Many people know Palekh primarily as the center of lacquer miniatures. But they began to engage in lacquer miniatures in Palekh only after the revolution of the 17th year, when it became impossible to engage in icon painting, for which the city had been famous since ancient times. It’s good for politicians who instantly adapt with a change in the political system, and artists have to painfully search for new directions in their creative activity. And this happened more than once in the 20th century. When icon painting became irrelevant at the beginning of the century, the best artists of Palekh created the phenomenon of Palekh lacquer miniatures, which became famous throughout the world. In the 90s, a restructuring of the creative work of Palekh artists was again required, when the collectivist artel structure created during the years of Soviet power was completely destroyed. But the Palekh artists again emerged from this situation with honor and were able to preserve the accumulated centuries-old experience both in icon painting and in the creation of lacquer miniatures. Fortunately, the connection between generations was not interrupted.

We visited Palekh during the now traditional summer trip to the cities of the Golden Ring. If last year the main city of the trip was Plyos, then this year Palekh became such a city. The city made an indelible impression. Many people note the unique atmosphere of Palekh and the unusual aura of this place - an amazing city of artists. A river with a beautiful name flows through the city - Paleshka. And the residents of Palekh call themselves Paleshans. Palekh is the birthplace of the Firebird; on the coat of arms and flag of the city there is a Firebird, executed in the traditional style of Palekh lacquer miniatures - gold on a black background.

Coat of arms of Palekh

Flag of Palekh

Entrance to the city

History of Palekh

The history of Palekh goes back to ancient times. There are several versions of the origin of the toponym Palekh. In these places, in impenetrable forests and swamps, Finno-Ugric tribes lived in ancient times, who later merged with the tribes of the southern Slavs. Palekh in Finno-Ugric means an elevated place. Perhaps the name came from the words “fire, burn”, i.e. to burn the forest for settlement and plowing of fields. From written sources it is known that already in the 12-13th century Palekh was a large village. It is assumed that icon painters came to Palekh and surrounding villages after the capture of Vladimir by the Tatars in 1238, i.e., the Tatars could not have done it here either. Part of the population of the Vladimir-Suzdal land, including icon painters-monks, fled from the Tatars into dense, impenetrable forests, where they settled and preserved the art of icon painting. Icon painting was a family affair and there were entire family dynasties where boys became icon painters first by birth, and only then by vocation. In the 18th century, the art of Palekh icon painters acquired a unique style, later called “Palekh letters”. Palekh icons were famous for their special fineness of writing, bright tempera paints with the use of gold on the clothes of the saints. The Paleshans were also known as masters of monumental painting; they participated in the painting and restoration of many churches and cathedrals throughout Russia. For example, the masters of the workshop of the Belousov brothers painted the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin. The list of religious objects in the painting and restoration of which Palekh icon painters had a hand in is impressive: these are the Dmitrov and Assumption Cathedrals of Vladimir, the Annunciation Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the Assumption Cathedral of the Sviyazhsky Monastery, St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod, the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow, the Ipatiev Monastery in Kostroma and a lot others.

The famous Russian historian Georgy Dmitrievich Filimonov, one of the founders of the first Public Museum in Moscow and head of the archive of the Armory Chamber, who visited Palekh in 1863, spoke about the Palekh artists: “... In the matter of icon painting, no locality can currently compare with Palekh , because icon painting here is not just a means, but a goal.” And another quote: “Instead of pitiful peasant artisans, I, quite unexpectedly, met a developed people, full of bright convictions and knowing their history...”. Since then, with the light hand of G.D. Filimonov, the name “village-academy” has stuck to Palekh.

In those days, Palekh's fame went far beyond Russia. From the correspondence of the historian N.M. Karamzin, it is known that the German poet Goethe in his declining years dreamed of coming to Palekh and seeing how, among the Russian expanses, artists, more like peasants, painted icons on wood that Byzantine masters would envy. The Vladimir governor A. N. Suponev even sent two icons by Palekh icon painters the Kaurtsev brothers as a gift to Goethe in Weimar.

Emerging in the deep provinces, among peasants, Palekh icon painting became a significant phenomenon in Russian artistic culture. But all icon painting naturally ceased with the Bolsheviks coming to power. Many families were left without a livelihood, many masters parted with their artistic craft forever. However, there were many among the Paleshans who could not imagine themselves outside the artistic profession. And a new artistic phenomenon happened, again glorifying a small settlement in the Ivanovo region throughout the world. Palekh miniature, which arose as a result of social and cultural changes that occurred in Russia after the revolution of the 17th year, managed to preserve the centuries-old traditions of icon painting as high art, transfer them to new forms and fill them with a different content that was in demand by society.

