Slutsk Belt is the national treasure of Belarus. Museum of Slutsk Belts

Slutsk Belt (left photo) is the national heritage of Belarusians, the historical symbol and brand of the country, as well as an example of applied art of the 18th century. However, in modern Belarus there are very few of them.

For example, several years in Minsk, the National Art Museum exhibited belts from Russia, Ukraine and Lithuania. So, let's remember how this art was created and what fate awaited for him.

The mistake of scientists

The history of the Slutsk belts dates back to the 16th century, in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was then that scientists became the reason for their appearance. Historians expressed the opinion that the nobility comes from the ancient steppe people, which is known from the annals of the Romans and Greeks - the Sarmatians. This assumption was the impetus for the development in the 17th century of a new ideology - sarmatism. Aristocrats liked this statement, and they began to consider themselves descendants of this steppe people, and commoners - come from Slavs and Balts.

Since the Sarmatians were a people from the East, silk belts, which were imported from Persia and Turkey in the 18th century, became very popular among the gentry. Such a belt was considered a symbol of wealth and power of its owner, as well as an important component of the so-called "Sarmatian" costume. Thus, it was the delusion of historians that caused the appearance of the phenomenon of slutsk belts.

Production start

In the XVIII century the gentry in Rzecz Pospolita made up about 15% of the population. Therefore, the demand for silk Turkish belts was quite large. And, as they say, demand creates supply.

Then the hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Mikhail Kazimir Radzivil put forward the idea of producing fabrics on the Turkish model in the Belarusian lands. In 1757, according to his order, a loom was secretly taken out of Turkey . However, this was only half the battle. Still needed was a master who was able to cope with technology and knew Turkish customs. And such was found. Hovhannes Madjaryants is a master from Istanbul who then resided in the city of Stanislav. In the people he was called Jan Majarsky. So in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth the first slutsk belts appeared. The factory (manufactory) was originally located in Nesvizh, but later (in 1762) it was moved to Slutsk. There she worked all the remaining time. Hence the corresponding product name.

The peak of skill

Initially, only craftsmen from Istanbul worked in the Slutsk Manufactory. But later the technology was mastered by local weavers, and oriental ornaments and patterns on belts were replaced by local motives.

Twenty-five years (since 1781), the tenant of the factory was Leon Madzharskiy - the son of that Turkish master who initiated the production on the Belarusian lands. For the continuation of his father's business, as well as his great achievements and achievements in this field, he was awarded the state award, was given the title of chamberlain and nobleman's title.

The skill of local weavers grew by leaps and bounds. So, the highest level of production was a two-sided, four-faced slutsk belt. Such a thing was very universal: it was worn for holidays as well as for mourning. According to Turkish customs, only men could become masters. According to the beliefs, if the female hand touched the gold or silver threads, they faded. Therefore, women were not even kept close to the loom. To master the technique of production, men underwent seven-year training. And this despite the fact that their business was just weaving. All the patterns and ornaments were invented separately by the artists.

Imitators

The belt became a necessary item in the wardrobe of any self-respecting aristocrat. The products of the Slutsk Manufactory enjoyed great success and soon ousted its eastern competitors from the market. The profitability of the enterprise prompted neighboring countries to repeat this success.

Thus, the King of the Commonwealth Stanislav August Poniatowski decided to open a weaving factory in the city of Grodno. And he asked the Radzivils for a master who could set up production. However, he was refused. But, despite this, the factory in Grodno opened. Slutsk belts were forged everywhere: from Warsaw to the French city of Lyon.

To fight counterfeit goods, the factory Radzivilov began to label their products. Thus, for each slatz belt an inscription was placed that indicated the place of production: "Me fecit Sluciae" or "Sluck". When the Belarusian lands were part of the Russian Empire - "In the city of Slutsk."

Sunset Manufactory

But for Slutsk manufacture there have come bad times. The third section of the Commonwealth in 1795 served as the beginning of the victorious procession of the French fashion. The assortment of Slutsk belts was sharply reduced. At first they were simply hidden in chests, and then they began to donate churches and churches altogether. Some were burned in order to obtain precious metals. One slatz belt contained up to 100 grams of silver and gold.

