Alley of masters in the city of Maykop

23 JUNE  - THE DAY OF CIRCASSIAN WOMAN
DAY OF SATANEY. Festive action "Master class under the open sky»

Patterned gold embroidery...  Tracery haberdashery items... Author’s panels with gold embroidery... Dolls in national costumes decorated with gold and silver braiding... Shaped boxes with Circassian ornaments... Exquisite handbags with gold embroidery.... Narrow and wide gallons in ethnic style and with creative drawing... Wooden tools for gold embroidery work ...Amazing collection of thimbles from around the world...  It would seem. the familiar, but at the same time unusual exhibition of works of masters on gold embroidery and wood of Adyghea was located on the 23-rd June 2019 in the picturesque and  cozy alley of the Friendship square in the heart of the city of Maykop, inviting everyone to take part at master classes of famous Circassian craftswomen in the open air.  In this summer day, guests and residents of the capital of Adyghea could try your hand at “in-fastening " sewing, weaving of haberdashery items, weaving of gallons under guidance of skilled craftswomen of the Association "Folk arts and crafts of Adyghea", gathered at the alley to celebrate the Day of the heroine of the Circassian Nart epic, the master Sataney.

The project of the Association of masters of folk arts and crafts of the Republic of Adyghea "Master class under the open sky", dedicated to the Circassian national festive day – the day of Circassian woman or the Day of Sataney, was held for the first time in the Friendship square of Maykop. Organized by the masters themselves with support of the Ministry of culture of the Republic of Adyghea, it was aimed to promote and popularize the gold embroidery art of the Adyghes. The Association has supported with their festive action the initiative of the well-known Circassian master on gold embroidery Larisa Gumova who held in 2018 on the occasion of the Day of Circassian woman her charity master-class on gold embroidery for everyone at the National Museum of the Republic of Adyghea.

On the 23-rd June 2019, honoring the Nart heroine, craftswoman Sataney, who, according to an old legend, competing with a young master of saddlery, asked the Sun to stop to complete her sewing, the masters of the Association shared with great pleasure their knowledge and skills with everyone. And all participants of the festive event could not only see their skillful works, but also  learn specifics of techniques of the gold embroidery of the Circassians, among them there were "in-fastening" sewing, making of haberdashery items, weaving of gallons with plates.

During the master-class under the open sky,  Larisa Gumova presented on their standing hoops basics of embroidery with gold threads. Goshefizh Abredzh clearly demonstrated peculiarities of the Circassian ornamentation and the work with materials with examples of skilled panels of graduates of the Adyghean Republican children's school of arts with name of Kim Tletseruk. Anzhela Isaeva showed how to make a doll in a national costume with own hands. And Ruzana Churmyt and Bela Bodzhokova taught the basics of haberdashery making. Writer Fatima Teuchezh, engaged in weaving of gallons as a hobby, demonstrated her skills, making with 67 plates 3 sm gallon for reconstruction of an ancient Circassian belt. The part of the woven gallon would be offered be her to the museum of the Association "Folk arts and crafts of Adyghea".

Responding to invitation of the Association, the festive action was joined by the master on gold embroidery art from the village of Gabukay of the Teuchezhsky region Muminat Ashinova who led students to master classes of her colleagues from Maykop. Sharing her experience, she studied with great interest the achievements of other masters. The project was also attended by the chief expert of the Ministry of culture of the Republic of Adyghea, ethnographer, candidate of historical sciences Nuriet Teuchezh who wrote the dissertation about "the Gold Embroidery Art of the Circassians". Student of the folk master Vyacheslav Mastafov, she wondered not only with her deep knowledge, but also with her unique collection of thimbles which she has been collecting for more than 20 years. In the collection of Nuriet Teuchezh, numbering more than 150 thimbles from around the world, there is a thimble made by Adyghe master Nurbiy Teshev.

In the Day of the Circassian woman, masters on gold embroidery were supported by masters on wood. Exposing their works, Ruslan Kostokov, Nurbiy Teshev and Aydamir Patokov organized an exhibition of tools to engage in gold embroidery. On the occasion of the festive day, the Chairman of the Association "Folk arts and crafts of Adyghea" Aydamir Patokov prepared for each master, participant of the project, a gift to commemorate this day and for further improvement of their skills in the gold embroidery art.