The founder of the Palekh style is considered to be Ivan Golikov, who wrote the first work in the so-called Palekh style in the Moscow workshop of Alexander Glazunov. This work was called "Adam in Paradise." The masters mastered painting on the new material papier-mâché, from which boxes, powder compacts, and jewelry were made, and transferred to them the technology of tempera painting traditional for ancient Russian icons and the conventional stylistics of the image. For the first time, Palekh miniatures on papier-mâché, commissioned by the Handicraft Museum, were presented at the All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Exhibition in 1923, where they were awarded a 2nd degree diploma. In 1924, seven Palekh artists, formerly accomplished masters of icon painting, led by Ivan Golikov, united in the “Artel of Ancient Painting.” Already in 1925, Palekh miniatures were exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris and received a gold medal there. In 1932, after the famous Moscow exhibition “The Art of Palekh,” which aroused extraordinary public interest, the Union of Palekh Artists arose. In 1954, the Palekh art and production workshops of the USSR Art Fund were formed, which successfully closed in the 90s.

What to see in Palekh

State Museum of Palekh Art. The museum's website is very informative and has an interesting video tour of Palekh. The museum was organized in 1934. Maxim Gorky took an active part in organizing the museum, although he had never been to Palekh. The Museum of Palekh Art is a significant museum complex, which includes many departments. The last to open was the exhibition center, which today houses a museum of icons. The museum's exhibition includes many authentic ancient Palekh icons.

Exposition and exhibition center, which houses the museum of icons

Icon “Akathist to the Savior” 1770s. It is considered the standard of the Palekh style of icon painting. One of the most valuable icons of the Palekh Museum.

The section of Palekh lacquer miniatures is located in a separate two-story building across Bakanova Street. The exhibition of the museum of lacquer miniatures begins with display cases telling about the artistic materials used in Palekh, the technology of making papier-mâché products, and the methods of Palekh painting. The next room tells about the work of the founders of the art of Palekh lacquer miniatures N. I. Golikov, A. V. Kotukhin, I. V. Markichev and other masters, including modern ones. Through the exhibition you can trace the entire history of Palekh lacquer miniatures. It’s better to take a tour of the museum, then the art of Palekh will definitely not pass your mind. The excursion for us was conducted by a representative of one of the most famous dynasties of artists in Palekh - the Korins. She herself is an artist by profession, like most of her relatives and ancestors, her husband is a sculptor.

Lacquer miniatures are stored in display cases under glass and are difficult to photograph.

Classic examples of Palekh lacquer miniatures

Ideologically consistent works

Work dedicated to Gagarin. They say that Yuri Gagarin personally ordered this work from Palekh craftsmen and planned to give it to Khrushchev.

Holy Cross Church. It was erected in 1762−1774 in the strict forms of ancient Russian architecture of the 17th century by master Yegor Dubov on a high hill and dominates Palekh. The temple was built at the expense of parishioners. The wall painting was completed by 1807. The temple consists of four limits and a high bell tower. The interior of the temple is covered with fresco paintings made by Palekh masters under the guidance of the Sapozhnikov brothers, owners of an icon-painting workshop in Moscow. Numerous compositions depict biblical history. All paintings are made in cold blue tones of a cloudless sky. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the temple. The blue color of the domes of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is its distinctive feature; you rarely see such a delicate heavenly color in the design of the domes. All members of our small company unanimously noted the architectural originality and exceptional beauty of the color design of the temple and associated it with the good artistic taste of the Palekh residents. The Church of the Exaltation of the Cross was not destroyed during the era of persecution of the church, and this is also the merit of the Paleshans. They showed some cunning when they turned to the People's Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR to include the temple in the museum's exhibition. In the spring of 1936, the property of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross, including ancient icons, was transferred to the State Museum of Palekh Art, which actually saved the temple and all its contents.

Holy Cross Church

Bell tower of the Holy Cross Church

A fragment of the outer wall of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross with the author’s inscription: “This Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross of the Lord is master Egor Dubov.”

Evening panorama of Palekh with the bell tower of the Holy Cross Church

House-museum of Ivan Ivanovich Golikov. The first memorial museum in Palekh, associated with the creative heritage of the Palekh people. I. I. Golikov is considered the founder of Palekh lacquer miniatures and one of the most talented and bright artists of Palekh. The house-museum was opened in 1968 and is located in the courtyard of the Museum of Palekh Icons. The museum's exposition consists of a memorial room where the artist's personal belongings are presented, as well as a historical part telling about the creation of the Artel of Ancient Painting in Palekh. Unique ancient photographs of Palekh are presented. One of the museum’s stands presents the process of creating a Palekh box with Golikov’s rare personal instruments. Among the museum's exhibits is a rare book, “The Tale of Igor's Campaign,” published in 1934, with illustrations by Golikov. It is noteworthy that the artist not only created illustrations for the book, but also wrote all the text by hand.

Golikov House-Museum

Bust of I. I. Golikov in front of the house-museum

Workplace of I. I. Golikov. The flask is an analogue of the fluorescent lamp under which the Palekh craftsmen worked. A weak solution of copper sulfate was poured into it and after reflecting the glow of a kerosene lamp, the light took on the desired spectrum.

The stand demonstrates the sequence of creation of the famous Palekh box. On the stand there are personal instruments of I. I. Golikov.