1831 was a turning point in the history of the manufactory. After the uprising, the Russian authorities completely banned the wearing of gentry suits, and consequently, of the belt. In 1848 the factory in Slutsk was closed.

Account per unit

Belarusian historian Adam Maldis estimated that during its existence the Slutsk factory produced about 5,000 belts. And each of them is unique and unique. After the belts lost their practical application at the end of the 19th century, they became an artistic value. Both museums and private collectors began to collect them. For example, the famous and successful Russian merchant Shchukin hunted them for about two decades and bought them from Vilnius and Warsaw antique dealers. His collection he bequeathed to the State Historical Museum. And, according to experts, it consists of 60 fragments and 80 whole belts.

There are historical data that in 1939 in the Nesvizh Castle Radziwilov 32 belts were stored, of which 16 were Slutsk. The collection was transferred to the State Art Gallery of the BSSR. However, during the years of the German occupation, it disappeared without a trace.

To date, only 11 belts have been preserved in the whole of Belarus, of which 5 are Slutsk, and the rest are copies made abroad. In general, it is almost impossible to name the exact number of these art objects on the territory of Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and other countries.

Today in Slutsk

Since 2012 in Belarus, on behalf of the President, the State Program has been operating, the task of which is to revive the traditions and technologies of the production of the Slutsk belts.

On the site of the old manufactory are the buildings of the RUE "Slutsk Belts". This enterprise was formed in 1930 as an artel uniting embroiderers and weavers engaged in folk crafts and possessing the appropriate skills and craftsmanship. In 2011 the enterprise turned 75 years old. The main products produced at the factory are covers, towels, napkins, dolls and souvenirs. All this is done manually on special weaving looms - "kroshny".

Since 2012, the Slutsk Combine has started producing copies of Slutsk belts, as well as various souvenirs with their motifs (accessories for books, keys, telephones, art panels, etc.). Years of studying the secrets of weavers and artistic features of the masterpieces of the XVIII century were not in vain - the company recreated the long-forgotten unique technology. So, the first slutz belt (photo) - an ideal copy of the historical masterpiece - was presented to the President of the Republic of Belarus. Today it decorates the Palace of Independence.

The products of the Slutsk belts are very popular today. Here you can buy beautiful tablecloths, Belarusian towels, napkins and much more. And these are not just things, but real works of art.

Museum of Slutsk Belts

The company has a unique museum. There you can see copies and fragments of masterpieces, modern variants, and also watch how they are made.

The Museum of the History of Slutsk Belts includes several halls. The first zone is "The layers of history". Here you can see how the appearance of the Slutsk belts varied in different periods of time, among different peoples.

Zone "Slutsk Belt" can boast an original piece of art of the XVIII century, as well as its copies and fragments. And in the department of "Manufacture" you can get acquainted with the state of production of the XVIII century.

The "Fragment of the Radzivils Palace" is a reconstructed piece of the Nesvizh castle of that time. After all, the Radzivils were representatives of one of the richest, most influential and notable Polish-Lithuanian clans. Their castle was furnished with luxurious furniture, decorated with paintings of famous artists and covered with Persian carpets. In contrast to noble chambers in the "People's Zone" you can also see what the life of ordinary people was like.

In the museum there is a unique machine developed by German firm Mageba, especially for the recreation of Slutsk belts. It is controlled by two computers, contains 6 shuttles and 1200 threads. There are no analogues of such a machine in the world.

Price of issue

Today on unique equipment the slutsk belts are recreated. How much are such masterpieces? According to the leading artist of the factory, copies of slutsk belts will cost buyers from 10 to 50 million Belarusian rubles. It is from 1000 to 5000 US dollars.

Not cheap, we will tell so. Where does this price come from? Even today, with the use of modern technology, this is a big work. The creation of one belt takes about 60 hours! In the process, very thin threads of natural silk containing silver and gold are used. And if you increase the speed of production, they can tear. The final price is formed depending on the length of the belt, as well as the number of precious metals used for its tailoring.