A story about the Museum of Christmas tree decorations. Klin Museum of Christmas tree decorations. The history of the Christmas tree decoration. Factory in Vysokovsk
In the 21st century, it has become fashionable to decorate the Christmas tree with handmade toys. Today, balls are sewn from felt and patches, knitted from threads, folded from paper or even from Lego. But all the same, with special trepidation and love we get out the old balls, preserved from grandmothers and great-grandmothers.
Old new year cards
The first Christmas tree decor in Russia was intended to demonstrate abundance, so New Year's trees were decorated with burning candles, apples and dough products. And in order for the tree to become bright and sparkling, decorations that shimmer in the light were added: tinsel, gimp (thin metal threads), sparkles. In combination with burning candles, the effect of the play of light made the green beauty even more radiant and solemn.
Old new year cards
From the middle of the 19th century, special artels have been operating, which were engaged in the production of garlands, Christmas tree decorations, as well as chains, tinsel and rain made of thin foil.
Old new year cards
"The tree bent from a multitude of toys and sweets, blazed with a cheerful happy fire, crackers crackled, suddenly sparklers flashed and scattered as stars."
Sergey Potresov. "Christmas story"
GLASS TOYS 
New Year's Eve. 1950s Photo: ITAR-TASS
The first glass toys: balls, beads, spherical mirror objects in the form of spotlights and icicles - appeared on Russian Christmas trees in mid XIX century. They were heavier than modern ones because they were made of thick mirrored glass. Initially, most of the glass jewelry was of foreign production, but very soon they began to be made in Russia as well.
An old Soviet Christmas-tree toy-plane at the Museum of Christmas-tree toys "Klinskoe Podvorie", Klin. Photo: P. Prosvetov / photobank "Lori"
“To buy a toy made of glass for a resident of Russia at the end of the 19th century was the same as buying a car for a modern Russian.”
Sergey Romanov, toy historian and collector of New Year's decorations.
An old Soviet Christmas tree toy at the Klinskoye Podvorye Christmas tree toy Museum, Klin. Photo: P. Prosvetov / photobank "Lori"
It was in Russia that they came up with the idea of decorating a spruce tree with women's ornaments - glass beads. The whole family was engaged in their manufacture: small balls were blown by master glassblowers, women painted beads, and children strung them on a string. This craft was most widespread in the Klinsky district, where the Yolochka factory was later founded, and is now producing New Year's garlands.
Products of the Klin association "Yolochka", 1982. Photo: A. Semekhina / TASS Photo Chronicle
In the late 1930s, heroes of children's literature appeared on the trees - Ivan Tsarevich, Ruslan and Lyudmila, brother Rabbit and brother Fox, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots, Crocodile with Totosha and Kokosha, Doctor Aibolit. After the premiere of the film "Circus", figures on the circus theme became popular.
An old Christmas tree toy - a clown. Photo: Y. Zobkov / Lori Photo Bank
In honor of the development of the North, Christmas tree paws were decorated with figures of polar explorers. At the same time, filigree and hand-painted jewelry on an oriental theme appeared: Aladdin, old man Hottabych, sorcerer Chernomor.
An old Christmas tree toy - corn. Photo: Y. Zobkov / Lori Photo Bank
In the war years, figurines of tank planes and Stalin's armored cars were hung on the trees. They also made figures from military shoulder straps and scrap materials, such as medical bandages.
It was only after 1947 that the production of toys on a "peaceful" theme began: New Year's trees were decorated fairy-tale heroes, forest animals, fruits and vegetables.
After the release of the film "Carnival Night" in 1956, the famous "Clock" toys appeared - with arrows set five minutes before midnight. In the 70s and 80s, the most popular were cones, bells and houses.
New Year's composition. Photo: S. Gavrilichev / photobank "Lori"
In addition, in the USSR, the Christmas tree was decorated with toys that reflect the ideals and aspirations of the communist state. So, on the same tree, vegetables and fruits, spaceships and submarines, figurines of men in national costumes different nations, factories and plants, domestic and wild animals, athletes.