House-Museum of Korin. In 1974, the House-Museum of Pavel Dmitrievich Korin, People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes, opened in Palekh. P. D. Korin carefully preserved this ancient house, built at the end of the 19th century by his grandmother, the furnishings and things that his ancestors used and bequeathed all this to his hometown along with a unique collection of icons, iconographic graphics and Western European engravings. The museum also contains works by many members of the Korin dynasty of artists - father, brothers and P. D. Korin himself: “Rowan Branch”, “Palekh Under Construction”, “Landscape with Pines”, etc.

House-Museum of Korin

Museum-workshop of N.V. Dydykin. In 1978, a museum-workshop of the sculptor Nikolai Vasilyevich Dydykin, Honored Artist of the RSFSR, opened in Palekh. By analogy with the Korin House, this house preserves the memory of the ancient Palekh family of the Dydykins, whose representatives valued and were proud of their craft. In this tiny workshop, sculptural portraits of the oldest artists of lacquer miniatures were created: I. I. Golikov and N. M. Zinoviev, several sculptural and painting works by Andrei Rublev, portraits of A. Blok, D. Byron, S. Rachmaninov and others. Workshop and more than a hundred works by N.V. Dydykin were bequeathed by him to the State Museum of Palekh Art.

Church of Elijah the Prophet or Elias Church. It is an architectural monument of the 17th century. The church is located on the territory of an ancient churchyard, where the graves of famous Palekh artists are preserved: the Sofonovs, the Korins, I.I. Golikov, I.M. Bakanov and others. The painting of the temple was carried out by local Palekh craftsmen from Sofonov’s workshop.

Elias Church

The streets of old Palekh are a kind of museum, where every house reminds of the icon painters and masters of Palekh miniatures who lived and worked in them, their children and grandchildren - the next generation of artists - were born here.

On the main street hangs a bright poster in the Palekh style, which depicts the main attractions.

Sights of Palekh, everything is within walking distance:

1-Hotel "Ark" 2-Salon "Russian Varnishes" 3-Museum of Lacquer Miniatures 4-Museum of Icons 5-House-Museum of I. I. Golikov 6-Bust of I. I. Golikov 7-House of Culture Palekh 8-Fountain "Spike" » 9-Church of the Exaltation of the Cross 10-Information and Local History Center 11-Stables 12-Temple of Elijah the Prophet (Ilya Church) 13-Chapel of A. Nevsky 14-Monument to the Paleshan Soldiers 15-House-Museum of P. D. Korin 16-Museum-Workshop N. V. Dydykina 17-Dining room “Palekh” 18-Palekh art school 19-Art workshop “Palekh style”

This is the central street of Palekh

The Paleshka River is located very close to the center of the village

Backwater on the Paleshka River

And this is the central house of Culture

Almost the only local hotel called “Ark” with 7 rooms

One of the main attractions is the stone house of the icon painter Nikolai Mikhailovich Sofonov. The house was built in 1860 and has survived to this day. N. M. Sofonov (1844-1910) - a famous master of icon painting, knew perfectly ancient Russian icon painting, its styles, carefully preserved the traditions of this art and educated his masters and students in this spirit. His icon-painting workshop employed up to 250 workers, and for the impeccable quality of his work he was awarded the title of “Supplier of His Imperial Majesty.” He was an excellent owner, paid his workers a good salary, gave them the opportunity to work seriously, built houses for his workers in Ilyinskaya Sloboda (now Gorky Street), some of which have survived to this day. The workers of his workshop, among other works, carried out the restoration of ancient monuments of icon painting: frescoes of the Moscow Kremlin, Novodevichy Convent, the Assumption Cathedral of Vladimir, churches of Sergiev Posad, Pskov, Tsaritsyn and other cities of Russia.

Where to learn Palekh writing

In 1928, a vocational school of ancient painting was opened in Palekh, the training in which lasted four years. In 1935, the school was transformed into an art college. In 1936, the technical school became part of the All-Union Committee for Arts and became known as the Palekh Art School named after A. M. Gorky. This school exists to this day. The duration of training is 4 years. Every year, 16 people are accepted for budget places, both residents of Palestine and residents of other regions. They say the competition is huge. Many graduates remain in Palekh. The quality of education at the Palekh School is highly valued by the professional community and graduates have no difficulty finding work in their specialty. In recent years, graduates are increasingly finding a calling in the Palekh artist’s native professional activity - icon painting and wall painting, and they are actively participating in the painting of Orthodox churches throughout Russia and abroad. Having survived the difficult 90s, the Paleshans did not abandon their traditional craft. The Palekh Art School annually graduates young masters who carefully preserve the traditions and features that make Palekh miniature so interesting. Today in Palekh there are several artels and family businesses that produce both traditional lacquer miniatures and icons.

On the way back from Palekh, we passed by the Palekh Art School and above its entrance we noticed an announcement that an exhibition was being held in its foyer to sell the best works of the school’s students. We couldn’t resist looking at the works of the new generation of Palekh artists. The director of the school, Mikhail Romanovich Belousov, a very famous person in Palekh, easily came down to us to comment on the students’ work. It is largely to his credit that the school has such a high reputation in the Russian artistic community. As a souvenir, we bought a box from the best student of the school; in appearance it cannot be distinguished from the best examples of Palekh art, and this cannot but rejoice.

