Museum of Russian Peoples' Friendship organizes workshop on basics of Kaitag embroidery

Makhachkala, February 13, 2015. The Museum of Russian Peoples' Friendship organized a workshop on the basics of the Kaitag embroidery for students of the 5th grade fr om the №13 Makhachkala secondary school and students fr om the arts and graphics faculty of Dagestan State Pedagogical University.

The university’s lecturer artist Assiyat Arslangereyeva told the children about the history of one of the most ancient and unique types of Dagestan art - silk embroidery now named the Kaitag embroidery after the place it was first found in. Most often, the embroidery was found in Akusha and Dakhadaev regions wh ere the majority of the population are Dargin. These were embroidered silk panels measuring approximately 100 to50 cm with original, unique patterns.

The Kaitag embroidery used to have ritual significance being associated with three major events in human life: birth, marriage and death. After childbirth, to protect the baby from an evil eye, a mother covered the head end of the cradle with embroidery, pattern on the inside - embroidery was a kind of a protective amulet. At the wedding, embroidery had the same meaning - when the bride was carrying her jewelry, gifts and other wedding attributes wrapped in a cloth, embroidery on the inside. Sometimes, they covered dowry chests with embroidered cloths.

Embroidery accompanied a human again to his last journey – they covered the body’s faces with a cloth, embroidery on the inside. Then, it was passed down to the son of the deceased, and then from generation to generation.

The master class also had a practical part wh ere children were happy to try their skills in the new craft.