In the olden times, any more or less well-to-do family had some special things passed down from generation to generation. Family relics of noble people - these are family decorations, portraits of famous ancestors in massive frames and some unique interior items, more often made by individual order. In peasant families, offspring were often given engagement rings, precious metal products and simply something beautiful, rare or valuable for a particular family. Has this tradition survived today and what things inherited from ancestors deserve special treatment?
The traditions of the past are deep ...
The history of Russia is interesting and full of various events. In this regard, the attitude towards old things is changing in our country in almost every generation. There are practically no truly ancient objects handed down by inheritance in Russian families. If some valuable items remained with the original owners after the revolution of 1917, during the USSR they were transferred to museums, confiscated by the authorities or sold at a minimum cost voluntarily. And yet many people are fond of things related to certain memories. Therefore, many of us have family relics, often something interesting (for transmission to descendants) is trying to create modern families, literally with their own hands.
What are relics?
You will be surprised, but if you ask a few people what things are the most valuable and special for their families, you can get all kinds of answers. Someone keeps the "happy" wedding dress of great-grandmother, the other person is most proud of the collection of stamps presented by the father, the third one still has some valuable handmade items created more than a hundred years ago. What is a heirloom? The definition of this concept can be formulated as follows: it is some kind of material object, passed on by inheritance between blood relatives and representing special value for members of this family. Accordingly, relics can be expensive things, and very cheap, but they are of personal interest to the owners. Often, for years, personal letters, scientific works or literary works are stored and even handed down to descendants.
Home Archive
Many Russian families have photos of their ancestors in some quantity, some certificates and diplomas, and perhaps even awards of grandparents who took part in the Great Patriotic War. What to do with all this wealth? First of all, note that photos and video / audio recordings have a certain shelf life. Therefore, if you have printed photos, it makes sense to scan them. Be sure to take this case, even if it does not seem significant enough to you. The cost of digitizing and restoring images is not high, but in the future, these materials can help you find lost relatives and be sure to interest your children. Even if you do not know what kind of family relics are, do not be too lazy to make a family tree. To do this, talk to the eldest of the living relatives and write down all the information about your ancestors. If you like this idea, you can try to visit the archive, make official inquiries and learn about the past of your family even more. A place for an extra notebook or a piece of paper can be found in any home, and the information collected will be incredibly interesting to your children.
We disassemble the grandmother's chest
What to do with old things? The issue is topical for many who are now inheriting or simply doing repairs at home, sorting out the farthest corners of the mezzanine. It is difficult even to leave a "one's memory" even for the complete furnishing of one room. When examining an inheritance from your beloved grandmother or first cousin, you should initially separate the trash from "not rubbish" and decide what to do with the second part. Today, antiques are many items made during the USSR, and if desired they can be profitable to sell to lovers of antiquity. But is it worth it to get rid of all "wealth"? Family heirlooms should be of value to their possessor. And if you like certain things left from someone of your relatives, boldly take them to yourself. But, of course, this rule should be abandoned if the vase donated by the late grandfather frankly irritates you and does not fit into the interior. In this case, the "unloved" thing should be taken to the dacha or given to someone else from relatives.
How to store family heirlooms?
A place for special things related to the history of your family can be found in any home. If you inherited something valuable and rarely used, the best option for storage is a safe or a cell rent in a bank. Items that are unlikely to interest potential burglars and can be used in everyday life can be kept in plain sight in their apartment. Do not forget that vases, dishes, paintings, interesting figurines - all these are also examples of family relics. If you inherited photos, letters and some trifles that you prefer to just keep and from time to time review, it makes sense to collect all these values in a separate large box.
We save the history for the descendants: the archive with our own hands
Despite respect for the memory of ancestors, many modern people most appreciate the history and interesting events of their generation. In our time it is fashionable to keep a modern archive. For example, many couples in love store their own family relics, for example, collect tickets from various events visited together, or print out photos from holidays. Why not give time to such an interesting hobby if it is interesting to you? It's not a fact that such a collection of artifacts will be of interest to your children, but it's worth trying anyway. A variety of family relics, photos, pictures of ultrasound and biros from the maternity home appear in every family at the birth of a child. Such things can also be stored in a separate box or album, and they will surely be of interest to your grown up children when they have their own babies.