An old Christmas tree toy in the form of a Soviet airship. Photo: Y. Zaporozhchenko / Lori Photo Bank
PAPIER MACHE
Decorations made of papier-mâché (a dense substance consisting of paper pulp mixed with glue, gypsum or chalk) became widespread in the Soviet Union. In the USSR, the production of papier-mâché toys was manual and consisted of a number of lengthy operations: sculpting, filling, priming, grinding, painting, painting with intermediate drying at temperatures from 20 to 60 °. The assortment was mainly made up of realistic figurines of people and animals.
The Berthollet salt coating made the surface of the toys denser and gave them a dull shine. New Year's masks and figures were created using vacuum casting large sizes for the Christmas tree (Santa Clauses and Snow Maidens). Such toys were light in weight, but not inferior in strength to pressed ones.
Museum of Christmas tree toys "Klinskoe Podvorie", Klin. Photo: S. Lavrentiev / photobank "Lori"
Today, among the many collectors of New Year's decorations, the surviving papier-mâché toys are the most valuable.
Museum of Christmas tree toys "Klinskoe Podvorie", Klin. Photo: S. Lavrentiev / photobank "Lori"
CARDBOARD
They began to make cardboard toys as decorations at an affordable price. These embossed figures were cut and glued from two halves of convex cardboard, tinted with gold or silver paint.
Carton toys
It was not difficult to make them, and popular models were even printed in Soviet newspapers. If desired, cartons could be ordered by mail from private workshops.
Carton toys
Among cardboard toys, images of animals, fish, birds, fairytale characters and stars.
Toy-carton, 1976. Photo: A. Stepanov / Lori photo bank
I continue the story about our spring trip.
A couple of times we got out of the Tver region and stopped in Moscow. And the first such sortie of ours was Wedge.
Now, when I remember Wedge, I always have a New Year's mood. The fact is that there is a Christmas tree toy museum based on the basis of a Christmas tree decorations factory.
We could not pass by such an unusual museum: we visited the Museum of the Romanov Sheep in or in Yaroslavl. Unlike those museums, this one is located in a luxurious new building, occupies it entirely and consists of 12 rooms.
The exposition begins with an imitation of a Russian hut. It shows everyday life and simple tools with which the peasants long winter days and in the evenings the first Christmas tree decorations were blown out.
On the table are toy tongs, glass tubes from which toys were blown, there is a burner, and on the floor there are furs, with the help of which the fire was kept in the burner.
In the next hall, the first Christmas tree decorations are exhibited - frame, consisting of glass tubes interconnected.
The next stage in the evolution of Christmas tree decorations is molded blowing, when a glass tube is heated, tucked into a mold, and an already formed toy is blown out. There is a special hall in the museum where masters sit and blow out toys in full view of sightseers; in the next hall these toys are painted. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited in these two rooms.
The museum contains a wonderful collection of Soviet Christmas tree decorations, which reflect various events in the life of the USSR. I don’t know how interesting this is for children, but adults are just delighted with many toys. Where else can you see this!
Here are the shaped Christmas tree decorations showing the peoples of the republics of the USSR.
Great Patriotic War was also reflected in the New Year's decorations. It's unusual to see Santa Claus with a gun.
In 1956, the film "Carnival Night" was released, and Christmas tree decorations "It's already 12 to five" became popular :)
The next milestone in the history of our country is the opening of the space age. On Christmas trees astronauts and rockets appeared.
And one more event that the masters of the Christmas tree toys captured - the Moscow Olympics-1980.
Of course, new Christmas tree decorations did not appear only due to political events. The museum has entire collections of jewelry dedicated to various fairy tales.
Here are toys from the fairy tales of A.S. Pushkin:
And here are the heroes of Gianni Rodari:
And, of course, it was interesting whether we would find toys familiar to us from childhood among the exhibits. Found! :)
The same balls and peaks decorated my Christmas tree as a child:
And I also recognized the leaf (in the lower left corner) and the sun (to the right), these toys are still kept at our house:
Several rooms are dedicated to modern toys. They are much brighter and more colorful than old toys, they immediately attract the eye and are much more popular with modern children.
