Traditional Russian home is a cozy and warm place, as it’s usually not a picnic outside. Since olden times the folk used different tools to make the life in Russia as comfortable as possible. Surely the list of Stuff Russians like couldn’t ignore the fact that in the majority of Russian houses and flats one can find carpets. In addition, those carpets find themselves very often on the walls rather than on the floor.
Yes, it’s a hold-over of Soviet Russia, but up until these days, plenty of comrades are not capable of throwing it away, as it has some advantages, even though it’s not in anymore. Moreover, in past days one needed to spend a one-year salary to buy a carpet and it wasn’t as easy as in Western countries. In USA, for example, if one needs buy something, they just go to a store and buy it. Meanwhile in Soviet Russia one had to find the ways to get a carpet – with friend’s help or otherwise. These days the most of young people realize the ridiculous view of carpets in interior design, but as long as the older generations live, we will be able to observe this part of life in Russia.
The most popular carpets have oriental patterns. Also in past days there were popular images with deer and Russian trio of horses. Placing these kinds of carpets on floor was an actual sin in the atheistic country.
History
In the years of Khruschev reign in 1960s there was invented a type of apartment houses which was possible to build in 12 days! They were supposed to be a quick fix for the housing problem in Soviet Union, while the life span of such houses were 25 years, but most of them still host residents. What does is have to do with Russian carpets? You see, the issue of Khruschev houses was the terrible quality of accommodation. On the list of disadvantages, there are poor noise insulation and thin walls. That’s why the affordable solution was the carpets. Later the idea of having carpets was caught on, and more people started buying them and placing on walls, floor, even furniture! In Soviet Russia owning a carpet was a sign of wealth. Ironically, that today it’s quite the opposite.
The contemporary Russian carpets mostly remind Persian ones. So, historically, they came from Eastern republics. Even long before 1960s Russians used carpets at home, but it wasn’t that mainstream. For example, here is the photo of Finnish Marshall Mannerheim in front of the Persian carpet.
It has also become a tradition to take family photos against the carpets. Today Russian Internet is full of such photos and it even has become a meme.
Reasons
I have already mentioned some reasons why Russians like carpets so much and hang them on walls, but, basically, this is the whole set of reasons:
- For winterization: primarily they are used near beds;
- As a tool of money investment in the merchandise deficit conditions (there were not goods to buy, so people bought expensive carpets);
- For noise insulation;
- For hiding imperfections of walls and home improvement.
The years of Soviet Union have gone a long time ago, but the echo of it still exists. One of the Soviet ghosts is carpets, which are just too difficult to throw away, even though we understand that they are just dust collectors, which can become a cause to asthma and fire outbreak. :)
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