Even the fire hydrant boxes at the school are painted to resemble Palekh.

But don’t rush to run to learn Palekh writing; in fact, it’s hellish work. First you need to make a form on which to paint. It is made from cardboard; the best material is made from coniferous wood. The cardboard is cut into strips, greased with flour paste and placed in several layers on a wooden form (blank). After the desired thickness has been obtained, the blank along with the cardboard is fixed in a special press. Under the influence of pressure, a workpiece of the required shape and size is obtained. The workpiece is dried at room temperature for about two weeks. Then it is dipped into warm linseed oil for impregnation for a day, after which it is dried for several days in a special oven, the temperature in which is maintained at a certain level. At the next stage, the workpiece is primed and polished. After sanding, several layers of black varnish are applied to its outer surface, and oil varnish with cinnabar is applied to the inner surface. Cinnabar is a well-known scarlet-colored mercury mineral. At the end of the process, the entire surface is varnished with several layers of light varnish. After applying each layer, the workpiece is dried in an oven. Finally, the workpiece is treated with pumice so that the paint does not roll off the smooth surface. Only after all these manipulations will the artist be able to begin painting. But this is just preparation. The painting itself is done with fresh egg tempera paints layer by layer over a fairly long period of time. The outline of the future design is applied to the product with a sharp pencil, then underpainting is done using white. It is on it that the master will apply many transparent and thin layers of painting. To apply them, you need the finest brushes, and each artist himself knits them from squirrel hair. The work is completed in cursive with created gold leaf (preparing created gold with egg yolk is a separate story) and “silver” based on aluminum. The gold frame of the picture is a key element of the Palekh writing technique. After this, the gold-painted design is polished with the tusk of a boar or wolf, and then the entire product is covered with several layers of varnish. After applying each of them, the design is dried, polished on a special polishing wheel, and then finished by hand polishing. Final polishing is done only by hand. The surface is treated for several hours with a palm moistened with water. The lacquer surface, polished by hand to a mirror finish, gives the image additional depth and richness. And after such work, how can one say that Palekh boxes are too expensive?

There are such heartfelt poems by the local poet from Ivanovo, Dmitry Semenovsky (1894-1960), dedicated to Palekh, which we could not help but mention:

Let the paints of the board be polished...

By the overflow of the casket...

A fascinated gaze will look...

The soul of the creator's people...

We liked Palekh as a city of ancient folk crafts, which has survived and developed despite the turbulent Russian history of the 20th century. It cannot be said that today everything is easy and simple for Palekh artists. There are problems, like the whole country, but after visiting the city I was left with a bright feeling that everything will continue to work out well for the Palekh masters. The appearance of the city is somewhat unsettled, some work can be done on the roads and transport, some houses require repairs. And if we compare Palekh with small cozy Western European cities, then the comparison in appearance will certainly not be in favor of Palekh, but in terms of the emotional impact on the Russian person, not a single foreign city even comes close to Palekh.

A few words about the features of lacquer miniatures - the “calling card” of Palekh; too many fakes can be found today. Lacquer miniatures are traditionally black, with red inside. On the front side of the product there must be a gold inscription “Palekh” in the lower left corner, and the author’s initials in the lower right corner. The bottom of the product must bear the company's logo, varnished. The cost of the product cannot be low - Palekh painting is an expensive pleasure.

How to get to Palekh

There is no railway station in Palekh; the nearest station is 30 km away in Shuya. From Moscow it is better to go by train to Ivanovo. Next by bus. By car from the capital, the shortest route passes through Vladimir and Kovrov, a distance of approximately 350 kilometers. You need to take the M7 road through Vladimir and Ivanovo, and then along the P152 through Shuya - the journey will take about 6 hours. From Ivanovo to Palekh - 65 kilometers, from Nizhny Novgorod - 170 km.

Treasures of Russian art.

Palekh. Palekh lacquer miniature.

The history of Palekh goes back to ancient times. In the 15th century, the village of Palekh was part of the Vladimir-Suzdal lands. According to the Spiritual Testament of Ivan the Terrible in 1572, the village of Palekh was in the local ownership of his son Ivan. In 1616, Palekh was listed as the estate of Vasily Ivanovich Ostrogubov and the widow of Yuri Ivanovich Ostrogubov. Soon it was granted patrimonial ownership to Ivan Buturlin “for the Moscow siege of the prince,” that is, for participation in the war against the Polish-Lithuanian intervention. According to the scribe books of 1628-1630 of the Vladimir district of the Bogolyubsky camp, Palekh is the patrimony of Ivan Buturlin and his children.

In 1693, a wooden church in the name of the Exaltation of the Cross was built and illuminated in Palekh, in 1696 a chapel was consecrated in honor of the icon of the Kazan Mother of God, and in 1742 - in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. In 1774, at the expense of parishioners, Yegor Dubov built the current stone church of the Exaltation of the Cross. At the end of the 19th century, Palekh was a small village. The population was mainly engaged in icon painting and crafts: wood carving, linen weaving, embroidery, and sheepskin making. On Orthodox holidays, rich fairs were held here.

