What Do Cheese, French Fries, Butter and Boots All Have In Common?

 

National and local culture are very much alive and celebrated in Russia with many small museums dedicated to the preservation of traditional customs and practices.  This past weekend’s outing led me and a group of friends to the Валенки Музей (Valenkiy or felted wool boot Museum).  Yes, you read correctly, I wrote felted boot museum.  There seems to be a wide array of museums around the world that cater to very specific niches.  There is a cheese museum in Amsterdam, a french fry museum in Brugge, a butter museum in Cork, so why not a felted boot museum in Moscow?  It all makes sense, right?

You see, валенки are very much a traditional and necessary piece of footwear in a country with a most inhospitable winter climate.  Before there were Baffin or Sorel boots on the market, there still was a need to keep warm during the harsh, -40C winter days.  Out of necessity was born the invention of the felted wool boot.  The material was readily available, the technique was fairly simple (although labour-intensive) and the result was a very effective, natural guard against frostbite.

In true Russian style, however, the technology was taken to the extreme.  Instead of simply felting wool and piecing together parts to create footwear (sole and uppers), leaving seams and the opportunity for glacial winds and water to sneak into the boots, the method for creating seamless, felted wool boots was invented.  The Russian валенки were born and the Russians have never looked back since!  Why would you when you have a completely natural product with no seams, a sustainable source of material which naturally keeps you warm and dry without sweating and is durable enough to last long enough to pass from one family member to the next?

Our lesson in the history and manufacture of валенки was, dare I say surprisingly,  interesting and our educator was very engaging.  She shared the history of the валенки  peppered with anecdotes.  She then showed us step by step how the boots are made using the traditional methods and tools.  She patiently allowed me to take photos of every step.  (Not to worry, I asked permission beforehand and didn’t use a flash.) We were encouraged to feel and look at the source material as well as the tools used to create the boots.  There was even a short film at the end showing the process from start to finish.  The backbreaking work that goes into every step of the production is certainly not work fit for the weak!

Nowadays the boots are created both entirely by hand by artisans as well as commercially manufactured.  One touch quickly shows the difference between the two products.  The handmade ones are more flexible and seemingly more comfortable, molding faster to your feet than the commercially spun felt that is more dense but certainly less forgiving.

from start to end

note the seams on this one

 

 Tools of the trade

 

wool is combed

wool is carded

wool is smoothed into a basic shape

form is rolled repeatedly to mesh the fibers together

fabric pattern outline

boot is shaped

further work to smooth the felt

After time spent in the steam room...

child's boot from start to finish

woman's boot from start to finish

wooden shaping forms are inserted to ensure proper proportions and dimensions

Carding machine

 

On display in the museum, with a square footage no larger than my dining room, are examples of валенки through the ages.  One is able to track the evolution of style and marriage of tradition and technology that make up the products of today’s market.

XX Century Dagestani boots

Marshall Zhukov's валенки

decorated by children

Hand painted валенки

felt shoes and boots - because they have seams, they are not валенки

 

 

Hmm, a felt samovar and teapot - not too sure that would work very well!

лапти (or bast shoes) made from woven fibers of linden or birch bark

The fascinating visit culminated in a trip through the World of Wool store conveniently located next door, accessible through a private door from the museum directly into the show room.  For sale were all manner of валенки, felt products, textiles and felt  clothing.

Traditional баня and сауна wear is often made from felt.  You may remember my Sergeyev Possad post earlier this past winter touched upon the tradition of wearing a felted wool hat in order to protect one’s hair and head from the extreme heat while in the баня.  Well, mystery solved as to where one can procure such protective gear.  The twist is the variety and whimsical nature of the hats as well as the costumes that are available.  Баня costumes?  To each his or her own, I suppose.  It is good to know where all of your баня needs can be met as The World of Wool also sells the  birch switches with which to self-flagellate in order to encourage and enhance circulation while cooking oneself in a wet steam баня.

Don't forget your accessories for the баня and the сауна!

All in all, I have to say I’m seriously considering buying a pair of валенки for when I need to do winter yard duty back in Canada.  Since taking a shot of vodka or two during the work day is frowned upon by my employer, the next best thing will have to do!  A fur hat, a proper coat and impenetrable boots to keep me toasty warm on the coldest of winter days sounds like a perfect compromise.

Although, staying inside also works...