On 17 October 2020, a staff member of the department “Museum Street” of Bolgar Museum-Reserve Sagirova G. Y. held a museum video class “Tatar towel is the window to the soul”.
“Tatar towel is the window to the soul”, – Tatar proverb tells. Each young girl had to know how to do handicrafts, to embroider, weave and get her trousseau ready. Skillfully embroidered towels were the main attribute of bride’s dowry. Our historical stories say, “The first duty of a bride in the groom’s house was to keep the cleanliness and order. Early in the morning, she was supposed to hang woven towels to the place where they had their morning toilet. She did it every day and got up before everyone”.
On the one hand, a towel is the most familiar and simple household item, and on the other hand, using it in ceremonies by our ancestors points out an important ritual role of a towel in a person’s life. A child born was taken on a towel. A dead person is lowered into the grave with towels. Rooms were decorated with them; bread and salt to guests and to newlyweds at weddings are served on a towel.
Since ancient times, when making necessary household items, a master tried to give them a good shape, to beautify them with ornament, thereby turning ordinary things into works of art. Ready-made threads are used as the main materials to produce towels.
Tatar weavers learned almost all known arsenal of technique of domestic weaving. Patterns consist of ordinary stripes filled with various geometric figures: squares, triangles, rhombi and polytopes. All colors are used except black. Towels were made of simple or silk threads depending on the wealth of the family.
Still at Sabantuy, ancient woven towels are given to winners as a present.
Traditions of Tatar folk art acquire particular value and art significance in our time. Intended to enrich modern national art culture, they bring into it elements of unique identity and great spirituality.

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