Savino: Discover Crafts and Culture

At the municipal House of Crafts in Savino, children learn weaving, knitting, felting, birch-bark weaving, woodcarving and patchwork. They also make fabric toys, folk dolls and folk figures. The range extends from textile techniques to working with birch bark and wood, giving Savino a distinct crafts focus.

Crafts in Ivanovo Oblast

Different places in Ivanovo Oblast offer different perspectives on crafts. In Plyos, the “Crafts of the Ivanovo Region” exhibition brings together weaving and embroidery, works from the lacquer miniature centres of Palekh and Kholuy, and a jewellery collection. In Palekh, visitors can try making their own object in the authentic Palekh style at the “Bakanova 46” gallery. The Museum of Lacquer Miniatures offers workshops where participants can paint a small papier-mâché object with the Firebird, a symbol of Palekh. Exhibition themes and hands-on creativity thus offer different ways to explore the region.

Kholuy offers another perspective on crafts and everyday culture. The State Museum in Kholuy has more than 5,000 exhibits and a regularly updated display. The house museum of Vasily Dmitrievich Puzanov-Molev, founder of Kholuy lacquer miniatures, displays simple tools and everyday objects from an ordinary village home. The Kholuy Embroidery and Sewing Artel is reviving the tradition of old embroidery crafts; all the work is done entirely by hand. At the State Museum of Kholuy Art, visitors can paint a brooch, an Easter egg or a mobile-phone holder in workshops. Check whether these workshops are currently available before your visit.

Museums, Architecture and Nature in Ivanovo Oblast

Palekh combines art collections with a long icon-painting tradition. The icon collection assembled there includes works from the 14th to the 19th century, originating from different parts of the country: from Novgorod to the Urals and from the Volga region to the Russian North. The Icon Museum is part of the State Museum of Palekh Art, whose complex also includes the Museum of Lacquer Miniatures. The “Masterskie” Art Centre is housed in a building that accommodated icon-painting workshops and the “Artel Drevney Zhivopisi” in the 20th century. The Church of the Exaltation of the Cross in Palekh is also a notable architectural landmark: it was built in the second half of the 18th century in the Naryshkin Baroque style.

In Kineshma, the focus is on art and the history of trade. The historical section of the Art and History Museum covers the lives of Kineshma’s merchants; exhibits include their houses and shops, as well as the trade of the time. The art section features paintings by Russian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by Ivan Aivazovsky, Konstantin Korovin and Andrei Shilder, as well as works by painters from Kineshma and temporary exhibitions. The Ivanovo Chintz Museum has a different focus: its collection ranges from old textiles to propaganda textiles from the first half of the 20th century. It also offers workshops on printing patterns on fabric; availability may vary, so it is advisable to enquire before visiting.

Architectural landmarks can also be explored at various sites in Ivanovo Oblast. The interior paintings of the Resurrection Church in Vichuga comprise more than 400 scenes and were executed in the Old Russian style by painters from the Safonov Palekh workshop. In Teykovo, a church complex dating from the 18th century has been preserved. In Shuya, the freestanding bell tower of the Resurrection Cathedral measures 106 metres from its base to the top of its spire; it is considered the tallest freestanding bell tower in Europe.

Plyos combines culture with opportunities for outdoor activities. The small Volga town is known for its natural beauty and unhurried pace, which have long attracted artists. One of its highest points is named Gora Levitana, or Levitan Mountain, after the artist Levitan. The eco-park has paths for walking and Nordic walking. Shuya offers a distinct seasonal highlight: every January, the “Russian Christmas” festival brings a festive atmosphere to the old town.

Crafts Classes in Savino, Cultural Destinations in Ivanovo Oblast

When looking for a holiday rental in Savino, it helps to decide what you want to focus on: Savino itself is associated with crafts classes for children, while the other museum, art and architecture themes belong to places across Ivanovo Oblast. If exhibitions are your main interest, the collections in Plyos, Palekh, Kholuy, Kineshma and Ivanovo cover a range of subjects. If you would like to include outdoor activities or a seasonal event, you can consider the paths in Plyos’s eco-park or the January festival in Shuya as regional highlights.

Discover more destinations: Lukh, Lezhnevo, Ignatovo, Kochma, Kineshma, Berezhok, Krutovo, Shuya.

For the regional travel overview: Ivanovo Oblast.