Here are toys dedicated to P.I. Tchaikovsky, who spent in Klin last years own life:
One of the most New Year's tales- "The Nutcracker" - a separate room is dedicated. And, of course, Tchaikovsky's music sounds here.
Separately exhibited Christmas trees decorated in different styles designers.
In the same hall, panels of Christmas tree decorations hang on the walls.
In the penultimate hall of the museum, there is a collection of Santa Clauses.
And the exposition of the museum is completed by a huge Christmas tree decorated with hundreds of Christmas tree decorations.
In early May, there were very few people in the museum: the excursion was first conducted for the two of us, and then another family of three joined. The tour lasted about two hours, the guide was happy to answer all our questions and seemed to be in no hurry :)
The largest influx of visitors here, of course, during the period new year holidays... Every year the main Father Frost from Veliky Ustyug comes to the museum.
In summer, the museum is also lively: groups of children from the surrounding health camps are brought here. In one of summer days it even hosts the Santa Claus and Summer ice cream festival.
Also, anyone can take part in a master class on painting toys.
We can only be glad for this museum, everything is so well organized and "promoted" here. Small museums in other cities can only envy ...
I'll tell you about the rest of the Wedge next time.
To be continued…
UPD Everything about this trip.
On October 17, 1918, the Toy Museum was founded in the city of Sergiev Posad, which, surprisingly, became the first such museum in the whole world. Today we decided to tell about him and other famous toy museums.
The very first toy museum in the world, the entire exposition of which is divided into large sections: here you can see Slavic toys, toys from the countries of the East, Western European toys. There is also a section dedicated exclusively to portraits of children. The children's portrait department contains mostly little-known works of Russian and European masters.
The Children's Toy Museum in Milan is adored not only by children, but also by adults. Very often here you can even meet old people who probably dream of returning to a happy childhood. The collection of this museum is the largest among all European countries, and its exhibits begin their history from the 18th century. She collected bit by bit, until, finally, she reached a very impressive size. Toys-rarities bought at auctions, donated to the museum, found in all possible ways, are carefully placed in interesting expositions, giving joy to every visitor.
The Toy Museum in Prague is truly a kingdom of toys from all over the world. This collection was founded by the famous filmmaker Ivan Steiger, who bought the first toy for filming the film, and she charmed him so much that he decided to collect a whole collection of them. For fifteen years he bought and collected his favorites, and, finally, such a variety of toys gathered in his apartment that in 1989 a museum was opened in Prague (Muzeum Hracek). What is missing here: amazing toys of the ancient Indians made of bread, mysterious toys of the ancient Egyptians. Just think, one of the dolls on display is more than 2 thousand years old! Stone, wood, in a word, exclusive and very impressive pieces. Beautiful Christmas decorations have also found a place in the museum's exhibits. Tin soldiers, metal toy cars, even a model steam engine that still hisses, puffs and turns its gears. There are also many modern toys on display, such as the very impressive Barbie collection.
The St. Petersburg Puppet Museum is one of the most remarkable museums in the city and the whole of Russia. One of the few museums in Russia, which is open at a non-state expense. The museum fund was created through the use of private collections. Wonderful exhibitions tell visitors about the history of the doll, from ancient times to modern times. It is also interesting to visit the workshops for making souvenir dolls. In addition, here you can buy unique designer dolls that will decorate any interior and will delight both adults and children for many years.
Ukrainian National Museum toys presents to its visitors huge collection of 10 thousand exhibits that begin their history since the 30s of the twentieth century. The variety of interesting dolls and all kinds of figurines, soft toys and Christmas tree decorations, printing games and constructors is impressive. The museum demonstrates almost everything that the toy industry produced during the Soviet era. The pearl of the museum's collection are unique ethnographic dolls, which are dressed in beautiful costumes - copies of national clothes of residents of different regions of Ukraine. Each of them has its own exceptional features that reflect their roots. And what is the collection of Ukrainian folk toys, which the peasants created from clay, straw, grass, cheese and other improvised means!
