Bast shoes from hemp rope, or chuni

Even at the beginning of the twentieth century, during the formation of Russian industry, aviation and other industries, foreigners contemptuously called our country "lapotnaya." I must say, they had some reason for this: until the 30s of the last century a part of the villagers did not have any other shoes except for shoes and felt boots. Bast shoes are the oldest shoes in the world. Our distant ancestors thousands of years ago learned how to make them from plant fibers. And how did they do it in Russia and what are the bast shoes today?

What in Russia wore bast shoes

In each locality the peasants wove their bast shoes. The bast shoes were made from hemp rope, linden, heather, birch bark, and even horsehair. There was a different technique of weaving - straight or oblique, weaving began with a sock or, conversely, with a backdrop. There was even a shoe - somewhere there were two pads - on the right and left leg, and somewhere only one (without direction, like on felt boots). By the way, the second version soon spread everywhere: it's easier to weave, and the second bast can not be thrown away if the first one suffers.

The worst bast shoes, uncomfortable and unreliable, were considered to be the tampering from the willow bark. Theirs is not what to wear, even weaving was disgraceful. Dubovikov called bast shoes from willow bark, but the most popular material was linden. Remember the proverb: "They ripped off like a sticker"? This expression has remained since the peasants peeled the tree clean and the whole bark went to the bast. After all, bast shoes are short-lived shoes. In a week the peasant wore two pairs of bast shoes, and a year the family needed at least 150 pairs.

Hemp bast

Hemp sticks are a special kind of footwear. Bast shoes from hemp rope most often did not break from good strong ropes, but from their remains, rags and feathers. So nothing was lost in the farm, and out of any waste folk craftsmen did something useful. True, such shoes were not designed for the street. Bast shoes from hemp rope were worn at home and were rarely worn on the street in dry warm weather. It is believed that the very name of "chuni" is of Finnish origin, since the Finns in Russia were called "chukna".

Modern Cubs

Now people still wear chunks. Today this word is called low boots, consisting of rubber galoshes and soft fabric top, warmed galoshes or felt short boots. That is a whole series of very different shoes, which are united by several common features: it is definitely not fashionable, almost formless, sometimes not air-permeable (if the part that covers the foot is made of rubber), but quite comfortable. In fact, modern chunks, as well as their predecessors, are meant for everyday wearing or for work, only not at home, but on the street.

However, bast shoes from hemp rope can be seen not only in the museum. They are often found on the shelves in souvenir shops. Anyone who can use a crochet hook for at least a little bit can make lapti from a hemp, and the material can be found much easier than, say, a real lime bast for ordinary shoes. Although for socks they are not very suitable, because they turn out to be rather rude and uncomfortable. Still, modern home slippers are much better, and hemp floss best to wear to some national costume for the holiday.