Russian ornament: drawing. Ukrainian ornament

Like any ancient folk art, the ornament has its roots. This skill conveys the true soul of the people. Conducts a historical line that reveals the national mentality. So, what is the real ornamental art?

What is an ornament?

With the word "ornament" we encounter often enough and usually think that we perfectly understand its meaning. But, it turns out, everything is not so simple. Of course, the ornament is a pattern made in a special way on any surface. But where did the word come from? It turns out that it comes from the Latin ornamentum, which means "decoration." Such painting was widely used in ancient Russia for decorating clothes, weapons, household items, fabrics. The closest thing to this term still comes from the original Russian word "pattern". In comparison with it, the ornamental drawing sounds almost scientific, but it is this phrase that best reflects the essence of the matter. In principle, painting is a multiple repetition of one pattern in a special sequence.

Another interesting fact: in the West, the ornament-drawing was not considered a separate artwork, rather it was attributed only to stylization. Meanwhile in Russia until the middle of the 19th century such patterns were not just the nature of jewelry, but also had a special mystical meaning.

For example, it was believed that these or other ornamental drawings on clothing can protect against evil spirits and bad events - hunger, enemies, wounds in battle or death ... Therefore, such patterns were performed with special care and precision. Even if the masters did not quite understand the significance of the paintings they created, they repeated in details what their predecessor inherited.

Of course, drawings, ornaments, patterns - an integral part of ancient Russian culture, they were brought up many generations of Russians. The beginning of this art goes back to ancient times, so old that it is simply impossible to say exactly when it was born.

The meaning of ornaments

Drawings, ornaments, patterns, especially those that came to us from antiquity, tell us about the world outlook, the traditions of people of old eras. In doing so, everything was done to ensure that the ancient art was not a purely mechanical repetition of instructions. That is why at the beginning of the last century there was a tradition of so-called scintillations. It consisted in the fact that the young masters brought their work to the old village needlewoman for special gatherings. Here the girls told in detail about what their embroidery designates, thus giving them a special "exam".

It is interesting that the geometric ornament-drawing of those times could have a completely unexpected meaning for modern man. In particular, one of the most common symbols was the swastika! It was considered to be a sign of development, fertility, a symbol of natural cycles.

Today, solid "Hitlerisms" on ancient ornaments can shock many people. But the energy potential of this sign is very high. So, as they say, you can not erase words from a song!

Ornaments and drawings on the dishes. Khokhloma

In ancient times in the area of the Lower Volga there was a tradition to paint intricate patterns of wooden utensils. At first the masters turned out bowls, mugs and spoons from alder. Then the dishes were treated in a special way, painted with ornament and made hardening in the oven. Thus appeared the famous Russian Khokhloma. Her "highlight" is that when hardening utensils and patterns on it acquired a special golden luster, which gave the wooden products an unusual festive and expensive appearance.

In our time Khokhloma, especially made by craftsmen in the Russian outback, is very valued in the world market. Buyers from distant countries appreciate the masterpieces of Russian applied art.

Ukrainian ornament, patterns and patterns

Traditions of the Ukrainian ornament are also rooted in antiquity. Usually, walls of houses, dishes and other objects were used as a basis. At the same time, the ornament contained pagan symbols, which have a special sacred meaning. In this sense, special interest was acquired by amulets - painted with special protective patterns, the exact meaning of which was known only by a few.

Over time, however, the patterns began to sign not only protective articles, but also other items.

Heraldry of Ukrainian ornament

The main symbols on such decorations were images of the sun and water. And this is not accidental. The sun was considered a symbol of a man. Water, as the mother of all living things, is women. It is these two components that are capable of giving the world a new life. That is why the gift of such an ornament was considered a wish to find one's half or to strengthen the already existing family with the birth of a child.

If we talk about the Ukrainian ornament, the drawings were always made very symbolic. Of great importance was the image of birds. These images symbolized the human soul. But doves or falcons in Ukrainian ornaments are denoted by lovers who are ready to create a couple.

Petrikovskaya painting

Petrikovskaya painting is one of the most famous and widespread types of Ukrainian ornamental art. Its name came from the village of Petrikovka in the Dnepropetrovsk region, where there were and are the most talented masters of this case. They still keep ancient secrets.

Petrikovka, as this kind of art is called, is an example of decorative and ornamental folk painting. Once upon a time so painted only the walls of houses, but over time, paying tribute to the new fashion and the desire of customers, masters began to decorate a variety of household items, in fact, turning them into decor objects. So, Petrikov's painting can be found on chests, folk musical instruments, towels and blouses. Moreover, they even painted seeders and sleds!

It must be said that Petrikov's painting, like no other kind of decorative art, reflected the flow of recent times. It became widely used in body art. This direction has spread in the form of a special art school with its masters and traditions.

In addition, now it was possible to restore the technology of painting porcelain, glass, and many other, at first glance, not suitable for ornaments.

Finally I want to note that Russian and Ukrainian ornaments, although they have a number of features, on the whole reflect the single soul of the Slavic people - regardless of the country where the masters live.