People are arranged in an interesting way. Now I have the opportunity to choose among chic, shiny, ornate New Year's toys, however, they have no power over me. This can be understood and verified by pulling out an old box with old Christmas tree decorations from the mezzanine. It is these slightly peeling bees and hares, chickens and squirrels, strawberries, cones, icicles in an unprecedented way that will instantly pull you into childhood. You will feel as if someone touched you with a magic wand. Believe me.
Factory "Yolochka" for the production of Christmas toys located in Vysokovsk... They organize their own excursions in advance and separately. A in Klin(12 km from Vysokovsk) open Exhibition Center from the factory - "Klinskoe Podvorie". And you can come here on your own.
I read that the factory is in a depressing state. And the exhibition-museum "Klinskoe Podvorie" is excellent. Here the question is different - with older children it is more interesting and it is advisable to visit both places, since to see with your own eyes on a real scale the real process of making a toy (blowing, silvering, painting, packaging) is possible only and precisely at the factory. Despite its shabby appearance. With kids, of course, it is more convenient and wiser to see everything the same, but in a mini-version at the "Klinsky Podvorie".
Museum and Exhibition Complex "Klinskoe Podvorie"
The first and the second halls. Fishing history
Third hall
Production. Blowing toys
This is the most interesting thing. In a small room behind glass, craftsmen are sitting, paying no attention to the flattened noses of children and adults against the glass wall, and conjuring over long hollow glass tubes. Violet fire breaks out. The master puffs out his cheeks and blows into the pipe. She walks in transparent glass waves as if she were alive. The master makes a chick - and cuts off on one side, then a chick on the other side. You look, and he has a toy in his hands ... In fact, it is such an interesting bewitching sight, one might say the culmination of the excursion. But - photography is prohibited here. And now the next group is breaking and we are leaving ...
Fourth hall
Art painting workshop
It is clear that here in the museum he is more a presentation than a real worker. This is a small room where several (two or three) painting artists are sitting. In front of them are pale, unpainted toys, sets of paints, brushes, gold and silver sprinkles, etc. It's not very interesting to watch. I even do not know why. Gone is the magic of transforming a solid glass tube into a soft glass bubble, and then into a figurine ... And it's not about the artists. Either the colors are now like that, or the bustle of sparkling sprinkles - as a result, with all the efforts, the toy looks ... like a country one (I tried to avoid the word in Chinese). Why am I writing like this? The most insulting. If we take, for example, for comparison, an old chicken or a fly agaric of at least the 70s (and this is already in-line production), then they still look simple, but with taste. And today's toys for the most part look too-too much motley, shiny, lurid, short-lived. When I saw the painted tiger cub - the symbol of the upcoming 2010 - I shuddered. Hmm ... well, the coloring ... and even all in sequins sticking to the fingers ... I don't think the artists will take offense at me. It's about cheap synthetic modern paints, not their talented hands. Professionals will surely name the reason for the decrease in the aesthetic level, despite the declared factory “Christmas tree” assortment of “700 types of toys” with “20% annual renewal”.
Sixth and Seventh halls
Exhibition of Christmas tree decorations
The toys are sorted by year and displayed in transparent display cases by theme. If you are an ordinary curious tourist, then it will be very interesting for you here, but if you are a collector, then it will be extremely and pre-very curious. First, we look at cotton and cardboard decorations. Remember? :) In a box with New Year's toys from my childhood there were such :).
Wadded is pressed dyed cotton. Especially many children's figurines were made from it, for example, "Child", "Boy", "Girl", "Chukchi Girl", "Girl with a Clutch", "Boy on a Sled", "Boy with a Briefcase", "Ukrainian", "Georgian", "Harlequin", "Sailor "," Shakhtar "," Povar "," Chimney sweep ". Or wadded series "Fruits and Vegetables" - "Lemon and Pear", "Two Radishes", "Amanita", "Mushroom", "Three Nuts":). And etc.