Bakanov I.M. "Village Palekh"
1934, box

Palekh is a name of Finno-Ugric origin. The results of archaeological excavations of a moundless burial ground of the 8th century confirm that for a long time one of the numerous Finno-Ugric tribes lived in the region. The Finno-Ugric tribes completely dissolved among the Slavs, who gradually populated the northeastern lands of Rus' and their linguistic culture can be traced only in geographical names - Purekh, Palekh, Landeh, Sezukh, Lukh, Lyulekh.

The belief told by local resident Felitsata Grigorievna Palikina about the origin of the name Palekh was preserved:
"... There were dense forests, there was no population... there was a big fire in the forest... from the "mologna". The fire burned all the trees on the mountain. And soon people showed up here - and from those who were looking for a free life, either from the Tatar raid, either they fled from the boyar yoke. They called the mountain Palena, or else Palikha, and they began to call the village Palekh.”
There is also a legend - “Palekh arose in those violent years of deep antiquity, when countless Tatar hordes were marching on Vladimir-Suzdal Rus'. The devastated population fled into the dense forests and swamps and took icons with them. The Tatars burned forests. “There was a great Palikha” - from here and the name Palekh came about.

The Masquerade

The fabulous world of fiction, poetry - the art of miniatures of the new Palekh. Its history as a decorative art begins after the October Revolution, when icon-painting workshops were closed, and artists in search of a livelihood scattered to different parts of the country. Some became painters, others became decorators of club scenes, many turned to agriculture and small crafts: they painted wooden dishes and toys. Most often, the paintings were rough copies of popular prints, peasant spinning wheels, or samples taken from the album “Ornament of All Countries and Peoples.”

In 1923, on the initiative of A.V. Bakushinsky, several experiments in painting wooden products using icon painting traditions were undertaken in Palekh. Boxes and plates on the themes of Russian songs by artists I.V. have been preserved. Markichev, I.M. Bakanova and “The Shepherd” by A.V. Kotukhin. During these same years, similar searches were carried out in Moscow, in the former icon-painting workshop of the Paleshan A.A. Glazunov. But the master who worked there, the future famous artist I.I. Golikov chose papier-mâché to use the icon-painting technique.

Experiments by I.I. Golikov was supported by the Moscow Handicraft Museum; the first works signed by A.A. Glazunov's works were shown in 1923 at an exhibition of the State Academy of Art Sciences, where they received a 1st degree diploma. Soon, in addition to Golikov, other Palekh icon painters began working with Glazunov - I.P. Vakurov and A.V. Kotukhin. Then Kotukhin went to Palekh, where, from the summer of 1923, the best oldest masters, I.M. Bakanov and I.V. Markichev, were already working on papier-mâché with him.

For display at the All-Russian Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition in 1923, Palekh masters I.M. Bakanov, I.I. Golikov (“Checkers Game”, “Village Party”, “Roosters”), A.V. Kotukhin and I.V. .Markichev completed works ordered by the Handicraft Museum of the All-Union Council of National Economy, for which they also received a 1st degree diploma. In 1924, Palekh artists enjoyed great success at an exhibition in Venice. Success has come. Soon the Palesans received an invitation from Italy to send four craftsmen to organize a school. The artists refused to leave their homeland.

On December 5, 1924, the “Artel of Ancient Painting” was organized in Palekh. Initially, it included seven people: I.I. Golikov, I.M. Bakanov, A.I. Zubkov, I.I. Zubkov, A.V. Kotukhin, V.V. Kotukhin, I.V. Markichev. Soon they were joined by D.N. Butorin, A.I. Vatagin and others. And already in 1925, the works of the Palesans received recognition at the International Exhibition in Paris.

March 1935 - "Artel" was transformed into the "Association of Artists of Palekh" Chairman until 1938 - A.I. Zubkov.

1940 - "Partnership" is closed.

1943 - restored.

1954 - “Partnership” was transformed into Artistic and Production Workshops (PHPM). Director - A.G. Bakanov.

1954 - creation of the Palekh branch of the Union of Artists of the RSFSR. Chairman of the Board - G.M. Melnikov.

In 1989, the Palekh art and production workshops were closed.

The Couple

"Rapunzel"

"August"

"On The Volga River"

"Twelve Months"

"The Autumn Nocturne"

"The Golden Hair Lady"

"Cinderella"

"Ruslan & Ludmila"

"Warm Summer"

"Boldino Autumn (A. Puskin)"

"Happy Childhood"

"Autumn. The Holiday of The Last Sheaf"

"The Scarlet Flower"

INIn 1935, the "Artel of Ancient Painting" was transformed into the "Association of Artists of Palekh", the chairman of which until 1938 was A.I. Zubkov.

In 1940, the Partnership was closed and restored in 1943.

In 1954, the "Association of Artists of Palekh" was transformed into the Art and Production Workshops headed by A.G. Bakanov.

