Not far from Moscow, there are three dozen villages turning into one another. Each has its own name. However, they are called by the name of one of them - Gzhel. The villages are famous for handicrafts. For centuries, Gzhel craftsmen have created here of extraordinary beauty painted dishes, which is 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 a village to his son Ivan the Red. Later, these lands were owned by Dmitry Donskoy, and after him - Vasily I. In the XVII century, the village of Gzhel became part of the Moscow district.
In the XVII century, two wooden churches were built in the village. One of them is valid to this day. This temple is called the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The second has long been destroyed. At the beginning of the XVIII century, a stone temple was built in Gzhel according to the project 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, burn clay. They have been engaged in pottery in the villages of the Ramensky district near Moscow for a long time. The first references to this type of folk art are found in documents of the XIV century, then in the spiritual letters of Moscow princes and, finally, in the will of Ivan the Terrible himself.
In the XVII 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 pharmaceutical vessels. In those days, this craft still had little in common with art.
In one of his works, Mikhail Lomonosov also wrote about Gzhel clay. About this material, the Russian scientist said this: “I have never seen anything better than anywhere else.” It is worth saying that 400 years ago the creation of various kitchen items, figurines, and even porcelain paintings for residents of those places where clay deposits were discovered, became a necessity. For agriculture, these places were not suitable. Nothing grew on clay, and therefore local residents had to learn the wisdom of pottery.
Ceramic crafts acquired great importance in the 19th century. Today, there is a factory where porcelain dishes are produced. The main enterprise of Gzhel is called “Blue of Russia”. Only a thousand people live in the village today. The distance from Moscow to Gzhel is 43 km.
The Gzhelka River flows into the village, flowing into the Moscow River. In addition to the above plant, there are no attractions. Too little Gzhel village. From Moscow, however, tourists often come here. The process of making dishes is quite interesting. About the excursion to Gzhel is described below.
Pottery development
Before you talk about what is included in the excursion program, it is worth remembering how the history of Gzhel dishes begins.
Almost all the inhabitants of thirty surrounding villages were already involved in pottery in the 18th century. They made tea and tableware, decorative sculptures, vases, dishes. At the Gzhel Porcelain Factory today they produce various products. Not only kitchen utensils, but also various souvenirs. But Gzhel ware was previously not a luxury item. It was intended for taverns, inns, household goods.
Around 1800, the first porcelain factory was founded. By the end of the century, more than a hundred such enterprises appeared. At the beginning of the XIX century, craftsmen began to apply fancy patterns to the dishes with cobalt paint.
Gzhel knew all kinds of times. There were ups and downs in her story. After the revolution, folk crafts disappeared completely. It was reborn only in the postwar years. Then the same Gzhel appeared, which is recognized all over the world today.
"Blue of Russia"
The flowering of folk craft in Gzhel came in the eighties of the last century. Here began the large-scale production of works according to old recipes. Of course, using modern technology. Historians suggest that it was on the site of the Sin Rossii plant, founded in 1989, several centuries ago that a small factory for the production of pottery was located.
The company conducts exhibition activities, participates in Russian and international exhibitions.
Where does it all start?
The manufacture of Gzhel products is a rather laborious process. It takes place in several stages. Beauty is born in the imagination of an artist who makes a pencil sketch on paper and paints it with a conceived pattern. Then, a model is made from plasticine, according to 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 kettle, coffee pot. After all, they should be not only beautiful, but also comfortable.
What does porcelain mass consist of?
The next step is clay preparation. In the creation of the porcelain mixture uses special equipment. Quartz sand, kaolin, feldspar are added to clay. All these components are very important, without them clay will not turn into porcelain.
The mixture is loaded into a machine, which in some ways is a giant mixer. Here, the mass is processed within 25-28 hours. It turns out a slip - a soft porridge-like mixture, indispensable in the manufacture of porcelain.
Create blanks
Slurry, diluted to a thick cream, casters are poured into molds. The mixture dries up, takes on the intended shape. It turns out the procurement of the product. It dries at least 24 hours. After this product “wither”.
Burning
The walls of the dishes should be the same thickness. It is believed that an experienced master is able to determine this indicator by touch. The next process is firing. Future cooking utensils are placed in a gas oven. Products gain strength, hardness.
Painting
Cobalt is a special ceramic paint. Initially, it is black as soot. This paint only turns blue after firing. Gzhel craftsmen take into account more than 20 shades of this color. Representatives of several art specialties work at the Gzhel factory. They are engaged in painting small plastic, others - utensils. Still others inflict patterns on interior items.
The main secret of Gzhel painting is brush strokes. The main trick is the correct ratio of white and blue. There is a rule: each subsequent smear is different from the previous one. First, a paint is densely typed on the brush, then with different pressure the picture is laid out. The first strokes are the most juicy. In their work, experienced craftsmen choose only high-quality tools, because the final result depends on this.
Each Gzhel work is unique in its own way. Company colors: juicy blue, bright blue, cornflower blue. The painting and form are a single whole. The ornament complements, emphasizes that which was unsaid in plastic.
Excursions
The village, the name of which has long been one of the symbols of Russian craft, has preserved its ancient appearance. This can be seen by going on an excursion to Gzhel. Today there are small houses, modest churches rise above them.
Other villages related to the production of kitchen utensils are 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. It will take about an hour and a half from the capital to the road. On the way, the guide will tell interesting facts from the history of folk craft. The cost of a tour of the village of Gzhel, Ramensky district, depends on the tour operator, duration, number of people in the group.
You can independently reach the village where the porcelain factory is located by train, which goes from the Kazan station. Travel time is 2 hours 20 minutes. The ticket costs about 150 rubles. There are also buses to the Gzhel porcelain factory from the Kotelniki metro station.
During the tour of the “Sin Rossii” factory, you can learn many interesting nuances about the creative process of the masters. Namely:
- how to make porcelain mass;
- how to dry and burn products;
- why two or even three firing is necessary;
- what is the process of glazing.
During a tour of the main and only sights of Gzhel, you can not only see with your own eyes the birth of a china miracle, but also do something with your own hands. No one will allow to burn and mold, of course. However, interesting guides for painting are organized for sightseers. They are conducted under the guidance of an experienced craftsman. The tour lasts two hours.
In conclusion, you can visit the warehouse and company store, where more than a thousand products are sold at factory prices.
There is another excursion to Gzhel, which involves a visit not only to this village, but also to the neighboring one, which houses one of the oldest factories for the production of porcelain. The village is called Turygino. The company, which is 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 collected 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, but they are still there. For example, the hotels "Watercolor" and "Christina." The first has nine rooms. Rental price - 1500 rubles. Kristina is 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 tourists often visit Gzhel, there are still small catering facilities here. One of them, the most popular among sightseers, is located on the territory of the Sin Rossii plant. Here, according to reviews, you can have a delicious lunch. Along the Egorievsk highway there are several roadside cafes. One of them is called "Seven Fridays."
It is worth mentioning another attraction of Gzhel. Here is the Kunai well, and next to it is a small font. Pilgrims visited these places before the revolution. It is believed that the water from the Kunai well has healing power.