physical development of this country, while those who came later had strong influences in the academic arena and diplomatic corps, as well as in the areas of music and dance. During the 1930s, Boris Volkoff aroused interest in ballet, and in 1955 Ludmilla Chiriaeff founded Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montréal. Today, there are over 550,000 people of Russian ancestry living in Canada.

Sponsor: Coleman and Joan P. MacDonald