In 1954, the Palekh branch of the Union of Artists of the RSFSR was created. Chairman of the Board - G.M. Melnikov.

In 1989, the Palekh art and production workshops ceased to exist.

Currently, creative organizations operate in Palekh:

JSC "Partnership Palekh"
Chairman of the Board S.I. Kamanin,
Cooperative "Association of Palekh Artists"
Chairman of the Board A.V. Dudorov,
Small enterprise "Masters of Palekh"
director M.R. Belousov,
MP "Traditions of Palekh",
JSC "Palekh"
director A.M. Zubkov,
creative workshop of B.N. Kukuliev "Paleshane"

"Fairy-Tale About Tsar Gvidon"

"The Scarlet Flower"

"The Miracles Come To Those With Pure Souls"

"Sadko \& The Tsar of The Sea"

"The Winter Spring"

"The Snow Queen"

"The Spring & The SnowMaiden"

"Under The Apple Tree"

"Tsar Of The Sea"

"Winter Time"

"The Frog Princess"

"Morozko"

"Ruslan & Ludmila"

"Russian Hunting"

"The Greek Tales"

"Meeting of Two Worlds. Aelita (after Belov)"

"Skiing in the Winter Forest"

"After The Work"

"The War Time"

"Ivan Tsarevitch & The Fire-Bird"

"Winter Troika"

"Battle With Swedish Knights"

"Bella (by Lermontov)"

"Alenushka"

"Morozko"

"Near The Bank Of The River"

"The Snow Maiden"

"The Red Hat Fairy-tale"

A box or casket is usually called a small box or drawer, which most often has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. They are convenient for storing jewelry, money, papers and other small valuable items. It is believed that the boxes appeared a long time ago and originate from chests in which clothes were stored. In Tsarist Russia in the middle of the 18th century, such a folk craft as lacquer miniatures became especially popular.

The boxes made using this technique by craftsmen from the Ivanovo village of Palekh are an excellent example of the craftsmanship and originality of the Russian people.

Historical reference

The history of Palekh miniatures as a folk art craft is closely connected with icon painting. In the 18th century, masters who skillfully painted icons lived in the village of Palekh, which at that time belonged to the Vyaznikovsky district of the Vladimir province. Along with icon painting, local craftsmen took part in the painting and restoration of the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin and churches located in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and on the territory of the Novodevichy Convent.

After the revolution of 1917, it became impossible to continue to engage in icon painting, so a year later the Palekh Art Decorative Artel was created. The artists who entered it began to paint on wood. The founders of Palekh miniature are considered to be Ivan Golikov and Alexander Glazunov. The craftsmen mastered a new material - papier-mâché, which is based on a mass obtained from mixing paper and cardboard with gypsum, starch and other substances. In 1923, Palekh miniatures were sent to the All-Russian Agricultural and Handicraft Exhibition, where they received a II degree diploma.

In December 1924, seven masters from Palekh founded the Artel of Ancient Painting. The works of this association were sent to the World Exhibition in Paris in 1925. In 1932, the Union of Artists of Palekh was formed, and in 1935 the artel was transformed into the Association of Artists of Palekh. In 1954, the Palekh art and production workshops of the USSR Art Fund arose. Currently, you can learn the art of this miniature in 4 years at the Palekh Art School named after A. M. Gorky.

Manufacturing technology

As noted earlier, boxes in the tradition of lacquer miniatures had a papier-mâché base. The cardboard blank is compressed and then dried for several days. Next, it needs to be soaked in linseed oil for 24 hours and dried in a hot oven for 2 days. Then the semi-finished product is processed using an emery brush, polished and the necessary fittings are attached to it. At the end of this stage, the box is primed with a special composition, covered with black varnish in several layers and 7 layers of light varnish, carefully drying each layer in the oven.

The painting has a strict sequence in the application of tempera. Tempera paints have been used since ancient times; artists made them from dry powder pigments, in which emulsions served as a binder: natural (chicken yolk) and artificial (oils in an aqueous solution of glue). The skill of working with tempera needs to be studied for several years, only then can one achieve ideal smoothness of lines, accuracy and clarity of miniature silhouettes.

At the initial stage of painting, masters paint the composition with white, emphasizing dark and light places. Then the paints necessary to paint the box are applied. Craftsmen painstakingly draw the contours of all elements with handmade squirrel bones, emphasizing each detail with color and often using a magnifying glass. At the end of the painting, gold is applied (a sheet of gold is crushed and mixed with glue), it gives the drawing warmth and brightness, creating the feeling that the image is glowing from within.

Gold finishing was borrowed by Palekh masters from icon painting, where gold is a symbol of divine light.

At the last stage of production, the box is coated with oil varnish and polished. Polishing occurs by applying several layers of varnish, which are well dried at a given temperature for a certain time. Then the surface is leveled using glass and pumice, and then polished on a special moving wheel, which is covered with velvet.