The first students of the master class in the open air were well-known journalists from the republican medias, including Susana Khachemizova, Susanna Guchetl and Nurbiy Emtyl. Interviewing famous skilled craftswomen, they tried to sew and weave, remembering each of their advices. And who knows, maybe this master-class at green alley in the Friendship square, which has become for one single summer day the Alley of masters, will be important for them and will incorporate them, as screenwriter of the documentary film "The Circassian woman" (Directors: Askarby Nagaplev and Husein Daur) Fatima Teuchezh, to the ancient art of the Circassians – the gold embroidery.

The festive action of the Association was visited by other famous people of Adyghea. Olga Ivanova, representing the organization "Adyghea: mountains of pleasure", took part at the master class of Larisa Gumova.  Promoting our region as a unique tourist center and the brand of Adyghean cheese at the Russian and international levels, she has repeatedly attracted masters of the Association "Folk arts and crafts of Adyghea" to participate at her successful projects, as well as constantly includes them in the program of tourist tours in Adyghea. After the event, she wrote her opinion: "the Day of Sataney – the Day of Circassian woman gathered at the alley of the park masters. Beautiful Circassians women showed how to create their masterpieces - weaving, sewing, embroidery, gallons. It was really a festive event! Soon, we will organize a women's living room, now I have a sea of inspiration and ideas!"

Ibrahim Chetao, known in the Circassian world for his enlightenment activity, recorded an interview with the honored artist of the Republic of Adyghea Goshefizh Abredzh and gave a high assessment to works of her students from the ARCSA with name of Kim Tletseruk. The master class in the open air was visited by the famous archaeologist Aslan Tov. After studying exhibits of the masters of the Association, he shared his knowledge about crafts and even opened a spontaneous discussion club with the master on wood Nurbiy Teshev who has been exploring the Adyghe folk arts and crafts for many years. 

There was very nice to see at the Association festive event performers of Adyghe folk dances from the State Academic ensemble of the Republic of Adyghea "Nalmes" Fariza Tseeva and Isabella Teuchezh. Recently returned from the tour in Turkey, they took an active part in the master class on gold embroidery and even decided to study it in their free time, each choosing their own type of technics. The festive day was celebrated with the masters by honored economist of the Republic of Adyghea, associate Professor of Adyghean State University Galimet Vorokova who elaborated the program of development of folk arts and crafts in the region, being the First Deputy of Minister of economy of RA.

Meanwhile, the main and most important participants of the Association's project were children, both those who led their parents to the Alley of masters in the Day of Circassian woman, and those who accidentally visited the exhibition of works of masters, wandering nearby. After studying all exhibits, having listened stories of masters and even after the first lesson of gold embroidery art, some of them were able to join really to it. It is known two girls decided to study in the future at the Department of applied arts in the ARCSA the head of which was master on manufacture of tapestry and haberdashery weaving Goshefizh Abredzh. Several young participants expressed a desire to go constantly to master classes on gold embroidery to masters of the Association. And most of them found out the features and differences of the gold embroidery of the Circassians, that was, like Adygheant cheese, a brand of the Republic of Adyghea.

Held on the occasion of the Day of Circassian woman or the Day of the Nart master Sataneiy by the Association of masters of folk arts and crafts of the Republic of Adyghea, the festive action "Master class under the open sky" confirmed once again how unique and amazing the gold embroidery art of the Adyghes was. And the masters themselves proved once again with their knowledge and skills this ancient art has not disappeared, it continues to live and develop, attracting young adepts. In addition, the movement of masters on gold embroidery, started by Larisa Gumova last year, made its first steps giving hope that over time, hundreds of masters from all countries of the world would gather in the Day of Circassian woman in the alley of the Friendship square of the city of Maykop, which since the 23-rd June 2019 would rightly and traditionally be called the Alley of masters. Praising the skillful Nart craftswoman Sataney on this festive day, they will annually hold the international festival of masters on gold embroidery art, inviting to it all people who are not indifferent to the unique ancient art of the Adyghes.