Crafts

Knowledge of Russian culture would not be complete without study of its crafts. Some people think that Russian crafts are far enough from Moscow. It isn’t true. A big part of well known Russian crafts are situated in an hour from Moscow and accessible for any person.

VerbilkiBogorodskoyeSergiyev PosadFedoskinoZhostovoGzhelPavlovskiy PosadDulevo

General

  1. As common, each place has a museum and a shop. The most interesting is a guide tour on factory. Usually they organized by booking. We advice always call some days before and book excursion.
  2. The most comfortable day for travel around Moscow is a Sunday. On Saturdays traffic is similar to usual week days.
  3. Ticket’s price. Usually ticket costs not more than 500 rubles.
  4. Souvenir’s price. Hand work is expensive. The most cheap is a dish in Dulevo (from 40 rubles) and the most expensive are Fedoskino’s boxes (from 2000 rubles).
  5. You can combine visiting of many crafts. E.g. it’s worth to see Fedoskino and Zhostovo in one day, it is also true for Fedoskino and Bogorodskoye.
  6. Eating. Cafe and restaurants are rare in this place, so we recommend take sandwiches and water with self.
  7. Photo. As a rule if you want take pictures or video you should pay additional cost. In some places (e.g. Gzhel) taking photo is prohibited.
  8. Transport. You can use public transport (an electric train or a bus) to reach any place. The most comfortable is car. Roads in Moscow region usually in a good state.
  9. The most suitable way to use GPS isn’t enter address but coordinates. We provide them below.

Bogorodskoye

Russian wooden carved toy. Famous farmer and bear. Once a year in Bogorodskoye acts a festival of crafts. A festival days is a best time to visit Bogorodskoye. Beside a factory you can see Zagorskaya PSP. We advice to combine visiting of Bogorodskoye with a visit to Sergiev Posad (born place of Russian Matryoshka).

Verbilki

There is a porcelain factory. It was founded by English merchant Gardner in 18 century. Unfortunately there is no museum in Verbilki and guide tours are possible only on week days. Ticket price is 1000 rubles for adults.

Gzhel


Gzhel is one from the most known Russian crafts. There are a lot of porcelain factories in Gzhel area, but the most official one, which inherits a historical brand, it is a factory in Novokharitonovo village. There is a museum and excursions by factory’s shops (250 rubles, book before). A master class is also possible. In a shop you can buy a china by the most cheap price. A visit to Gzhel could be combined with Dulevo (it also a procelain craft).

Dulevo


A china from Dulevo isn’t such famous as from Gzhel. But factory in Dulevo is one from the biggest porcelain factories in Russia. Unfortunately, a factory’s museum isn’t work by Sundays. But you can see collection of china in a town’s museum. It’s even possible to drink tea from antic cups. A shop with Dulevo porcelain is on entrance to town. A choice is rich. Also in Likino-Dulevo you can see on constructivist buildings. For example there is only one building of Konstantin Melnikov outside of Moscow. You can visit Dulevo and Gzhel in one day.

  • Our story about Likino-Dulevo
  • WWW: www.dulevo.ru (Russian)
  • Shop working hours: from 10AM till 6PM (or till 4PM by week ends).
  • Town museum working hours: 10AM-5PM (closed on last day of the month). Phone +7 (496) 414-07-24.
  • Distance from MKAD is 82 km byGorkovskoye highway. A route.
  • GPS: 55°41’50″N – 38°57’20″E

Zhostovo

In Zhostovo village are situated yet another famous craft – trays from Zhostovo. A manufacturing of trays started in the beginning of 19 century. There isn’t a guide tour by factory, only a museum. Advance booking is required. Ticket price is 500 rubles for adults (200 for children). Trays from 400 rubles in the brand shop. You can combine visit to Zhostovo with Fedoskino. These two crafts tightly coupled with each other, a themes from boxes move on trays and back. You can arrange a picnic on a bank of Pirogovo water storage just before or after the museum.

  • An our report about Zhostovo
  • WWW: www.zhostovo.ru (English version)
  • Phones: +7 (495) 588-87-47, +7 (495) 981-39-89.
  • A distance from MKAD is 20 km by Ostashkovo highway. A route.
  • GPS: 56°0’24″N – 37°38’37″E

Pavlovskiy Posad

Pavloposad’s shawls is in fashion in Russia. And the best place to buy it of course in Pavlovskiy Posad. There is a better choice, less price and warranty of original. Also there is a noticeable display of craft’s history. There are unique kerchiefs which was used as propaganda and as instructions, an exhibition of life of masters of time when the craft wasn’t factory. A brand shop is in several minutes by car from museum. Because Pavlovskiy Posad is a large town you will easily find a cafe. You can visit travel to Pavlovskiy Posad and Likino-Dulevo in one day.

  • A report about travel into Pavlovksiy Posad
  • WWW: www.platki.ru (English)
  • Town’s museum: B. Pokrovskaya, 38. GPS: 55°46’25″N – 38°39’16″E
  • Museum of shawl’s history: B. Pokrovskaya, 27. Advance booking is required: +7 (49643) 2-25-19. GPS: 55°46’34″N – 38°39’11″E
  • Brand shop: Gertsen lane, 1 (9AM-7PM). GPS: 55°46’56″N – 38°40’15″E
  • Distance from MKAD is 61 km by Gorkovskoye highway. A route.

Sergiev Posad

The most known attraction in Sergiev Posad it is Troitse-Sergieva Lavra of course. Only few know that Sergiev Posad is a home of Russian Matryoshka doll. The town was famous its furniture’s masters. Unsurprisingly that matryoshka born exactly here. A museum of toy is an old building opposite to Lavra. Besides matryoshka there gathered toys from all the World. Special exhibition is dedicated to toys of family of Grand Princes of Russia. After museum you can walk by Lavra, admire its fortress walls and colour churches. We advice to combine travel to Posad with Bogorodskoye (it is also craft toy).

Fedoskino

Fedoskino is famous by its varnish miniature. Initially here was production of hats and cigar-cases. But later merchants found that boxes sell better, especially painted. There is a museum, guide tours by factory (by advance booking). During the tour you will see how sheets of cardboard turn into piece of art. There are interesting exhibits of Soviet time in the museum: boxes with Lenin, spacemen and power lines. Also there is a shop with expensive prices. Historically, craft in Zhostovo came out from Fedoskino and they situated are close. So it make sense to visit them both at one day.

Just remind that you can see all our reports about crafts in the rubric with the same name.

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