Happy New Year! Cotton toys
Cotton fruits and vegetables
Quilted penguins
Cardboard- made of pressed silvery cardboard. There are especially many animals and birds here: “ Goose "," Duck "," Hen "," Parrot "," Hare "," Hedgehog "," Squirrel "," Bear "," Fish "," Butterfly " and others. And, of course, fairy-tale characters: "Gingerbread man and a hare", "Gingerbread man and a fox", "Gingerbread man and a bear", " gold fish"," Puss in Boots "," Santa Claus " and etc.
Cardboard toys
Mounting Christmas tree decorations- these are complex sets of glass beads, beads, balls, on a soft wire. I once bought myself an old vintage Christmas tree necklace at a flea market. Beautiful ...!
Pre-war trees were decorated with such airships and stars
Assembly airship
Further, the assortment wave of glass toys is very noticeable, the fashion for which was dictated by the time:
Before and post-war: "Two Soldiers (Budennovtsy)", "Red Armyman", "Parachutist", "Airship", "Star", "Hammer and Sickle", and etc.
60s-70s:
Series "Fruits and vegetables"... Of course "Corn", "Ear", "Pea pod", "Eggplant", "Cucumbers", "Tomato", "Pumpkin", "Pear" and "Apple", "Orange", "Mandarin", "Lemon", " Strawberry "and" Raspberry "," Pineapple "," Grapes "," Plum ", and others. And also "Nut" and "Acorn".
A series of cones.
Series "Cosmonautics".
Series "Musical Instruments".
Series "Fairy Tales"... it "Vityaz", " Shamakhan queen", Head from" Ruslan and Lyudmila "," Little Red Riding Hood "," Alladin ", Aunt Cat," Hut on Chicken Legs "," Geese-Swans " and etc.
Series "Figures"(my favorite!). "Child", "Child with Skates", "Child with a Toy", "Girl in Russian Dress", "Yakut", "Uzbek", "Clown", "Eastern Beauty", "Russian Beauty" and etc.
Chippolino series(already very rare!). "Strawberry", "Chippolino", "Count Cherry", "Musician Pear", "Kum Pumpkin", "Senor Tomato", "Hold and Grab Dog" and etc.
Series "Animals and Birds". "Squirrel", "Fox", "Bear", "White Bear", "Parrot", "Owl", etc. And also "Lamp", "Traffic light", "Clock", "House" and etc.
There was no such abundance in stores, but on Christmas trees - always
The queen of the fields - corn - also decorated the Christmas tree of the 60s
Clock from "Carnival Night" - no 5 12
On the left - the series "Cosmonauts", on the right - "The Tale of the Goldfish", in the center - Alyonushka with a kid
On the left - the series "Bumps", on the right - "The Fox and the Hare", in the center - "Pushkin's Tales"
Pushkin's Tales - Shamakhan Queen, Svatya Babarikha, 33 heroes
Eighth Hall
Modern toys and Christmas trees defile.
For some reason now they are trying to convince us all that a hand-painted ball is “the most beautiful toy”. With all due respect to the work of artists, I dare say that this is an erroneous opinion. The ball is heavy, it bends the branch down, and few people want to look at the intricately drawn landscape. Much more pleasure is given, for example, by an ordinary lump, or a fungus, or a snowman, I am already silent about vintage pleasures.
Artificial trees are also decorated in this room. It is beautiful - there are Christmas trees-brides, and Christmas trees-tsaritsa, and Christmas trees in monochromatic “clothes”, that is. only adorned with blue, white, silver or gold jewelry. Beautiful, but ... so disposable, not intimate ... As far as we understand, you can come here and buy just such a beauty “all in one bottle”.
Compare - these toys are already 40-50 years old
Christmas tree of the 60s
Christmas tree 2009
Pre-revolutionary peasant tree
Pre-revolutionary noble tree
Ninth hall
Santa Claus and old photos of Wedge.
Curious. The showcase contains Santa Claus of all sizes, colors and stripes. On the walls there are views of the ancient Wedge.
