Everyone in life has their own big personal holiday, but there is a common, unifying, joyful - New Year! The tree has long been the main decoration of it; it appeared in houses at the behest of Tsar Peter and has been pleasing us for centuries.
The first Christmas tree toys
Traditionally, New Year, Christmas tree dress up. At the beginning of the tradition, the tree was decorated with edible goodies - nuts, apples, bagels. Such toys were supposed to bring wealth, abundance, good luck to the house for the whole next year. Gradually, the holiday acquired secular features, and home-made toys made specifically for the Christmas tree appeared.
Over time, Christmas tree decorations began to be produced on an industrial scale. USSR Christmas decorations can be seen in every home, at least one or two little things are surely preserved and serve to connect the times and generations, tell the stories of mothers and grandmothers, and together indicate the outline of the country's history.
The first mass production of toys
In Russia, factories for the production of Christmas toys were opened during the First World War, the pioneers were the cities of Klin and St. Petersburg. The revolutionary years were marked by a ban on the traditions of the New Year. The renaissance of the holiday occurred in the thirty-fifth year, and the production of Christmas toys was launched again. New rules of life also required new symbols, the Star of Bethlehem was replaced by a five-pointed star resembling the Spasskaya Tower star.
Toys as a reflection of aspirations
Each year, Christmas decorations of the USSR reflected the symbols of the country, development directions or bright events of the past year. The film “Circus” released on the screens was a resounding success, and Christmas-tree fashion brought brilliant figures of circus artists and animals to each house. A thirst for beauty and children's indefatigability made their way through the party line in the form of snowflakes, rain, colorful balloons.
The difficult war years of the Second World War were marked by homemade toys made from improvised material: shavings, sawdust, cotton wool, wire and cardboard. Many remembered the technique of making a New Year's toy from pressed cotton wool, then they were released until the fifties.
The victory brought not only joy, but the recognition of the New Year holiday as a day off. Christmas decorations of the post-war Soviet era are becoming less fragile and interesting in design and execution. Glass Christmas beads flashed with multi-colored sparkling sparks and were planted on the Christmas tree with great care - they were a rare acquisition.
Khrushchev thaw
It was impossible to abandon the beautiful and large glass ears of corn at the time of Khrushchev. They were in every house on the tree, and to some extent it was a return to the abundant first decorations. On the branches of the New Year's beauty, figures of vegetables and fruits appeared, to which Nikita Sergeyevich had a passion.
On the Christmas tree in honor of the launch of the satellite, its small analogues sparkled with the inscription "USSR" sparkled, they were the pride of every boy. Gagarin's flight gave each family a New Year rocket. There were many types of missiles, and therefore it was possible to assemble a whole fleet. Moreover, the fragility of Christmas toys was very great, and they sometimes burst from a single touch.
Time signs
USSR Christmas decorations traditionally reflected the victories of industry and culture, so a toy car was released. The beauty of the car industry "Victory" depicted in the form of Christmas tree decorations. So the fulfillment of desires was attracted. The film “Carnival Night” was marked by the release of a charming toy in the form of a clock, before which the screen star Lyudmila Gurchenko danced.
But in all years and at all times toys with the image of a star, bears, Santa Claus, numerous balls with different patterns have always been produced.
In the same period, Christmas decorations of the USSR appeared on clothespins. Most often they were performed in the form of animals, fairy-tale heroes. It was convenient to hide them in the Christmas tree paws, and the children looked for them in the needles more often, each time marveling at the secret of their appearance in an unexpected place.
The old Christmas decorations of the USSR can be endlessly examined, they are firmly attached to their time, and this makes them recognizable anywhere in the world. They reflect our history, pulling a string of joyful memories from generation to generation, making everyone stronger. And of course, with them the New Year is always more successful and more joyful.