- Title: Russia's oldest glass factory braces for Christmas season
- Date: 7th December 2016
- Summary: KLIN, RUSSIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) GLASS ORNAMENT BEING BLOWN OVER TORCH WOMAN BLOWING GLASS ORNAMENT IN FACTORY FACTORY WORKERS BLOWING GLASS NEWLY BLOWN GLASS ORNAMENTS GLASS ORNAMENT BEING SHAPED OVER TORCH FACTORY WORKER SHAPING GLASS ORNAMENT GLASS ORNAMENTS ON STAND VARIOUS OF ORNAMENTS INSIDE FACTORY (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) YOLOCHKA FACTORY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VLADIMIR SIMANOVICH, SAYING: "Among Russians traditionally the highest demand is for symbols of the year, Zodiac signs, as well as our toys in those shapes. We change this collection of twelve symbols every year, and it has been most popular for many years." FINISHED GLASS ORNAMENTS ON DISPLAY VISITORS VIEWING DECORATIONS ON DISPLAY GLASS ORNAMENT BEING PAINTED ARTISTS PAINTING ORNAMENTS GLASS ORNAMENT BEING PAINTED (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) YOLOCHKA FACTORY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VLADIMIR SIMANOVICH, SAYING: "We work according to Russian traditions - it is all handmade and we sell them at reasonable prices. And a plastic ball that costs pennies can hardly be called our competition. We have competition from Ukraine, where the majority of production (of glass-blown baubles) is located. There was a time when the factory was barely surviving, and now we are an equal rival in a fair competition." KITTEN SHAPED CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS VARIOUS OF ARTIST PAINTING KITTEN SHAPED BAUBLE MUSEUM GUIDE LEADING CHILDREN AROUND MUSEUM CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS IN VARIOUS DESIGNS ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PAINTING BAUBLES
- Embargoed: 22nd December 2016 15:26
- Keywords: Christmas ornaments baubles factory Russia holiday season
- Location: KLIN, RUSSIA
- City: KLIN, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA0015BVV68P
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: This is Russia's oldest and largest glass-blowing factory, where traditional handmade baubles are produced.
The secrets of glass-blowing have been passed down for generations over 150 years in this region.
The Yolochka glass factory, 85 kilometres northeast of Moscow, will be celebrating its 130th jubilee next year. To mark the occasion over a million ornaments will be produced ahead of this season's celebrations.
Vladimir Simanovich, executive director of the Yolochka factory, says the ornaments produced by artisans at the factory are always made of glass.
"Among Russians traditionally the highest demand is for symbols of the year, Zodiac signs, as well as our toys in those shapes. We change this collection of twelve symbols every year, and it has been most popular for many years," he told Reuters Television recently.
Simanovich added that there were some 600 varieties in the designs and that the collection was updated every year. This season's additions include characters from the Nutcracker and the Firebird.
The craft of creating Christmas decorations has not changed much since the middle of the 19th century and modern technology only occupies a small share of this production.
Before the fragile ornament can be hung on a Christmas tree it must go through the hands of several artists. Using a torch, burning at 700 degrees Celsius (about 1,300 Fahrenheit), an artist heats up a glass tube to a viscous state and blows out the bauble into the desired shape.
Once the perfect form is achieved, the decoration gets a reflective silver finish. Then with fine brushes, an artist layers on gentle strokes of paint to create a pattern or a drawing. Finally, the bauble gets a sprinkle of tiny sequins.
In Russia the most popular colours for Christmas ornaments are red and gold, while balls, pine cones, bears, and stars are some of the most favoured shapes.
Although today the majority of Christmas decorations are mass-produced very cheaply, nothing can compare to a handmade glass-blown bauble. In Russia this craft is highly prized.
"We work according to Russian traditions - it is all handmade and we sell them at reasonable prices. And a plastic ball that costs pennies can hardly be called our competition. We have competition from Ukraine, where the majority of production (of glass-blown baubles) is located. There was a time when the factory was barely surviving, and now we are an equal rival in a fair competition," said Simanovich.
The factory says its main objective is to preserve Russian folk art traditions and to pass them on to future generations.
A museum has been opened next to the factory, which displays over three thousand examples of the decorations that have been created by the factory during its long history. The exhibition of the baubles is very popular amongst school children, who get to take part in master classes and have an opportunity to paint their own Christmas ornaments. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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