Gleb Pudov: The history of Russian chest craft (19th – early 20th centuries). Collection of scientific articles

The parallels between Russian and Scandinavian products are not accidental, which is also recognized by specialists from Scandinavia 42 42 This opinion was expressed in letters to the author of this book by Hanna Wilhelmson, an employee of the Kalmar Museum, and Leif Wallin, an employee of the Northern Museum. . On some types of chest products, there is observed a close intertwining of artistic traditions that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish Russian items from Scandinavian ones. The analysis of works leads to the conclusion that in the chest production of Russia and Scandinavia there was not just a process of mutual influence, but the related artistic thinking of the masters.

Anyway, it is not worth putting an equal sign between them: despite of the similarity of designs, sizes and purposes, there are differences between Russian and Scandinavian products. They were made in different artistic environments and they are fruits of different cultures.

In this context, the question of influences loses its acuteness. It doesn’t matter who influenced whom. It is only necessary to state that both Russian and Scandinavian artisans were participants of the pan-European cultural process. Therefore, it is more important not to register certain influences, but to analyze the environment, conditions, circumstances that ensured the penetration of creative impulses. The kinship is often a consequence of the commonality of motives and plots common in the art of different countries, as well as the similarity of production methods, the use of the same sources. It is also necessary to take into account the stage-by-stage correspondence in the development of different cultures. According to sensible words by Tatyana Passek, the similarity does not mean anything until the «genetic history» of a particular ornamental scheme is traced, i.e. «Work cannot be carried out without a „paleontological“ analysis, without the use of a genetic approach to phenomena, as to natural stage-by-stage formulations of a single process of society development» 43 43 Пассек Т. С. К вопросу о приеме сравнения в истории материальной культуры // Из истории капиталистических формаций. Сб. статей к 45-летию науч. деятельности Н. Я. Марра. – М., Л.: Гос. соц-экон. изд-во, 1933 (Известия ГАИМК. – Вып. 100). С. 330, 340. .

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Three points should be noted as a conclusion.

1. The presence of parallels in Russian and Scandinavian chest production is natural. This is a consequence of centuries-old cultural ties between Russia, on the one hand, and Sweden, Norway and Denmark, on the other. The production of chests is part of a deep and extensive cultural exchange that has existed between these countries since ancient times.

2. Despite of the obvious analogies, Russian and Scandinavian chests have their own artistic style, since they were created on different cultural grounds.

3. A comparative study of Russian and Scandinavian chest products is of particular relevance. Only one aspect needs to be pointed out. Just as researchers of wooden architecture suggest using ancient Scandinavian buildings to reconstruct the external appearance of Old Russia 44 44 Мильчик М. И. Взаимовлияние деревянной архитектуры Древней Руси и Скандинавии: русская историография и постановка проблемы // Актуальные проблемы исследования и спасения уникальных памятников деревянного зодчества России. Международный симпозиум. Доклады / сост. и отв. ред. М. И. Мильчик. – СПб.: Лики России, 1999, С. 137—139. , with regard to the production of chest and boxes, the same can be proposed.

Among Russian chest products, “podgolovniks” occupy a significant place, both in quality and quantity. Many of these items have been preserved in museum collections (they are presented in almost all the capital’s museums, and are often found in provincial ones, especially in the Russian North 45 45 It is worth highlighting the collections of the State Historical Museum, Kirillo-Belozersky Museum Reserve, the Arkhangelsk Museum of Wooden Architecture and Folk Art “Small Korely”, Vologda State Historical and Architectural Museum Reserve. ). This fact makes it easier to study this type of chest products, especially since there is a need to its research.

As a rule, independent scientific work is not devoted to certain types of Russian chest products. Most often, chests are considered in general reviews of museum collections or in articles related to certain problems of Russian chest production 46 46 These are numerous works of N.N. Goncharova, S.K. Prosvirkina, S.K. Zhegalova, Z.P. Popova, I.N. Ukhanova, A.A. Guilodo. In one of the articles of the author of this work, an attempt is made to characterize one of the types of Ural caskets (Пудов Г. А. Об одном виде уральских сундучных изделий (шкатулки середины XIX – начала XX века) // Уральские сундуки XVIII – XX веков: История. Мастера. Произведения. – СПб.: Первый класс, 2016, С. 280—287). . Russian chests called «podgolovnik» were no exception: as an independent type of chest products, they received almost no attention.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the design and artistic features of chests-“podgolovniks”, to determine their place in the European history of chest production. The main tasks include: clarification of the role of external influences that took place in the process of the appearance of “podgolovnik” in Russia and the gradual formation of their artistic style, analysis of specific works. The research timeframe is XVI – XIX centuries.

While working on the article, information from special literature, both foreign and Russian, was used. Numerous items from domestic and foreign museums served as the research material.

It should be noted that only preliminary conclusions are currently possible on this topic. Further additions and adjustments are not excluded.

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By the definition of Pavel Savvaitov, «podgolovnik is a low chest or casket with an inclined lid, bound with iron, with an internal lock and with pulling out drawers for the jewels» 47 47 Савваитов П. Описание старинных русских утварей, одежд, оружия, ратных доспехов и конского прибора, в азбучном порядке расположенное. – СПб.: тип. Императорской Академии наук, 1896, С.104. .

One of the earliest mentions of the word «podgolovnik» occurs in 1574 in the Book of the Volokolamsk monastery parish 48 48 Словарь русского языка XI—XVII вв. / гл. ред. Ф. П. Филин. Вып. 15. – М.: Наука. 1989, С. 245. . In the census of things by the archbishop of Kholmogory and Vazhsky Athanasius in 1702, a lot of chests are indicated, and among them «red leather podgolovnik is bound with carved tin-plated iron» in which money was kept 49 49 Гончарова Н. Н. Русские расписные сундуки XVII—XVIII веков в собрании Исторического музея. – М.: ГИМ, 2018. – (Золотой фонд Исторического музея), С. 17. . The «podgolovnik» is mentioned among the purchases of Catherine I in 1722 50 50 Забелин И. Домашний быт русских царей и цариц в XVI и XVII столетиях. Материалы. Том III. – М.: Языки славянской культуры, 2003 (материалы к тому II), С. 768. .