Not far from Moscow there are three dozen villages, passing one into another. Each has its own name. However, they are called by the name of one of them - Gzhel. The villages are famous for folk crafts. For centuries, Gzhel masters have been creating painted dishes of extraordinary beauty here, which are commonly called Gzhel.
From the history of the village
The first settlements on these lands appeared in the XIV century. It is known that in 1330 Ivan Kalita bequeathed the village to his son Ivan the Red. Later, Dmitry Donskoy owned these lands, and after him - Vasily I. In the 17th century, the village of Gzhel became part of the Moscow district.
In the 17th century, two wooden churches were built in the village. One of them is still active today. This temple is called the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The second one has been destroyed. At the beginning of the 18th century, a stone church was built in Gzhel according to the design of K. V. Grinevsky.
For a long time in Russia deposits of white clay were known. The word "Gzhel" itself comes from the verb "burn", that is, to burn clay. Pottery on the territoryvillages near Moscow in the Ramensky district have been engaged in for a long time. The first mentions of this kind of folk art are found in the documents of the XIV century, then in the spiritual letters of the Moscow princes and, finally, in the will of Ivan the Terrible himself.
In the 17th century, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich issued a decree according to which special clay should be brought to the Gzhel lands. The material was then used exclusively for the manufacture of apothecary vessels. In those days, this craft had little in common with art.
Mikhail Lomonosov also wrote about Gzhel clay in one of his works. About this material, the Russian scientist said: "Nowhere have I seen anything more excellent." It is worth saying that 400 years ago, the creation of various kitchen items, figurines and even porcelain paintings for the inhabitants of those places where clay deposits were discovered became a necessity. These places were not suitable for agriculture. Nothing grew on clay, and therefore the locals had to master the wisdom of pottery.
Ceramic craft acquired great importance in the 19th century. Today, a factory is located here, where they produce porcelain dishes. The main enterprise of Gzhel is called "Xin of Russia". Only a thousand people live in the village today. The distance from Moscow to Gzhel is 43 km.
On the territory of the village flows the Gzhelka River, which flows into the Moscow River. Apart from the above-named factory, there are no sights here. The village of Gzhel is too small. However, tourists often come here from Moscow. The process of making dishes is quite interesting. About the excursion to Gzheldescribed below.
Development of pottery production
Before talking about what is included in the excursion program, it is worth remembering where the history of Gzhel dishes begins.
Almost all the inhabitants of the thirty surrounding villages were already involved in pottery in the 18th century. They made tea and tableware, decorative sculpture, vases, dishes. Today, the Gzhel Porcelain Factory produces various products. Not only kitchen utensils, but also various kinds of souvenirs. But Gzhel dishes were not previously a luxury item. It was intended for taverns, inns, household use.
About 1800, the first porcelain factory was founded. By the end of the century, more than a hundred such enterprises had appeared. At the beginning of the 19th century, craftsmen began to apply fancy patterns to the dishes with cob alt paint.
Gzhel has known all sorts of times. There were ups and downs in her story. After the revolution, folk craft disappeared completely. It was revived only in the post-war years. Then the same Gzhel appeared, which today is recognized all over the world.
Blue of Russia
The heyday of folk craft in Gzhel fell on the eighties of the last century. Here began a large-scale production of works according to old recipes. Of course, using modern technology. Historians suggest that a small pottery factory was located on the site of the Xin Rossii plant, founded in 1989, several centuries ago.
The company has an exhibitionactivity, participates in Russian and international exhibitions.
Where does it all begin?
Production of Gzhel products is a rather laborious process. It takes place in several stages. Beauty is born in the imagination of the artist, who makes a sketch on paper with a pencil and paints it with a conceived pattern. Then a model is made from plasticine, on which a plaster mold is cast. The idea of the artist often changes in the process of work. He often has to change something, especially when it comes to such items of utensils as a teapot, coffee pot. After all, they should be not only beautiful, but also comfortable.
What is porcelain mass made of?
The next step is to prepare the clay. In the creation of a porcelain mixture, special equipment is used. Quartz sand, kaolin, feldspar are added to the clay. All these components are very important, without them clay will not turn into porcelain.
