On March 6 the Year of the Family "started" at the Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda museum-reserve. The opening took place at the Museum Creative Center "Tsar's Workshop" with a celebration for large families titled "Together — a Friendly Family", to which six families were invited.
"We thought for a long time about which landmark social project to start this year. We really wanted all family members to be involved in the event — both adults and children. It was also important for us to give it a deep meaning — continuity between generations, the preservation of family traditions and values, and the joy of co-creation. Therefore, for the first program in the series we chose a master class on making a ritual doll. The main thing is that the whole family is involved — each person does part of the work, and the result is shared," said the head of the department of the Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda museum-reserve, Ekaterina Kopeykina.
Mothers together with their children eagerly created the "Zernovushka" — a protective doll, a female image of a guardian and provider, which embodied wealth and a bountiful harvest. It was also called Krupenichka or Goroshinka, since the base of this handmade doll was a small pouch tightly filled with grain. They used the types of grain that were sown in the local fields. A doll made of rice or wheat was considered better than others — that grain was more expensive! In spring, during sowing, the first handful was taken from the Zernovushka; this served as a kind of guarantee of a good harvest. Such dolls were also given to newlyweds and new homeowners.
The dolls made at the Sloboda master class turned out to be special. Participants placed a coin for prosperity and a small note into their talismans, on which each mother — the keeper of the household hearth — left wishes for her family. Now the Zernovushkas will surely take an honored place in the "main women's room" — they will decorate kitchens! And of course, what Russian celebration would be complete without treats! Friendly conversation continued around the tea table with a samovar, and this part of the gathering was also useful — large and experienced mothers shared stories and problems, gave each other advice, and exchanged helpful contacts. The museum staff promise that the "family-Sloboda tradition" will certainly continue throughout the year as part of the festive program "When the Family Is Together, the Heart Is in Its Place."