Santa Claus in unison: Happy New Year!
And the tenth hall
Christmas tree, light up!
Then our group was gathered at some door and once - it was solemnly thrown open. And everyone was dumbfounded. V large hall with a high ceiling stood a huge Beauty-Yolka. Dressed in the Russian style, namely, in a reddish-red-gold scale, and all in painted teapots, matryoshka dolls, balls, stars and bells, and even in bows.
Modern toy "Russian teapot"
Toy "Russian nesting doll"
To be honest, having come here to the Klinskoye Podvorie Museum, we did not expect such a high-quality holiday at all. They turned on a song well-known to everyone, the children grabbed hands and danced the prescribed New Year's round dance around the Yolka. And then everyone rushed to take pictures :).
And that is not all:).
Glass ball painting workshop
After going downstairs with the group to the first floor, we asked the guide where and how we could get to the master class. She looked into one of the rooms that looked like classroom and she said, but here “Mary Ivanna” (conventionally, I don’t remember exactly) will show you everything. We were incredibly lucky :) - the flow of group excursions temporarily subsided and we were alone, sat on chairs, pushed the paints and painting options to us, chose from 3 balls to choose from (matte red, mirror red, mirror blue), sat down ... do not draw, and to watch our Makanais flushed with pleasure, who selflessly dipped a brush in different colors and painted a house, a tree, a bunny on the sides of the ball.
As soon as we finished, another group burst in with a roar, and our classroom was filled to capacity.
And that is not all:).
In the locker room, we were given gifts for tickets - three packages with New Year's toys (colorful balls). And we went to their brand store (entrance from the street).
Brand store
I experienced a whole range of conflicting sensations.
I'll start with the cons. Look above - I have already criticized the current colors and excessive "Chinese" glitter.
Pros. The choice is much more interesting than in the same Moscow department stores, where our domestic Christmas tree decorations are like a drop in the sea of Chinese and other Asian glass goods. Prices are certainly more sparing than in ... see above.
Toys can be roughly divided into simple and complex.
Simple- this is "The Frog Princess", "Murzilka", "White Bear", "Snowman", "Teremok", "Mushroom-Lesovichok", "Yolochka" etc. (can be viewed here
Cost from 80r. a piece.
Complex- this is "Swans", and the same teapots and samovars that were used to decorate the Klin tree. They consist of several parts, spouts, handles, caps are soldered to them separately. And all this is a completely different level of work. Cost from 120r. apiece, and are really worth the money. I read somewhere that a whole Christmas tree tea set is produced, but it is in high demand and you can buy it ... only in the summer.
In addition, on the shelves there are heaps of different balls, which somehow I didn’t like at all, as well as toys grouped into sets.
An interesting point. I read in the reviews that in addition to the main hall, there is a small counter (at the entrance to the left) where "cheap toys" are sold. We looked. Indeed, there was a very good and extremely cute selection of baby toys for 30-40 rubles.
Afterword
I don’t know about you, but I personally still cannot forget the pieces from “Chuk and Gek” by Arkady Gaidar, beloved from childhood:
«… The next day, it was decided to prepare a Christmas tree for the New Year. From what they just did not invent toys! They ripped off all the color pictures from old magazines. From rags and cotton wool they made animals and dolls. They pulled all the tissue paper out of the drawer from my father and filled up the lush flowers. Why the watchman was gloomy and unsociable, and when he brought firewood, he stopped for a long time at the door and marveled at their new and new undertakings. Finally, he could not bear it. He brought them silver paper from a tea bag and a large piece of wax, which he had left from shoemaking. It was wonderful! ... Even if the toys were not so smartly elegant, even if the hares, sewn from rags, looked like cats, even if all the dolls were the same face - straight-nosed and pop-eyed, and even if the fir cones wrapped in silver paper did not sparkle so much, like fragile and thin glass toys, but, of course, no one had such a Christmas tree in Moscow. It was a real taiga beauty - tall, thick, straight and with branches that diverged at the ends like stars…».
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