В Музее открывается выставка «Костромские ювелиры...»

An exhibition of jewellery art of the late 19th - 20th centuries from collection of Kostroma State Hisoric-Architectural and Art Museum and Park "Kostroma goldsmiths: history and modernity. Craft of Krasnoye Selo" is opened on 29 November at 17.00 in the Kaliningrad Amber Museum. Works of handicraft artists, production of the examlary workgroup of the begining of the last century, works of students of Gold and Silversmithing Training Workshop of 1908 - 1914, jewellery created at the Krasnoselsk Jewellery Factory in Soviet time, author works of jewellery artists from Kostroma and Krasnoye Selo will be presented in the exposition.

The exhibition includes unique metal items made with use of natural and artificial stones, enamels, casting, etching, gilding, silvering, filigree, granulating techniques. Authors make  agates, garnets, opals, corals, tourmalines - set in exquisite mounts - create extraordinary images reflected in names of brooches, rings, necklaces - "Dancing", "Troika", "The Milky Way", "Winter", "Yarilo".

Kostroma Region has been know for its goldsmiths for a long time. Krasnoye on Volga, which is situated by Kostroma, is traditionally known as Russian Jewellery Centre. The dawn of the arts and crafts started here in the 9^th century, when this territory was settled by tribes Merya and Chude. From century to century, from father to son were given traditions and secrets of metal work. The main particularity of Krasnoe Selo jewellery production of the 19^th – early 20^th century was fully formed range of popular items: reasonably priced silver and copper adornments, stamped holy pictures, christcrosses, small silver dishes – all these things could be bought at any Russian fair.

Unique role in further development of the craft was defined by establishment of the Art and Crafts Workshop for gold- and silversmithing (today Krasnoselsk College for Artistic Metal Treatrment) opened in Krasnoye in 1904. First teachers – graduates of the Moscow Stroganov College – brought knowledge of composition laws and new techniques of artistic metal working, opened a Filigree and Enamel Department. That is where the famous in the future Krasnoselsk filigree originates from. In 1919 workgroup "Red Handicrafter" was established here, which one of the biggest enterprises of Russian jewellery industry - Krasnoselsk Jewellery Factory (now OJSC "Krasnoselsk Yuvelirprom") - grew from.

Since late 1980s Russian goldsmiths got the opportunity to work officially with precious metals. A lot of private goldsmithing workshops were opened in Krasnoye and Kostroma, they made various production from gold and silver using casting and stamping techniques. With time Kostroma got the fame of “Russian Jewellery Capital” thanks to the scope of jewellery industry right in the city and in Krasnoselsk region as well. Along with that, some talented artists and goldsmiths from Kostroma and Krasnoselsk create not just mass production, but unique works of art, which are Russian historical and cultural heritage.

Press Office of the Amber Museum