The Art of Embroidery in Russia. XIX-XXI Century: Exhibition in Tsereteli Art Gallery

Organized by the Moscow Government, Culture Department of the City of Moscow, Museum and Exhibition Center “Museum of Fashion”, the Museum of Decorative Fabrics of A. Kosygin Moscow State Textile University and the Russian Academy of Arts, the exhibition in Tsereteli Art Gallery explores the history of the art of embroidery in Russia.

In the Traditions Hall the viewers will see old garments of various Russian provinces decorated by craftsmen of hand embroidery, precious caps, shawls with intricate patterns from the Museum of Decorative Fabrics of A. Kosygin Moscow State Textile University and private collections of Sergey Glebushkin and Olga Chernikova. Along with the national embroidery connected with customs and traditions of Russian peasantry on show is also a “city” embroidery that was much influenced by Western vogue and machine techniques.

Of big interest are evening gowns of the early 20th century belonging to the collector and fashion designer Elena Suprun as well as a wedding dress of the 1920s from the collection of Alla Schipakina and embroidered garments of her grandmother from the Gabrilovich family which were preserved by Alla’s mother Kira Mosyakina, a noted artist in the Soviet time.

A surprise for many will be an involvement in the exhibition of the People’s Artist of Russia Nadezhda Babkina who provided works from her private collection. Of historical value are “Soviet” embroideries made in the 1930s -1970s from the collection of Alexander Petlyura.

In the Chamber Hall decorated with recreated peasant interiors there are household items of everyday life in the late 19th-early 20th century. These are pillows, bed linen, towels, napkins and tablecloths exhibited by Olga Chernikova. The renowned collector and fashion historian Alexander Vasiliev has displayed a fragment from his vast collection of embroidered things of the 19th – early 20th century – from icons and pictures to tables and boxes.

The Nowadays Hall contains costumes produced in the time of restructuring and these days. This period is represented by legendary collections that in 1987-1989 made fame to the fashion designer Slava Zaitsev, as well as dresses by fashion designers Tatyana Osmerkina, Elena Sterligova, Lina Telegina. Worthy of admiration is the art of embroidery recreated by the world renowned fashion designer Valentine Yudashkin. Exquisite and extraordinary are embroideries by the best St. Petersburg fashion designer Tatyana Parfenova. Among the pieces of greatest delight are dresses by Darya Razumikhina with elaborately embroidered Russian ornaments. The youngest generation is represented by the designer from Togliatti, prize winner of the competition “Russian Silhouette” Kristina Kovaleva.

The exposition is a rare opportunity to trace how traditional folk techniques of embroidery have been passed from generation to generation and the art of embroidery is being promoted by nowadays Russian craftsmen.




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