The peasant population in Russia has always been very poor, and the villagers had to get out in difficult situations by any means. Therefore, until the beginning of the 20th century, bast shoes remained the most popular type of shoe here. This even led to the fact that Russia began to be called "lapotnoy." Such a nickname overshadowed the poverty and backwardness of the common people of the state.
Meaning of the word “bast shoes”
They were always the shoes of the poorest people, including the peasantry, so it is not surprising that bast shoes became a kind of symbol, which was often mentioned in folklore, in various tales and proverbs. These shoes were worn by almost all residents of the country, regardless of age and gender, except for the population of Siberia and the Cossacks.
It is difficult to explain what bast shoes are without mentioning the material from which they are made. Most often, they were made from bast and bast taken from trees such as linden, willow, birch or elm. Sometimes even straw or horsehair was used, since it is a very practical, affordable and obedient material, and from it you can make shoes of various shapes and sizes, which is suitable for both adults and children.
What bast shoes were made of
Due to the fact that these shoes did not differ in durability and pushed very quickly, it was necessary to constantly produce new ones, up to several pairs per week. The stronger the material, the better the shoes turned out, so the craftsmen very carefully approached his choice. The bast received from trees no younger than 4 years old was considered the best. About three trees had to be peeled to get enough material for one pair. It was a long process that took a lot of time, and the result was shoes that in any case would soon become worthless. That's what bast shoes in Russia.
Features
Some craftsmen managed to make bast shoes, using several materials at once. Sometimes they were of different colors and with different ornaments. It is noteworthy that both bast shoes were exactly the same, there was no difference between the right and left.
Despite the fact that the process of making such shoes was not difficult, people still had to make a lot of bast shoes. Often men did this in the winter, when there was less housework. The lexical meaning of the word "bast shoes" means simply wicker shoes, but this does not completely reflect all its features. So, to put them on, you first had to use special canvas footcloths, and then tie them with special leather garters.
Boots
More durable type of shoes at this time were boots, which were much more durable, beautiful and, moreover, comfortable. However, not everyone could afford such a luxury; they were available only to wealthy people who could not feel on themselves what bast shoes were. The boots were made of leather or fabric, the festive ones were decorated with embroidery, silk and even various beautiful stones. They were much more elegant than usual, in everyday life people often wore simple boots without any decorations, since this is a much more practical solution.
Total
In the modern world it is very difficult to judge the hardships of life in a village in the 19th century in Russia, however, the realization of what bast shoes are and how many problems peasants had to overcome just to make shoes can show people how difficult life was before. They were rather impractical and worn out very quickly, but the poor had no choice, they had to pack at the stove on cold winter evenings and make bast shoes for the whole family, and sometimes even for sale.