2006
Vladimir, Russia
24.5 x 19.5 inches
Ellen L. Bassuk and Susan Louis Russian Quilt Collection, 2018.008.0007

In 1994, a delegation of three American quilt teachers traveled to Russia at the invitation of a women’s group. They shared their expertise as well as the dozens of yards of fabric they brought with them—a welcome gift, since everyday supplies were scarce and expensive in post-Soviet Russia. Staying with local families, the Americans learned about daily life, local traditions, and folklore. After the exchange, the Russian students continued to make quilts. 

In the late 1990s, they began to sell their creations in the United States with the help of cultural exchange organizations. Holiday in Suzdal, by Lidya Lebedeva and Luba Karlycheva is one of the resulting pieces.

In it, four young women in traditional sarafan dresses and headscarves dance in a field across the river from the Church of St. Nicholas, one of many churches in the ancient town of Suzdal. In 1864, Suzdal businessmen tried to convince the government to route the Trans-Siberian Railway through their town, but failed. As a result, much of Suzdal’s centuries-old architecture survives to this day.

In this episode of 3 Things About a World Quilt, Marin Hanson and Jamie Swartz dive deeper into this quilt’s story: 

Click here to view the video
Click here to watch other episodes of 3 Things About a World Quilt 

You can view additional quilts from this collection in the exhibition Glasnost and Folk Culture: Russian Quilts from the Turn of the 21st Century.