A man of the people

"Vodka, matryoshka and caviar" is far from the whole story of Russia.

By Anna Vinter

HERE ARE CERTAIN phenomena that have become the trademark features of various coun­tries: in France they are the Eiffel Tower, perfume and champagne; in America — the Stat­ue of Liberty, Mac-Donalds and Coca-Cola; in Spain — "Carmen", bull­fighting and flamenco. Since Russia became widely accessible to tourists, the words "vodka", "matryoshka" and "caviar" have always followed on auto­matically and have stuck. As many peo­ple probably already know, however, that is far from all the "folk" characteris­tics. Vodka is not at all what St. Petersburg resi­dents drink morning, noon and night, we don't eat caviar around the clock and the matryoshka doll is not the only souvenir that tourists can take home with them. Without mentioning the rich cultural traditions reflected in productions at our numerous theatres, concert halls and museums, we could talk about the north­ern capital's spiritual heritage as captured on the canvases of local artists, the wooden objects painted in Khokhloma style, the splendid jewellery, the famous Gzhel pottery and a great deal else that is suitable to be bought and displayed in homes at the other end of the world as a souvenir of Russia.

As well as all these things, one of the main focuses of attraction is the Russian himself, as he has been portrayed to the rest of the world for centuries — ignorant, unedu­cated Ivan in felt boots and a fur cap with ear-flaps; it is these attributes of life in the far north that arouse a burning interest. Tourists who come to St. Petersburg in winter immediately arm themselves with a fur cap, whose warm ear-flaps, usually tied with tapes on top, can be tied under the chin on really cold days and will offer per­manent protection against the biting wind and the frost that nips at the nose. Although the popularity of this headgear amongst the local population is gradually waning, Russians' greatest pride 20 years ago were hard musquash hats with flaps for men and soft suede hats with polar fox fur for women. It should be noted that there are various types of fur hats. The one found most often on souvenir stalls is a black one made from rabbit fur; it has quilted wadding on the inside, while the outside can be either of fur (in which case the ear-flaps, the skull part and the peak have fur on both sides) or of leather, suede or coarse cloth with a fur peak and ear-flaps. In shops, meanwhile, you can find genuine masterpieces made from the rarest types of fur.

Felt boots have become no less popu­lar, though mainly those from Russian designers; it was they who had the idea of creating real "haute couture" footwear from a simple pair of felt boots. Remem­bering that felt boots have been worn in Russia since time immemorial — Peter I liked them for their medicinal properties, Catherine the Great had soft boots made from delicate black wool, and both Lenin and Stalin were glad of them while in exile in Siberia — the designers have decided to revive old traditions and sup­port Russian culture. The celebrities of the world's fashion business have most probably already noticed the dear little light, absurd and childlike felt bootees, and real followers of fashion will be happy to take a made-to-order pair of warm felt boots home with them, either to use them as an item of decoration or to strut around the streets in them. Just bear in mind that in winter galoshes are worn over felt boots.