Master class on Chechen ornament

Chechen ornament is a unique art, famous for its beauty and complexity. It is one of the important aspects of the culture of the Chechen people.

On October 25, a master class “Nokhchiyn ornament” was held at the National Library of the Chechen Republic, Department of National and Local History Literature. The event was held within the framework of the Pushkin Map project. It was attended by students of Grozny. The main purpose of the event was to introduce young people to the national ornament, to convey the importance and significance of each pattern, to teach them to distinguish the elements of the ornament, to develop a sense of form, to foster love for folk art, diligence.

Rumisa Israpilova, a master who has been working in this field for more than three years, told about the technique of making an ancient Chechen attribute. She showed the participants how wool is laid, the pre-treatment it undergoes, revealed the secrets of a color application sewn directly into the middle of the carpet, and depicting various national patterns.

Rumisa Israilova noted that making a felt carpet requires patience and experience. In the manufacturing process, all stages consist of an average of 4-5 cycles, with a frequency of 20 minutes. R. Israpilova showed how wool is rolled, then using soap and warm water demonstrated the process of correcting the shape of the product. From the words of the craftswoman, it became known that in the old days the Chechens used exclusively plant raw materials as dyes, which were extracted from alder, madder, walnut, rosehip, onion, etc.

 The famous poetess Rosa Dahaeva read a poem about a Chechen girl who warmed up from the winter cold with a felt rug – “Istangis” decorated with ornaments were widely used in the North Caucasus in the VIII-XIX centuries.

Such carpets were considered as a luxury item and were mostly in the houses of wealthy people. This craft was considered exclusively a women’s business, so in every chechen villagewomen were able to make felt. Moreover, the girl preparing for marriage, had to make such istangis with her own hands as a gift to her husband’s relatives, told Rumisa. The books about the ornament were introduced by the head of the department Y.Y. Duhaeva. She noted that in the books presented at the exhibition, the authors studied one of the richest sections of Chechen ethnic creativity. They studied the history of the ornament, its role in modern life, the meanings of the elements, the principles of creating, the author’s sketches are created, the ways for the development of the ornament are outlined.

An exhibition of national carpets made by Rumisa Israpilova was presented at end of the event.