Originality of style

The background for the drawings on the Palekh boxes is black - it is a symbol of the darkness from which life and colors are born, and gives depth to the entire composition. The inside of the product is always red. Palekh painting is also characterized by bright tempera paints and gold painting. Gracefully drawn elongated figures are an echo of icon painting traditions. The heroes are characters from fairy tales and epics, as well as classical works and songs. The boxes have their own names, for example, “Troika”, “Ermak’s Campaign”, “Stone Flower”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “Vasilisa the Beautiful”.

How to distinguish an original from a fake?

Painted boxes from Palekh are a wonderful interior decoration and a unique gift. But in order not to purchase a fake, you should pay attention to the following details when purchasing.

Original Palekh boxes are usually black on the outside (sometimes they can be painted in shades of green or blue) and are always painted red on the inside.
The painting is characterized by multi-tonal painting of shadows, slightly elongated images of characters, and precise drawing of all elements and details.
Products from Palekh are distinguished by perfect polishing outside and inside. Scratches, stains and blisters are a sign of a non-original box.
The lid of the box is always tightly fitted to the base - the so-called box.
The original item must have a gilded inscription “Palekh”, which is always located in the lower left corner, and in the lower right corner you can read the name of the master.
A real Palekh box is packed in a tin box, which has a layer of glued cotton wool inside that can protect the varnish and painting from damage.
A low price for such a product is always an indicator that it is a fake. Palekh miniature is a very labor-intensive folk craft, so such things are highly valued and cannot be cheap.

Palekh painted boxes are unique works of art into which the master puts his soul and all his many years of experience. Boxes made using the Palekh technique are known all over the world and are an integral part of the original Russian culture.

Watch the video for everything about Palekh boxes.

Publications in the Traditions section

From icon to casket

P alekh. The name, famous throughout the world for the skill of artists, was not always associated with colorful boxes. According to legend, icon painters from Vladimir and Suzdal fled to the forests on the banks of the Paleshka River. They settled and built on the site of the burnt forest. Before the revolution, icons were painted, but the new government, which was harsh on religious themes, forced us to take up secular motifs - fairy tales, legends, epics. They began to paint miniatures on boxes. We invite you to recall 10 facts from the history of the fishery with Natalya Letnikova.

In the traditions of the first masters. "Palekh - village-folk academy"- said Georgy Filimonov, custodian of Christian and Russian antiquities in the first Public Museum in Moscow, and head of the archive of the Armory Chamber in 1863. The Palekh style is based on the traditions of many icon painting schools. Palekh icons are distinguished by their special subtlety of writing, soft smooth lines and restrained colors. Clothes and ornaments shine with gold - a symbol of light. The color of precious metal in Palekh miniatures is not just a painting technique. In Christian symbolism, it is light that is the prototype of divine grace.

Palekh, Ivanovo region. Photo: russia-open.com

Cathedral of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Palekh, Ivanovo region. Photo: sobory.ru

Palekh, Ivanovo region. Photo: venividi.ru

Iconographic roots of Palekh painting. Surrounded by forests and away from major roads, along the picturesque Paleshki River. They lived separately in the village, and merchants practically never visited. This is how icon painters preserved their traditions from generation to generation. Only in the middle of the 17th century did rumors about Palekh masters reach Moscow. And only then the artists themselves ended up in Belokamennaya. The Paleshans applied their skills to the Faceted Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin, the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Novodevichy Monastery.

New time, new images, new craft. After the October Revolution, artists had to leave biblical images for a long time in search of other themes. The revolution did not favor icon painting. Then the modern Palekh style and papier-mâché boxes in the likeness of Fedoskino appeared. Former icon painters painted boxes and caskets with scenes from folk tales, genre scenes, pictures of rural life and landscapes.

"Artel of Ancient Painting". The artists transferred tempera painting to boxes and united into an artel. In 1924, on the initiative of a group of talented icon painters with the support of art critic and professor Anatoly Bakushinsky, the “Artel of Ancient Painting” was formed. Maxim Gorky, who supported the artists, became an honorary member of the association. Masters painted caskets, boxes, teapots, snuff boxes and powder compacts. At first, blanks were purchased in Fedoskino, but soon they established their own production.

Mikhail Parilov. Nicholas the Wonderworker. End of the 19th century GMPI

Nikolai Korin. John the Baptist in the desert. 1806. GMPI

Ivan Safonov, Mikhail Nefedov. John the Theologian in silence. Beginning of the 20th century GMPI

Talents and fans. Nikolai Nekrasov, Nikolai Leskov, and Anton Chekhov admired Palekh icons. In 1814, Johann Goethe showed particular interest in the works of Russian icon painters. The German poet even received from the Vladimir governor as a gift two icons painted in Palekh - “The Twelfth Feasts” and “The Mother of God”. In 1930, a large exhibition of Palekh miniatures was held at the State Russian Museum. The works of Palekh masters became an export item. The painted boxes were bought by Vneshtorg and sold for foreign currency.

