What to bring as a gift to a foreigner from Russia
There is a Russian spirit here, it smells of Russia here
What is Russia associated with for most foreigners? With nesting dolls, felt boots, bast shoes, kokoshniks, hats with earflaps or budenovki, samovars, bath brooms and balalaika. That's the first thing that comes to mind. Of course, felt boots may not be ordinary, but souvenir ones: small, colorful and with embroidery. Well, some gift samovars sometimes look like exhibits of an ethnographic museum, especially coal or wood-fired (with a pipe). Typical Russian souvenirs are Dymkovsky toys, gzhel, Vologda lace, tin trays painted with bright colors, Pavloposadsky knitted shawls and Orenburg down shawls.
Folk crafts are the pride of Russian culture
Folk art is always beautiful, stylish, and colorful. It takes a special talent to craft an ordinary object in such a way that it turns into an artistic masterpiece. And now these unique products are appreciated all over the world.…
In the hands of Vologda, Novgorod and Trans-Ural craftsmen, birch bark instantly comes to life and becomes original kitchen utensils or objects of peasant life. How the top layer of birch bark turns into beautiful caskets, tues, bowls, ladles, mugs, vases and sets for alcoholic beverages is a mystery ... perfect for a gift to a foreigner!
Khokhloma painting is another Russian trend. The tradition of painting wooden kitchen utensils and toys in red, orange, green and golden hues made peasant life more joyful and festive. There is still a shortage of holidays — it is no coincidence that tourists massively buy sets of dishes, samovars, ladles and vases decorated with bright Khokhloma paintings.
The art of metal engraving is a complex process involving grinding, etching, carving, embossing, nickel plating, gilding, silvering and many other techniques. The craftsmen work exclusively by hand, creating filigree patterns that cannot be repeated. In other words, tableware, collectible weapons and interior accessories made in the Zlatoust style are among the exclusive souvenirs that are especially loved by foreign tourists.
Miniature enamel painting, which was additionally fired in furnaces, is a real magic. Caviar bowls, ladles, glasses, cup holders, plates, teapots — any tableware decorated with a finish deserves to be not on the table, but in a museum!
Here is another suitable gift for foreigners — Palekh jewelry boxes, which are hand-painted with tempera paints. They feature scenes from Russian fairy tales and sketches of rural life with stunning detail on a dark background. Sometimes it seems that the drawings are glowing! Nowadays, pencil cases, compact cases, icons and murals are also decorated in the Palekh manner.
And what else?
If you want to surprise a foreigner, you can give him a faceted glass in a cup holder — this is the kind of thing that foreign guests consider to be one of the manifestations of the mysterious Russian soul. And if you are looking for something modern, then there is nothing better than natural cosmetics, which are made on the basis of wild Siberian herbs, cedar oil and bee products.
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