The mixture is loaded into a machine that is, in a way, a giant mixer. Here the mass is processed within 25-28 hours. It turns out slip - a soft mushy mixture, indispensable in the manufacture of porcelain.
Creating blanks
Slip, diluted to a state of thick cream, casters pour into molds. The mixture dries, takes on the intended shape. It turns out the workpiece of the product. It dries for at least 24 hours. After this, the products are “withered”.
Firing
The walls of the dishes should be the same thickness. It is believed that an experienced master candetermine this indicator by touch. The next process is roasting. Future kitchen utensils are placed in a gas oven. Products acquire strength, hardness.
Painting
Cob alt is a special ceramic paint. Initially, it is black as soot. This paint becomes blue only after firing. Gzhel masters take into account more than 20 shades of this color. Representatives of several artistic speci alties work at the Gzhel plant. They are engaged in painting small plastics, others - dishes. Still others apply patterns to interior items.
The main secret of Gzhel painting is strokes. The main technique is the correct ratio of white and blue. There is a rule: each subsequent stroke is different from the previous one. First, paint is thickly drawn on the brush, then the drawing is laid out with different pressure. The first strokes are the most juicy. In their work, experienced craftsmen choose only high-quality tools, because the final result depends on it.
Each Gzhel work is unique in its own way. Corporate colors: juicy blue, bright blue, cornflower blue. Painting and form form a single whole. The ornament complements, emphasizes what was left unsaid in the plastic.
Tours
The village, whose name has long been one of the symbols of Russian fishing creativity, has retained its ancient appearance. You can verify this by going on an excursion to Gzhel. Today, small houses stand here, modest churches rise above them.
Other villages related to the production of kitchen utensils - Glebovo,Troshkovo, Fenino, Rechitsa, Turygino, Novo-Kharitonovo. Getting to these legendary places is easy. But it is better to do this as part of a tour of Gzhel. From the capital, the road will take about an hour and a half. On the way, the guide will tell you interesting facts from the history of folk craft. The cost of an excursion around the village of Gzhel, Ramensky district, depends on the tour operator, duration, number of people in the group.
You can get to the village where the porcelain factory is located on your own by train, which goes from Kazansky railway station. Travel time is 2 hours 20 minutes. The ticket price is approximately 150 rubles. There are also buses to the Gzhel Porcelain Factory from the Kotelniki metro station.
During a tour of the Blue Russia factory, you can learn many interesting nuances about the creative process of the craftsmen. Namely:
- how to make porcelain mass;
- how to properly dry and fire products;
- why two or even three firings are necessary;
- what is the glazing process.
During a tour of the main and only sight of Gzhel, you can not only see the birth of a porcelain miracle with your own eyes, but also do something with your own hands. Burning and molding, of course, no one will allow. However, interesting master classes in painting are organized for sightseers. They are carried out under the guidance of an experienced master. The tour lasts two hours.
Finally, you can visit the warehouse and company store, where more than a thousand factory-made products are on sale.prices.
There is another excursion to Gzhel, which involves visiting not only this village, but also the neighboring one, which houses one of the oldest factories for the production of porcelain. The village is called Turygino. The enterprise located on its territory is the Gzhel Association. Visitors can witness the creative process, from sketching to painting. There is a museum on the territory of the factory, which contains about two thousand exhibits. Master classes are also held here.
Gzhel infrastructure
In order to plunge into the atmosphere of antiquity, it is worth staying in Gzhel for a few days. There are few hotels here, but they still exist. For example, the hotels Aquarelle and Christina. The first has only nine rooms. The rental price is 1500 rubles. "Kristina" - a complex of guest houses. The cost of accommodation in one of them is 4000 rubles.
Chic restaurants in this ancient village, of course, no. But since Gzhel is often visited by tourists, there are still small catering establishments here. One of them, the most popular among tourists, is located on the territory of the Xin Rossii factory. Here, according to reviews, you can have a delicious lunch. There are several roadside cafes along the Yegoryevskoye Highway. One of them is called Seven Fridays.
It is worth mentioning one more attraction of Gzhel. Here is the Kunai-well, and next to it is a small font. These places were visited by pilgrims even before the revolution. It is believed that the water from the Kunai well hashealing power.