Dynasties and secrets of the trade. The artel was famous for its dynasties. The secrets of mastery are a family matter. The painters raised themselves from childhood. One of the oldest Palekh families is the Belousovs. Leonid Ivanovich Belousov - icon painter. He started working in the artel in 1926. Lacquer miniatures became the work of life for his great-grandson, Evgeniy Belousov. And there are many such glorious families in Palekh. The Golikovs, Kotukhins, Sivyakovs... The history of the trade and the secrets of the craft were once kept within the family circle. They even married their own people, Palekh people, protecting the secrets of painting.

Palekh lacquer miniature. Photo: palekh.narod.ru

Palekh lacquer miniature. Photo: kanon-tradition.ru

World recognition. The first works of Palekh icon painters in the new genre of lacquer miniatures, commissioned by a handicraft museum, received a first-degree diploma at the exhibition of the Academy of Artistic Sciences. In 1924, Palekh boxes made a splash at the Venice Art Vernissage. The Italians even asked to send craftsmen to organize a school. The artists refused to leave Russia. And a year after the formation of the artel, Palekh painting received a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris.

Palekh paints are not for battle scenes. It just so happened that Palekh is more and more pictures from rural life and fairy-tale motifs. But this is in peacetime. When the whole country lived with a single thought about Victory, the Battle of Stalingrad became a source of inspiration for artists: “People's Avengers”, “In the Footsteps of the Enemy”, “Attack”, “People's War”. Working in the rear, the craftsmen maintained their craft even during the war. Only old people and pre-conscription youth worked. The art school of the “village academy” - as Palekh was called - did not close either.

Palekh painting is one of the rarest and most unique in the world and, despite the complexity of the process, Palekh residents still paint blanks in the “old-fashioned” way.

These are, first of all, lacquer miniatures (boxes, caskets, souvenirs, badges), jewelry, icons, panels, portraits and canvases for interiors.

From the history of Palekh painting

This special type of painting originated in Ancient Rus'. In those days, Palekh painting was used to decorate temples and icons. The abundance of gold, soft tones and elongated figures inherent in this type of painting were perfectly suited for creating biblical scenes. But the monotonous theme did not provide an outlet for the creative self-expression of artists, and over time, some masters moved away from a purely religious theme and wove pictures of Russian nature, fairy tale plots, and folklore motifs into their works.

Icon of the Pantocrator (Pantocrator). Wood, gesso, tempera, oil. 31 x 26.4 cm. State Museum of Palekh Art. Artist V.V. Zhegalov
In addition to icons, boxes, panels, and household appliances (for example, writing utensils, trays) began to appear. Lush flowers bloomed on their surface, dressed in the crimson of the forest, Alyonushka cried by the river, Ivan Tsarevich rushed on a gray wolf, or the Russian people had fun, celebrating Maslenitsa. And each plot was and remains unique, because it is written by hand and is never repeated.

The village of Palekh. Casket (1934). Artist I.M. Bakanov

Palekh painting technique

The Palekh technique cannot be confused with any other, only it is characterized by patterns, thin, graceful lines, elongation and careful linear cutting of figures, and an abundance of landscape decorations. And the technique of applying, fixing and processing the drawing, passed down from antiquity, gives it internal depth and richness of colors. A similar technique was used to paint ancient frescoes, and it has no analogues in the whole world. Modern masters of Palekh painting create their works by hand from start to finish, relying only on old techniques and techniques. The artist independently prepares the future item, specially processes it, paints it, applies gold and seals the result. Due to their high quality, Paleshan products are valued all over the world.

Manufacturing of products for painting

The blank for Palekh lacquer miniatures is cardboard. The master cuts it into shapes of a certain size and glues them one on top of the other on a wooden block using flour paste. The number of layers is determined by the thickness of the product. The workpiece is then pressed and dried for several days. The resulting semi-finished product must be completely saturated with linseed oil (for this purpose flour glue was used, which, unlike synthetic glue, will allow linseed oil to pass through itself and allow it to be deeply absorbed). The workpiece is dipped into a vat of hot oil and kept there for a day. Then oven drying again (2 days at 100˚C). Now the product can be sanded, processed with a file or an emery brush. At the same stage, hooks, canopies, and hinges are attached to the product.

To prime the product, a special composition is prepared from oil, soot and red clay. Several layers of varnish are already applied to the primer: 2-3 layers of black varnish on the outside, and oil varnish with cinnabar (a mineral made of mercury and sulfur) on the inside. The last stage of obtaining the correct workpiece is the application of 7 layers of light varnish with mandatory oven drying of each layer. Light varnish is also made by Palekh craftsmen according to ancient recipes. Now the product is ready for painting, which real artists do only with self-prepared paints from egg yolks, vinegar and minerals. The master goes over the surface of the product with pumice so that the paints do not spread, draws the contours of the pattern first with a pencil, then with whitewash, and then paints it with a thin squirrel hair brush (which he makes himself). The dimensions of the pattern are so small that artists often have to resort to using a magnifying glass.

"Three maidens by the window". Casket (1931). Artist P.D. Bazhenov
The painted product is dried and the design is fixed with varnish. Only after this the master begins to paint the product with gold and silver leaf. To make precious metals shine, they are polished with agate or wolf's tooth. The entire product is again coated with several layers of varnish, dried and sanded to a mirror shine.