Who taught the Russians how to make felt boots, and Why even maids of honor and emperors wore these shoes

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In the established perception, felt boots are associated with Russian culture. But in fairness it is worth knowing that the prototype came to us with the Golden Horde. Felted footwear of those times did not resemble the felt boots we know. Well, the recognizable one-piece felt boot spread in the Russian Empire only by the beginning of the 19th century. And this pleasure, I must say, was expensive. Not every peasant could afford to wear felt boots, and a groom with such a dowry aroused special interest in the circles of brides. Felt boots were worn by Peter I, Catherine the Great saved herself from leg diseases, and Anna Ioannovna's maids of honor sported high felt boots with pleasure, even on ceremonial occasions.

Siberian excavations

The first known fellers of wool are considered to be Mongolian nomads and the inhabitants of Altai. They have successfully mastered the method of obtaining warm and durable material for their yurts, clothes and shoes through simple manual operations. Sheep's wool, to which goat or camel's wool was sometimes added, was laid out in an even layer and knocked down with twigs.

After impregnation with milk whey or pure hot water, there was a felting process, reminiscent of kneading dough. Different places had their own felting traditions, but the main point everywhere came down to mixing small woolen fibers, firmly connected to each other due to the scaly structure. The first evidence of felted products from Siberia was discovered during excavations of Altai burial mounds. The found elements of woolen things are attributed by archaeologists to the era of the BC. The mention of a certain felt footwear is also found in the translation from the Old Russian "The Lay of Igor's Campaign."

Traditional production method

The word "felt boots" itself is not directly related to a specific historical process or personality. The final name of this type of footwear has passed through centuries-old traditions and was formed by the people. In different eras, felted woolen boots were called differently - from felt boots to wire rods. But one way or another, it all came down to the manufacturing method. Over the history of the existence of felt boots, the essence of their production has hardly changed, recently only power plants have come to the rescue for a few stages. At the same time, the manufacture of felt felt boots continues to be considered manual work.

After cleaning and washing, the sheep wool is dried and combed out. At the last stage, machines are used that form coils from the initial material. Further, a woolen boot is formed exclusively by hand, which is given a shape similar to a felt boot, only of significantly larger volumes. In a special machine, or again manually using steam and hot water, the product is processed to the desired size and pushed onto the block. In this position, each felt boot dries for several hours under the influence of high temperatures.

As you can see, the work, although monotonous, requires strength, skills and experience. Therefore, only men were engaged in the manufacture of felt boots, usually working with wool in baths or pimokatnyas adapted for these purposes, where there is access to hot water. The creation of a party of felt boots was taken in the summer season. We started work at dawn, giving steam up the mountain at night. In the fall, the craftsmen went to the neighboring provinces - "to burn". Earnings from the sale of products were sometimes enough until next summer.

Tsar's felt boots

The fashion for felt boots arose during the period of the Russian Empire in tsarist circles. By the 19th century, felt boots were considered expensive and prestigious winter shoes. It was customary to wear them in the highest-ranking societies. Woolen boots were favored by Peter I, demanding to serve him “cabbage soup and felt boots” every time after the bath procedures. Catherine the Great believed in the life-giving properties of felt material, who was looking for salvation in her felt boots for her suffering legs. And Anna Ioannovna even initiated the felt boots fashion at the court, teaching the lady-in-waiting to wear high felt boots even under ceremonial dresses. It was at this time that Russian felt boots became famous throughout Europe.

At the international London exhibition, felt boots, together with downy shawls, aroused unprecedented interest among foreigners. The products of the Mitrofan Smirnov factory from Neklyudovo were considered prestigious. His products were present at large-scale exhibitions in Chicago, Vienna and Paris. Russian felt boots were invariably awarded with the first medals.

Giant boots

Seamless woolen shoes have proven themselves both in frost and warmer seasons. In all temperature conditions, feet in felt boots feel natural comfort and dry warmth. Qualitatively made felt boots do not shrink, do not harm the foot. In severe frosts, felt boots became indispensable footwear on the winter battlefields of the Great Patriotic War. Some historians insist that it was the presence of such shoes that gave the Red Army the advantage. In Soviet times, the party bosses, army commanders and collective farm leaders received special felt boots - felt cloaks made of light felt, sealed with leather along the bottom and seated on a leather sole.

Today in Russia there are several museums dedicated to felt boots. In Moscow, simply called "Russian felt boots", there are at least 200 exhibits per hall. At the same time, some of them are over 140 years old. Here you can look at officer's felt boots, felted specimens for skiers, wedding and solemn versions, painted felt boots. Today, a six-meter boot felled in St. Petersburg is recognized as the largest felt boot in the world.

It took the artist-historian Valeria Loshak many months to make a commemorative felted sculpture, which used at least 300 kilograms of high-quality sheep's wool. A woolen monument was erected at the Obvodny Canal for three whole days, assembling it right on the spot from many parts. Those who wished were invited to enter the art object through the entrance in the heel, and three adults could easily fit in the felt boot.

Well, later, already in Soviet times, the Russians were able to surprise the world again. This time they women's boots with zippers invented.