February 06, 2000

Shawls of Pavlovsky Posad


Shawls of Pavlovsky Posad

During the 1800s, various manufacturing centers developed in western Russia. Many of these centers became known for a single item which they continue to produce today. One example is the metalworks at Tula, manufacturing home of the Russian version of the samovar. Another popular and more practical favorite among foreigners are the shawls of Pavlovsky Posad. Since the 1860s, these large (ca. 146 cm square) woolen shawls have been best known for their vibrant colors and bold designs. From a land not known for high fashion and which many Westerners think is filled with gray clad babushkas, the Pavlovsky Posad shawls come as quite a surprise. The shawls are worn by women of all ages.

The designs are reminiscent of traditional peasant costume but urban and rural women alike enjoy the benefits of this light-weight, cozy accessory.

Pavlovsky Posad is an ancient Russian town about sixty kilometers from Moscow, widely known as the home of hereditary textile workers. The Textile Finishing Factory has been creating shawls since 1795. The secret dye formulas were created by various artisans and have been passed down through generations of textile craftsmen at Pavlovsky.

The Pavlovsky designs are so distinctive and popular that they have been mimiced or outright copied throughout the world. A true Pavlovsky shawl is of such artistic quality that the flower, vegetable and ornamental patterns are quite realistic and take on a three-dimensional effect. The deep, rich and vibrant colors are almost impossible to duplicate and, when compared side by side, the true Pavlovsky shawl is easy to identify.

Every year the Pavlovsky textile plant produces 200 types of shawls made from all natural fibers such as wool, cotton and silk. In the world of Russian folkart, these shawls are prized for the artistic and cultural value.

Each shawl begins with a design created by a team of artists and approved by the company's Art Council. This council is made up of the factory's top artisans and experts from the regional Ministry of Culture and Moscow's council on folk arts. Once a design is approved, it is turned over to the colourists who select and create the dyes which will be unique to this design. Dye, like paint, does not present its true color until it applied to whatever material is to be used, processed and dried. The colourist must make several test shawls before finding the perfect combination of dyes for any given design.

Next, the design is transferred to the fabric. The popular woolen shawls are woven from fine fleece wool by the factory's weavers. The result is a soft, light-weight product that is durable and a welcome shield against the cool night air. Originally, designs were hand printed onto the shawl fabric using wooden blocks. Today, the Pavlovsky factory makes use of an automated screen print process. The charm of the Pavlovsky shawl is its generous hand tied fringe which will never be done by machine.

The Pavlovsky factory is unique because it carefully maintains cultural traditions while utilizing the most modern technical and scientific processes. It was the first in the world to use the ecologically conscious plasma chemical treatment on its fabrics prior to printing instead of chlorination.

Pavlovsky shawls are available through a variety of shops and on-line merchants. Better still, you can obtain your shawl(s) directly from the Pavlovsky Posad Shawl factory without leaving home.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Samovar Murders

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
At the Circus (bilingual)

At the Circus (bilingual)

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955